Warbird Information Exchange

i've known for years that the italian air force participated in the battle of britain in a minor way, but that's all i've known for years. the current issue of "flight journal" magazine mentions the fact, but with no real concrete info. can anybody add or elaborate to the fact?? aircraft used, quantity used, types used, successes, losses, logistics, etc??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Hi Tom,

A wee bit about the Italian effort in the BOB. In July 1940, Mussolini offered to take part in the air battle, but was ultimately declined by Hitler.A change of heart ensued, and in September , the Corpo Aero Italiano were built up in Belgium under Luftflotte II. I beleive the total force was 50 Fiat CR-42,48 Fiat G-50 and 80 Fiat BR-20 bombers.

Several small scale incursions were made in October, but only one real attack on the 11th November, in which 3 fighters and 6 bombers of the Italians were brought down.

Some good info can be read at the following link to the RAF Museums CR-42, which crash landed in Suffolk on November 11th 1940. Hope this is of some help and interest.

Willie

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/aircraft_histories/78-AF-952%20%20%20Fiat%20CR42%20Falco.pdf

Pic of the aircraft here
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/fiat-cr42-falco.cfm

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

I recall that Fly For Your Life has an anecdote about Stanford-Tuck and his squadron seeking the wreckage of a Italian bomber he had shot down, in order to cut the House of Savoy crest from it's rudder.

Found a really in depth article about the involvement, especially of the CR-42 here if you have the time to read it. Good stuff, I am learning more too!!

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/falco_bob.htm#mm5701

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

As I remember it he also took the opportunity to lift a pistol from a dead gunner and a basket of wine as well.

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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.