Regia Aeronautica

• 1. Founding And Early History

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  On the 28th of March 1923, the Italian air force became an independent service known as the Regia Aeronautica. This new branch separated from the Royal Italian Army and stood alone until 1946. Benito Mussolini's fascist regime quickly turned this organization into a propaganda machine. Aircraft featured the Italian flag colors across the full span of their undersides to display national pride during record-breaking flights. Between April 1939 and November 1939, Italian airmen established no fewer than 110 records. They won world championships in round trips, long-range flights, high speed, and altitude flights. Francesco Agello achieved a floatplane world speed record of 709 km/h (440.6 mph) in October 1934 using the Macchi-Castoldi MC-72. General Italo Balbo organized a long-range formation flight to the United States and back to Italy in 1933. This Decennial Air Cruise covered a total distance of 19,000 km (11,800 miles) with Savoia-Marchetti S.55 flying boats. The fleet stopped in Amsterdam, Derry, Reykjavík, Labrador, Montreal, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Washington D.C. A highlight included landing in Lake Michigan in front of Chicago Navy Pier before crowds of thousands of Americans.

• 2. Colonial Wars And Pre War Conflicts

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  The first test for the new Royal Air Force came in October 1935 during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. During the final stages, the Regia Aeronautica deployed up to 386 aircraft operating from Eritrea and Somalia. Italian aviators faced no opposition in the air since the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force had just 15 transport and liaison aircraft. Only nine of those Ethiopian planes were serviceable. The Regia Aeronautica lost 72 planes and 122 aircrew while supporting operations of the Royal Army. They sometimes dropped poison gas bombs against the Ethiopian army. After hostilities ended on the 5th of May 1936, the force spent the following 13 months fighting Ethiopian guerrillas. In July 1936, Italian pilots airlifted Francisco Franco's Army of Africa from Spanish Morocco to the mainland. These pilots fought alongside Spanish Nationalist and German Luftwaffe pilots as members of the Aviazione Legionaria. This deployment ran from July 1936 to March 1939. Mussolini sent 6000 aviation personnel and about 720 aircraft including 80-90 Savoia-Marchetti SM 81 bombers. The force also included 100 Savoia Marchetti SM.79 bombers and 380, 400 Fiat CR.32 biplanes. The Aviazione legionaria achieved approximately 500 aerial victories but lost 86 aircraft in air combat. About 200 flying personnel died during these conflicts.

• 3. World War II Theater Operations

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  On the 10th of June 1940, Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom during the closing days of the Battle of France. On the 13th of June, Fiat CR.42s attacked French Air Force bases and escorted Fiat BR.20s that bombed Toulon harbor. Two days later, CR.42s from 3° Stormo and 53° Stormo clashed with Dewoitine D.520s and Bloch MB.152s. They claimed eight kills for five losses. The Italian air force carried out 716 bombing missions dropping a total of 276 tons of bombs on French fortifications. During this short war, Regia Aeronautica lost 10 aircraft in aerial combat and 24 aircrew. In July 1940, Italian aircraft began bombing cities in the British Mandate of Palestine to push the British back. The bombing of Tel Aviv on the 10th of September killed 137 people. Mid-October saw attacks on American-operated oil refineries in Bahrain. By late October 1941, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta reported only 67 operational aircraft remained in East Africa due to fuel shortages. By the end of February, just 42 aircraft were left in East Africa. Surplus personnel had to fight as infantry by March. On the 24th of October 1941, the last Italian aircraft of the campaign, a Fiat CR.42, was shot down.

• 4. Aircraft Development And Limitations

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  In July 1939, the Regia Aeronautica held no fewer than 33 world records, more than Germany or France. When World War II began in 1939, Italy had a paper strength of 3,296 machines. Only 2,000 aircraft were fit for operations because the local industry used obsolete production methods. Just 166 were modern fighters including 89 Fiat G.50 Freccias and 77 Macchi MC.200s. Both models were slower than potential opponents like the Hawker Hurricane or Supermarine Spitfire. The force lacked long-range fighters and night fighters entirely. Technical assistance from its German ally did little to improve the situation. During the Battle of Bir Hakeim between the 26th of May 1942 and the 11th of June 1942, the new Macchi C.202 fighter outperformed all Desert Air Force fighters. It achieved an unprecedented kill/loss ratio of 4.4/1 during that battle. This performance exceeded even the famed Messerschmitt Bf 109s which recorded a 3.5/1 ratio. In mid-1942, the more modern Macchi C.202 was introduced to operations on the Eastern Front. Training and achieving full operation strength took far longer than anticipated for the Piaggio P.108 bombers. The 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group only became operational in June 1942.

• 5. Notable Aces And Personnel

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  The Regia Aeronautica tended not to keep statistics on the individual level but reported kills for units attributed to their commanders. Pilots who survived through World War II kept personal log books allowing for individual statistics. Teresio Vittorio Martinoli achieved 22 kills while Franco Lucchini also reached 22 kills including one in Spain. Leonardo Ferrulli scored 21 kills with one from the Spanish conflict. Franco Bordoni-Bisleri claimed 19 kills and Luigi Gorrini matched that number. Mario Visintini and Ugo Drago each secured 17 kills. Mario Bellagambi and Luigi Baron both achieved 14 kills. Luigi Gianella and Attilio Sanson each recorded 12 kills. Willy Malagola, Carlo Magnaghi, Angelo Mastroagostino, Giorgio Solaroli di Briona, Mario Veronesi, Fernando Malvezzi, Giulio Reiner, Giuseppe Robetto, Carlo Maurizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa, Massimo Salvatore, Claudio Solaro, Ennio Tarantola, Giulio Torresi, and Adriano Visconti all reached 10 or more kills. Personnel losses during the conflict consisted of 3007 dead or missing and 2731 wounded. Another 9873 personnel became prisoners of war.

• 6. Post Armistice Division And Dissolution

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  After the Italian armistice on the 8th of September 1943, the Regia Aeronautica was briefly succeeded by two new air forces. The Royalist Italian Co-belligerent Air Force fought alongside Allied forces from headquarters at Salerno in southern Italy. In northern Italy, the National Republican Air Force flew for the Italian Social Republic and the Axis. The first ANR fighter unit was the 101st Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre based in Florence. Aircraft of the Royal and Republican air forces never fought each other directly. The ACI operated in the Balkans while the ANR operated in northern Italy and around the Baltic Sea. From the 10th of June 1940 up to the 8th of September 1943, the Regia Aeronautica lost 6483 aircraft according to one source. Other sources report 5201 losses including 3483 fighters and 2273 bombers, torpedo-bombers, and transports. The force claimed 4293 enemy aircraft including 1771 destroyed on the ground. The Regia Aeronautica was succeeded by the Aeronautica Militare when Italy became a republic on the 2nd of June 1946.