S.M. 79 and CR.42 over Malta

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Claudior
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S.M. 79 and CR.42 over Malta

Post by Claudior » Mon May 11, 2009 8:31 am

Hi
I'm a model builder from switzerland and I'm interrested in building italian planes that took part in the battle over malta.

Who can give me informations, which S.M.79 and CR.42 Units took part in the battle?


Thank you very mutch!
Claudio

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Capitano
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Post by Capitano » Mon May 11, 2009 9:40 am

Here is a start.

http://ww2airfronts.org/Theaters/mto/hm ... alta2.html

And this oop book.

Battle over Malta: Aircraft Losses & Crash Sites 1940-42 (Paperback)
by Anthony Rogers (Author)

This is pretty cool, too.

http://www.maltaaviationmuseum.com/aircraft.asp

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Great Links!

Post by Claudior » Mon May 11, 2009 12:49 pm

@Capitano

Thank you very mutch for this links, they are excellent!

Bye
Claudio

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Post by Claudior » Mon May 11, 2009 1:43 pm

The links from Capitano are very interresting, but I can't find any Information, which Units of the Regia Aeronautica took part in the battle for malta... Any other Ideas, where i can find this information?

Thank you very mutch!
Claudio

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Post by Editor » Mon May 11, 2009 2:35 pm

First of all welcome and thank you for your post. Chris Dunning's Courage Alone contains a complete list of all the RA units employed in WWII including area of operations. Its a large reference but contains the information you're looking for. If you're patient I can draw on the information you need.

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Capitano
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Post by Capitano » Mon May 11, 2009 8:30 pm


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Post by Claudior » Mon May 11, 2009 11:50 pm

@Webmaster
Thanks for the welcome. I'm very patient and like to thank you in advance for your efforts!

@Capitano
Again, a very interessting Link, thank you very mutch!

Bye Claudio

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Post by Capitano » Fri May 22, 2009 5:16 pm

FYI

In the new Wing Masters #70, there is an article on Spitfires over Malta. Maybe some 411 there.

Paul





.

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Post by Aeroal » Sat May 23, 2009 6:39 am

Claudior,

As far as I can gather from a number of sources, the CR42 Sqaudriglie which took part in the Siege of Malta were : 70, 71, 74, 75, 301CN, 302CN, 379, 380, 384, 385 and 386.

The participating SM79 squadriglie were : 18, 52, 55, 56, 57, 58, 174, 175, 192, 193, 194, 195, 254Sil., 255Sil., 256, 257, 258, 259, 278Sil., 280Sil., 281Sil.and 283Sil.

I hope this gives you something to go on.

Regards,

Aeroal.

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Post by Claudior » Sat May 23, 2009 12:45 pm

@aeroal
Thank you very mutch, that helps a lot!!!!


@paul
Thanks again, I'll go and get it!

Bye Claudio

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stefanuccio
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Post by stefanuccio » Sat May 23, 2009 5:50 pm

ciao aeroal
i was also very interested in the subject i must say that this issue was a hard one it must have taken you i while but is a excellent outcome i can do a lot with this informations well done and thanks very much
ciao stefano

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Ludovico Slongo
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Post by Ludovico Slongo » Sun May 24, 2009 9:40 am

Dear all,
Some additional notes only on CR 42 units fighting over Malta.
At the beginning of the war (June the 10th 1940) the Italian fighter force in Sicily was the "Ia Divisione Aerea "Aquila" that comprised 1° Stormo C.T. and 6° Gruppo Autonomo C.T.
1° Stormo was composed of two Gruppi: 17° and 157°, while 6° Gruppo Aut. had been previously part of 1° Stormo but had been recently detached from it. However: 157° Gruppo was fully equipped of CR 42s while 17° Gruppo was still mounted on CR 32 and 6° Gruppo was equipped with C200s.
Thus CR 42s in Sicily at the beginning of the war were only:
157° Gruppo (Magg. Guido Nobili)
whose Squadriglie were:
384a Squadriglia Cap. Mario Frulla
385a Squadriglia Cap. Aldo Li Greci
386a Squadriglia Cap. Gustavo Garretto
It seems however the 157° Gruppo never saw action over Malta, its fighters, based around Trapani, were used mainly for point defence duties and to escort Italian bombers raiding Tunisia in the very early stages of the war.
Very soon the C200s of 6° Gruppo were found to be not well suited to couple with the Sea Gladiators of the island and an additional Gruppo of CR 42 was sent to Sicily, this time to operate over Malta: it was 9° Gruppo of 4° Stormo on July the 1st 1940.
9° Gruppo (Magg. Ernesto Botto)
73a Squadriglia Ten. Vittorio Pezzè
96a Squadriglia Cap. Roberto Fassi
97a Squadriglia Cap. Antonio Larsimont-Pergameni
The needs of the North African front obliged 9° Gruppo to be flown there on July the 11th 1940, but another unit on CR 42 replaced it, it was 23° Gruppo Autonomo C.T. previously part of 3° Stormo, that arrived in Comiso on the 11th of July.
23° Gruppo (Magg. Tito Falconi)
70a Squadriglia Cap. Ottorino Faragnoli
74a Squadriglia Cap. Guido Bobba
75a Squadriglia Cap. Antonio Chiodi, then Cap. Luigi Filippi.
In the meantime 17° Gruppo of 1° Stormo had started to get rid of its CR 32 replacing them with some CR 42s and apparently some C.200s. The Gruppo was based in Palermo (out of range to operate over Malta) but its 72a Squadriglia, totally equipped on CR 42s moved to Comiso on July the 8th and then it operated with 23° Gruppo.
For the rest of July and August 23° Gruppo and 72a Squadriglia on CR 42s were the mainstay of Italian fighter force over Malta. On September the 9th 157° Gruppo left Sicily for Turin Caselle to be re-equipped and also 72a Squadriglia left the front line to join its Gruppo in Palermo and re-equip. It is again to point out that -apparently- in its three months permanence in Sicily the falcos of 157° Gruppo never saw action over Malta.
23° Gruppo remained the only unit eqipped with Falcos over Malta until on December the 16th 1940, it too was moved to North Africa to try to help in stopping the Commonwealth "Compass" offensive. Only part of the Gruppo moved to Libia while the rest of the pilots under Cap. Luigi Filippi on January the 20th 1941 formed an interim unit called 156° Gruppo whose Squadriglie had the same numbers of those of 23° Gruppo: 70bis, 74bis, 75bis. The odd CR 42 still remained in the ranks of the now C.200 equipped 17° Gruppo of 1° Stormo.
When 23° Gruppo came back from Libia on April the 1st 1941, 156° Gruppo was disbanded and its pilots and planes were absorbed by 23° Gruppo.
Gradually replaced by C200s the Falco remained operative over Malta or at least over the Mediterranean water around Malta in the ranks of 23° Gruppo until the unit came back to Turin on December 1941. In the meantime, in Sicily, on October 1941, 171° Gruppo caccia notturna was formed on two Squadriglie of CR 42s, but it was immediately disbanded and its planes formed various "sezioni" of night fighters in the different Scicilian airports. Finally 377 Sq., the only unit operating Re 2000s in Regia Aeronautica, once written off the Reggiane in 1942 re-equipped, at least partially with CR 42s that were used again in the night fighter role under Cap. Luciano Marcolin.
Hope it was useful

Ludovico

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stefanuccio
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Post by stefanuccio » Sun May 24, 2009 6:54 pm

ciao ludovico
it is really amazing to know this actual facts of ww2 tothis much description and details thanks very much for your very much appreciated effort
ciao stefano

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Post by Claudior » Mon May 25, 2009 2:03 am

Hi ludovico

Thank you very much for your effort! It really helps a lot!

Bye
Claudio

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