The Regia Aeronautica in the SCW.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; reading some old militaries articles I've stumbled with this................

The Regia Aeronautica in the SCW.

The Italian aviators who had volunteered either as civilians or as members of the Royal Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) to fight for the Insurgents in Spain returned to Italy on June 15, 1939. About 2,800 of them landed in Genoa.

The following figures as published by the "Aeroplane” June 28,1939, will be found of interest:

Military personnel, who participated in the campaign, 5,699. Civil personnel, 312. Total - 6,011.

Flying Activities:-Flights made, 86,420. Hours flown, 135,265. Explosives dropped, 11,584,420 Kgs. Cartridges fired, 1,042,712.

Combats, 266. Bombardments, 5,318. Reconnaissances, 2,170. Ground attacks, 155.

Enemy ships sunk by air attack, 224. Enemy airplanes shot down, 903. Enemy airplanes destroyed on the ground 40. Legionary airplanes shot down, 86.

Personnel killed during the War, 175. Personnel wounded, 192.

NAMES OF THE LEGIONARY UNITS:

21st Stormo Heavy Bombers (S.81) XXIV Gruppo "Pipistrelli", XXV Gruppo "Pipistrelli".

111th Stormo High-speed Bombers (S.79) XXIX Gruppo "Sparvieri", XXX Gruppo "Sparvieri".

35th Gruppo (autonomous) B.V. (Br.20) "Cicogne".

3rd Stormo of Pursuit (Cr. 32) VI Gruppo "Gamba di Ferro", XVI Gruppo "La Cucaracha", XXIII Gruppo "Asso di Bastoni''

Source: Review of Military Literature. Septembe 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[durb]

The Italian air contingent in SCW has been dealt in some detail in another thread of this forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 2&t=208232

I have reviewed couple of books of the subject in the book review section: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9#p1922399

[tigre]

hanks for that data durb . Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more...........................

Heavy Bomber.

Source: Konvolut - Legion Condor - Wehrmacht - Spanienkreuzträger - kein Fotoalbum 200 F eBay.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all , something more: S. 79 dei "Falchi delle Baleari"
Source: Jet&Prop 6/1998.
Cheers. Raúl M .

[Spearfish]

Members with access to the British National Archives will be interested to note that Files HW21/1-10 contain communications intercepts from the Regia Aeronautica in Spain and Majorca providing detailed information on strength returns and operations to mid 1938 and then from late 1938.

[durb]

Very interesting and recommended video lecture of "air archeology" over Catalonia based on aereal photographic material of Aviazione Legionaria (Italian air force in Spain): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_eyzgbKCP0 - in Spanish, unfortunately not with English subtitles...

To put it shortly in English: Aviazione Legionaria photographed extensively their bombing campaigns and thus produced perhaps the most complete aereal photo material of some parts of Spain in 1930´s. These aereal photographs have been used by modern day historians and archeologists to find even sites of Ancient times - for example a camp of Carthagians of 3rd. Century BC was localized thanks to Italian aereal photographs. There are lots of interesting things to find from Italian archives and I hope that we would some day have more of it published also in English.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more........................

The 111º Stormo Bombardamento Veloce "Sparvieri" (Sparrowhawk) in the Spanish Civil War.

It was formed on April 9, 1938 under the command of Tenente Colonnello Cupini Ranieri. It had 18 planes S.79, the "cursed hunchback", as it was called later by the RAF pilots. The wing was used mainly in tactical bombing activities, as well as some actions of photographic survey and observation along the fronts.

On May 14, 1938, the command of the wing was taken by Colonnello Aleandro Martire. In mid-July, the nationalist forces recently began their offensive towards Valencia, also orders were given accordingly to the stormo. By July 30, were carried out three or four daily missions so the stress conditions of all staff, pilots and ground crews, had become exhausting.

On August 10, 1938, the command was taken over by Colonnello Gaeta and the activity continued with tactical bombing in the front of the Ebro until 19 December, when the command was taken over by Colonnello Mario Vetrella. On October 15 ten S.79 carried out a special mission: they released 5,000 kg of bread, wrapped in paper bags bearing words of hope and faith to the city of Madrid, almost surrounded by nationalist forces, its population began feel the lack of the basic needs. From the first day the new commander took part personally, even several times a day, in the actions bombing. In January 1939, the wing continued its activities of tactical bombing, attacking roads, bridges and concentrations of enemy troops. In February, despite the war was nearing to its end, were carried out 16 bombing missions over Valencia, alternating with days of inactivity due to adverse weather conditions.

At February 16, after being conquered Barcelona on January 26, the pilots began a cycle of training for the air show to be held in the capital of Catalonia. On February 20, 1939 one transport S.81, whose command was taken by Colonnello Vetrella, carrying all the staff of the wing, crashed after taking off with a pilot as the sole survivor. The flight was due to arrive to Barcelona, ​​where officers had been called to inform the Commander of the Legionary Aviation. The incident completely decapitated the 111th Stormo. On March 2, 1939, command was assumed by Colonnello Enrico Pezzi. Under the new command, the wing "Sparrowhawk" conducted its latest bombing actions over Valencia and enemy positions in Toledo. On April 1, an official statement announced that the war was over. Whole month passed between operational and training flights for parades that will take place in Valencia on May 5, and Barajas Airport in Madrid on 12. On May 26, 1939, the staff of the 111th Stormo moved to Seville for subsequent return to Italy.

During the Spanish civil war, the wing conducted 1,532 war actions with 2,507 flights in all. With a total of 3,316,006 kg of explosives used, the 111th Stormo was the unit of the Legionary Aviation that launched the largest number of bombs.

Sources: http://www.mymilitaria.it/liste_04/libr ... spagna.htm
 http://sm79sparviero.publicidadwebrush.info/fotos.html

Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more......................

Fiat CR 32.

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/selt-Archiv-Foto ... 2237623491.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more:
Italian fighter 1937.
Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/cc/82 ... eb79b7.jpg
Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all , something more: Legionary Aviation in action.
Source: http://viriatosmilitaria.blogspot.com/2012/04/
Cheers. Raúl M .