Italy: Regia Aeronautica Warplanes of the Second World War: Aeronautica to Douglas
Aerei da guerra italiani della seconda guerra mondiale
Italian Warplanes of the Second World War
Regia Aeronautica 1939-1943
Aeronautica to Douglas
The first Italian aircraft evaluated in the UK was a Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane (Serial No. 326, ex MMN5701), BT474, of the Regia Aeronautica, which was the only Italian aircraft shot down in the Battle of Britain. It had been based at Maldegen in Belgium and was shot down by RAF Hurricanes from Martlesham Heath on 11 November 1940. After repair and flight-testing, it was stored until placed on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon. (RAF Photo)
Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane (Serial No. 326, ex MMN5701), BT474, of the Regia Aeronautica, repainted in RAF colours and test flown, before being placed in storage. It is now on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon. (RAF Photo)
Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane (Serial No. 326, ex MMN5701), BT474, now painted in Regia Aeronautica colours and on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon. (Alan Wilson Photo)
Captured Italian aircraft
A number of Italian aircraft were captured in Eritrea and Abyssinia, and pressed into Allied service, including a Fiat CR 32 (Serial No. MM4191); several Fiat CR 42 Falcos including (SAAF Serial No. 22); Caproni Bergamashi Ca 133Ts (Serial No. 4145), registered as I-GOGG; and another captured at Mogadishu (Serial No. MM60125), flown in RAF markings coded S.M.8, (SAAF Serial No. 23); Fiat G.50 Freccia (Serial No. unknown), coded HS, was flown by No. 260 Squadron in Palestine from August to October 1941; Caproni Bergamashi Ca 148; Caproni Bergamashi Ca 101 (Serial No. 3351), I-ABCK, captured in North Africa; and another Ca-101 (Serial No. unknown), coded HK859, which was shot down on 13 February 1942 while being ferried in RAF markings from Acoma; Caproni Bergamashi Ca 309-VI Ghibli, (Serial No. MM12444) ground attack aircraft with a fuselage-mounted 20-mm cannon wore RAF markings at Brindisi in December 1943; Caproni Bergamashi Ca 311, (Serial No. unknown) wore RAF markings at Foggia/Main in November 1943; Savoia-Marchetti S.M.73 (Serial No. K33), captured in Abyssinia and nicknamed “Holly’s Folly”; two Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero (Sparrowhawk) (Serial No. MM22551, SAAF No. 24), and (SAAF No. 25), coded K36, flown by the SAAF; plus another S.M.79 (Serial No. unknown), coded HK848; and one Savoia-Marchetti S.M.81 Pipistrello coded 14-2 which became lost on a bombing raid on Aden on 13 June 1940, and was later flown by the RAF to Aden, at least three Saiman C-202 (Serial No. unknown), coded HK860, light communications aircraft were put into operation by the SAAF and RAF; an unidentified Caproni (Serial No. unknown), coded HK914; and a Breda Ba 65 fighter bomber captured in Addis Ababa in December 1941.
Data current to 17 April 2017.
Italian aircraft of the Second World War
Aeronautica Lombarda AL-12P Glider. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Ambrosini A.R. flying bomb.
Ambrosini CVV-6 Canguro glider. (RuthAS Photo)
Ambrosini S.7T trainer. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
(Alan Wilson Photo)
Ambrosini S.7T trainer, on display in the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano in central Italy.
Ambrosini SAI.10 Grifone (Griffon) trainer. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Ambrosini SAI.207 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Arado Ar 96B-2 trainer.
(MLWatts Photo)
Avia FL.3, Museo dell'aeronautica Gianni Caproni in Trento, Italy.
Breda Ba.25 trainer. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Breda Ba.25 trainer, captured by the RAAF at Augusta, Sicily, 1943. (Laurence Craddock Le Guay Photos)
Breda Ba.28 trainer. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
Breda Ba.39 trainer. (Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni Photo)
Breda Ba.44 liaison. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
Breda Ba.64 ground attack. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Breda Ba.65 ground attack. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Breda Ba.75 recconnaissance/ground attack. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
Breda Ba.82 medium bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Breda Ba.88 Lince (Lynx) fighter/bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Breda Ba.201 dive bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann trainer, Fantasy of Flight Museum, Florida, USA. (Author Photo)
CANSA C.5B trainer. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
CANSA C.6 trainer.
CANSA FC.12 ground attack. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANSA FC.20 reconnaissance/bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull) maritime patrol float plane. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull) maritime patrol float plane, found intact by the RAAF on the occupation of Sicily, Italy. c. September 1943. No. 3 Squadron also acquired a CANT Z.501 Gabbiano single engined reconnaissance flying boat at Bari, also coded CV-V, although it was not flown. CANT Z.501 coded 147-11, HK976 was pressed into service in the RAF on 20 December 1943 after Italy surrendered. This floatplane eventually went to the Free French. (Australian War Memorial Photo MEA0311)
CANT Z.506B Airone (Heron) maritime patrol/bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
(RAF Photos)
CANT Z.506B Airone (Heron) maritime patrol/bomber, Cant Z.506B forced down on Mondello beach, Sicily, Sep 1943.
(RAF Photos)
CANT Z.506B Airone (Heron) maritime patrol/bomber in RAF markings, one of three CANT Z.506B Airone, coded 147-4, HK977, 147-7, HK978 and 147-2, HK979, which were taken on RAF strength on 20 December 1943. One of these Cant Z.506 floatplanes belonged to the Regia Aeronautica’s 139th Squadron. On 29 July 1942, it was used by the RA to rescue the crew of a ditched Bristol Beaufort, but the English prisoners overwhelmed the Italians during the flight to Taranto, Italy and hijacked the aircraft to Malta. Afterwards the aircraft was based at Alexandria.
(Alan Wilson Photos)
(Zerosei Photo)
( nne258 Photo)
CANT Z.506B Airone (Heron) maritime patrol/bomber on display in the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano in central Italy. The Airone was a triple-engine floatplane produced by CANT from 1935. During the Second World War, it was used as a reconnaissance aircraft, bomber and air-sea rescue plane by the Italian Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe.
CANT Z.506C Airone (Heron) transport/rescue. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.511 transport seaplane. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
CANT Z.515 reconnaissance/bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.1007 Alcione (Kingfisher) bomber, a three-engined medium bomber with wooden structure. The Alcione had excellent flying characteristics and good stability and was regarded by many as the best Italian bomber of the Second World War although its wooden structure could be easily damaged by extreme climate conditions, like those experienced in North Africa and in Russia. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.1011 heavy bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.1012 liaison. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.1015 torpedo bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
CANT Z.1018 Lione (Lion) bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
(Alan Wilson Photo)
Caproni Ca.100 trainer, on display in the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano in central Italy. Previously Reg. No. I-GTAB, it is marked with the registration FIR-9, appropriate to a Ca.100 serving at the Florence basic Flying School in the mid-1930s, Italy.
(Alan Wilson Photo)
Caproni Ca.100 Idro floatplane variant in the Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni, Trento, Italy.
Caproni Ca.111 reconnaissance. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.133 transport/bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.133, captured in North Africa, operated by the RAF. (RAF Photo)
Caproni Ca.135 bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.148 transport. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.164 liaison. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.165 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.308/A.P.1 Boreas (North Wind) light bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli (South Wind) reconnaissance. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli (South Wind) reconnaissance in RAF markings. (RAF Photo)
Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli (South Wind) reconnaissance. This Ghibli was captured by the RAAF in North Africa. Originally used for dropping flares, this aircraft was converted to transport personnel and flown by RAAF No. 3 Squadron. (Jim Kinnear Photo)
No. 3 Squadron, RAAF arrived at Castel Benito on 22 January 1943, and seized an Italian Caproni Bergamashi Ca 309 Ghibli, a twin-engined light transport and reconnaissance aircraft, to use as a unit communications hack. It made its first flight with the squadron on 1 February 1943, coded CV-V. It made a number of long flights to Cairo and Alexandra in Egypt and remained on duty with the squadron until 4 September 1943. No. 3 Squadron also acquired a Caproni Bergamashi Ca 164 two-seat light aircraft, possibly found at Castel Benito. It was recorded as in use on 2 March 1943 and on through 29 May 1943.
Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio (South West Wind) reconnaissance bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.311 bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.311 bomber in RAF markings. (RAF Photo)
Caproni Ca.312 bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.313 bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.313 bomber. (Swedish Air Force Photos)
(Alan Wilson Photo)
(Bene Riobo Photo)
(Mangan02 Photo)
Caproni Ca.313 bomber replica, Swedish Air Forces Museum Flygvapenmuseum in Linköping, Sweden.
Caproni Ca.314 bomber/maritime patrol. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.316 reconnaissance patrol. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.331 O.A. Raffica (Gust) bomber. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Ca.331 C.N. Raffica (Gust) night fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Campini N.1/C.C.2 engine testbed. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
(Alan Wilson Photos)
(Aldo Bidini Photo)
(Bergfalke2 Photo)
Caproni Campini N.1. on display in the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano in central Italy.
Caproni Vizzola F.4 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Vizzola F.5 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caproni Vizzola F.6 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caudron C.440 Goéland (Seagull) transport. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Caudron C.440 Goéland (Seagull) transport in Armèe de l'Air service. (Armèe de l'Air Photo)
Caudron C.445 Goéland (Seagull) transport. (USAAF Photo)
Caudron C.635 Simoun (South East Wind) liaison. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
(MarcJP46 Photo)
(PpPachy Photo)
(Roland Turner Photo)
Caudron C.635 Simoun, Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
CNA PM.1 trainer, MM417. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
Dewoitine D.520 C1 fighter. (Regia Aeronautica Photos)
Dornier Do 217J night fighter (in Luftwaffe Service). (Luftwaffe Photo)
Dornier Do 217J night fighter, Regia Aeronautica. (Regia Aeronautica Photo)
Douglas DC-2 transport. (USAAF Photo)
Douglas DC-3 transport. (USAAF Photo)
Axis Warplane Survivors
A guidebook to the preserved Military Aircraft of the Second World War Tripartite Pact of Germany, Italy, and Japan, joined by Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia; the co-belligerent states of Thailand, Finland, San Marino and Iraq; and the occupied states of Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Vichy France, Greece, Ljubljana, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Manchukuo, Mengjiang, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The book may be ordered online at:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/harold-a-skaarup/axis-warplane-survivors/paperback/product-20360959.html
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search/?keywords=axis%20warplane%20survivors&pageSize=12.
