In the spring of 1937, the well known black St. Andrew's cross appeared on the rudder of 101ª Squadriglia planes. It was reduced in size compared to other units operating CR 32s. The cross was painted directly on aluminium fabric (silver dope) and lacking the white background. Other insignia remained unchanged. In the same period, individual numbers doubled in size to 50 cm as well as a slight change in style that occured.

Img 14 – Serg. Tiberio Amica flies on no. 2 now with the enlarged digit and St. Andrew's cross

Five more FIATs arrived during this time resulting in a total of eleven CR 32s. The blue bat was painted again on some aircraft, for instance nos. 9 and 11. But this time, apparently, the bat’s wing membrane was left unpainted, instead of being medium blue previously.

Img 15 - The bat is back!

In May, the Squadriglia Mussolini became the 101ª Squadriglia. Likely during this period, Nationalist insignia changed to their definitive form. A black 60 cm disk replaced the fuselage bands. Beneath the top wing appeared another 100 cm black disk, and above the top wing a black St. Andrew cross was painted whose extremities reached the 11th-12th and the 15th-16th wing ribs; two black bands were in 18th-19th and 20th-21st wing rib space; the area between the 22nd rib and the wing-tip was painted white on some aircraft (for instance nos. 2 and 5) and aluminium on others (for instance nos. 4 and 11), but outlined by a fine (thin) black line just over the 22nd rib (see img 16 & 17).

Img 16 - S.Ten. Aurelio Vedovi “Velati” flying above Palma in 1938. Note upper wing Nationalist insignia

Img 17 - D'Agostinis' aircraft wearing the new Nationalist insignia. Note the black disks and the fine (thin) black line near the upper wing-tip (red arrow)

Under wing black and white bands were deleted and three smaller (thinner) black bands, about 15 cm-wide, 8th to 9th, 10th to 11th and 12th to 13th wing ribs were painted on an aluminium background.

Img 18 - New under wing stripes for no. 2

This situation remained unchanged at least until July when the 101ª Squadriglia joined the newly arrived 102ª Squadriglia to form the X Gruppo Caccia “Baleari”.

The CR 32ters of the 102ª Squadriglia were painted with the new three colour band camouflage which was the new finish for RA fighters from the summer of 1937. Below (img 19) is the typical pattern as drawn in “Colori e Schemi Mimetici della Regia Aeronautica 1935-1945”, first (and out of print) edition of 1977. This pattern was applied with some variations. The spinner and the front side of the propeller blades were left in a natural metal.

Img 19 - The band camo pattern. The triangular brown area on the port lower wing is absent in most, if not all, photos; it could be a shadow effect misinterpreted by the artist. The brown area in front of the windscreen is doubtful for the same reason.

Img 20 – Example of band camo on a Regia Aeronautica CR.32ter

Img 21 - Band scheme on starboard side

The under surfaces and wing struts were most probably painted in Grigio Mimetico, as suggested by the non-reflective underside finish of this somerset FIAT.

Img 22 - "White 9" after a landing accident

Nationalist insignia remained the same as 101ª’s, only the upper side top wing St. Andrew cross was white, and the cross on the rudder had a white background. The individual numbers were white.

Img 23 - White numbers for 102ª Squadriglia

A band camouflaged aircraft (“black 7”) was also assigned to 101ª Squadriglia, likely a replacement plane.

Img 24 – Unique in its kind: a band camouflaged '32 in 101ª Squadriglia

Shortly after their arrival, the aircraft of 102ª Squadriglia received their own unit insignia, a bulldog painted on the fuselage black disk. The bulldog was applied on both sides, facing forward on the port side, and rear on the starboard side. Although often depicted in pink (skin tone) in several artists’ profiles, its more logical colours were grey or, more likely, light tan, as depicted in the badge of the current 651ª Squadriglia Collegamenti of the Aeronautica Militare (AMI).

Img 25 - The 102ª's bulldog. Actual colour is still uncertain. Three of the four teeth are barely visible Img 26 – The 651ª Squadriglia Collegamenti inherited the badge of 102ª Squadriglia, but the colour seems darker than in the original 1938 b/w photos.

This bulldog was present at least in band-camouflaged nos. 3, 5, 8 and 9 but this does not imply that it wasn’t applied to other aircraft.

Img 27 - Ten. Amedeo Guidi, a future ace in WWII with six kills

In 1938, the 101ª Squadriglia changed its unit insignia, a red snatching devil with pitchfork, inscribed in a yellow disk, on both sides. Sadly, no detailed images of this badge are known.

Img 28 – The devil on "black 5"...

Img 29 - ... and on "black 8". Note the unusual shape of the digit

During 1938 and 1939 several aircraft were replaced, due to loss in accidents. The new aircraft came either from other units or from Italy and had a mottled camouflage. In fact, in operational use, the band camo had been proved to be ineffective and was replaced by the mottle scheme, first to units in continental Spain (VI, XVI, XXIII Gruppi and Squadriglia Mitragliamento “Frecce”), and then directly at the FIAT factory. The band scheme survived only in the Balearic Islands because of the low threat of enemy attacks. It seems that the patterns that were field-applied in Spain mainly consisted of only two colours (probably green over yellow, whose actual hues/shades are still controversial), and that the aircraft coming from the factory had either a three-tone or a two-tone (green over yellow) scheme, depending on the period. The colours used by FIAT were: Giallo Mimetico 1, Verde Mimetico 1 and Marrone Mimetico 1 with undersides in Alluminio or Grigio Mimetico until 1938 and the same colours (except Alluminio) plus Giallo Mimetico 3, Marrone Mimetico 2, Verde Mimetico 3 and Verde Mimetico 53192 in 1939. Noteworthy, aircraft painted in Spain had often the camouflage extended also to wing struts, spinner and even the front face of the propeller blades.

Img 30 - "White 3" had probably a three-tone mottle scheme. Probable colours: Marrone M. 2 (darker) and Verde M. 53192 over Giallo M. 3, undersides Alluminio

Img 31 - Other examples, this time of 101ª Squadriglia, of mottle pattern. Probable colours: Verde Mimetico 3 over Giallo Mimetico 3

In 1939, the 101ª’s devil was moved to the black disk.

Img 32 – Ten. Evaristo Reccardini “Recco” beside his “black 2”, which wears the devil and a two-tone camo. This scheme is typical for CR 32quaters produced between January and March 1938. Probable colours seem to be Verde M. 3 over Giallo M. 3, although these hues were not officially adopted at that time. On “white 2” in the background, probably transferred from 101ª Squadriglia, the devil had been roughly overpainted.

The construction numbers, usually applied on the tail fin of other unit CR 32s were never applied to the Balearic fighters.

About the commanders’ insignia, it seems that the FIATs of X Gruppo never carried any type of pennant or symbol to identify CO’s aircraft throughout the war.

This study is obviously far from definitive, and any comments, additions or deletions are welcome.

Stefano was born in Padua in 1959. Stefano’s modeling passion grew after having seen the sixties' movie "The Battle of Britain" and "Squadron 633". He built an entire Squadron of Airfix 1/72 Spitfire IXs and Bf 109Gs too! Later, during the seventies, Stefano passed on to building models of the Vietnam Era. After having known some veterans of the Regia Aeronautica Stefano’s interest grew in Italian WWII aircraft. This began a journey to acquire all books, magazines and references which covered this subject and, finally, in the pc era, he began archiving all this information. Stefano began his career as a Medical Doctor and Surgeon Lieutenant in the Padua Military Hospital. Today Stefano is a thoracic, laparoscopic and endoscopy surgeon in a hospital near Padua. Stefano lives in Padua with his wife and three sons. Stefano's modeling practice is an expression of his innate desire for precision, accuracy and most of all, patience.