Rocket italian fighters?

[gabriel pagliarani]

CANCELLED BY AUTHOR Sept 29 2002.
Other pilots' sites ALITALIA/AMI related:
http://users.libero.it/chianesef/raf/htm/raf3.
ANPAN (RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION) SITE:
http://web.tiscali.it/anpan/notiziari/2 ... iarini.htm
and
http://web.tiscali.it/anpan/notiziari/2 ... ziario.htm

[Håkan Gustavsson]

Hello,

I answered this question on this forum a couple of months ago, but here comes my answer again:

"In November 1944 Italian pilots were training on Bf109s. During this time Maggiore Adriano Visconti was contacted by the OKL, which proposed the training of a group of Italian pilots on the Mel63 Komet in preparation for the probable allocation of this rocket-powered interceptor to the Italians. This was an irresistible offer and Visconti asked for volunteers. Only single men were allowed since the training was so hazardous and seventeen pilots were chosen.
The pilots involved were: Capitano Giuseppe Robetto, Tenente Gian Mario Zuccarini, Tenente Lucio Stramese, Tenente Giuseppe Biron, Sottotenente Aurelio Morandi, Sottotenente Raffaele Marzocca, Sottotenente Franco Storchi, Sottotenente Roberto Di Lollo, Maresciallo Luigi Jellici, Maresciallo Silvio Girolami, Maresciallo Danilo Billi, Maresciallo Romano Spazzoli, Sergente Maggiore Gino Pizzati, Sergente Maggiore Mario Veronesi, Sergente Maggiore Giampiero Svanini, Sergente Maggiore Isonzo Baccarini and Sergente Dante Toselli.
Under the command of Capitano Giuseppe Robetto, Second-in-Command of Io Gruppo Caccia, they transferred during early December to Rangsdorf (Berlin) where they were to train on gliders between 5 to 30 December. The gliders used were the two-seater Kranich, the single-seater Grunau and the Habicht 14, 8 and 6 (the number indicates the wing-span in meters). The Habicht 6 was similar in handling to the Me163 during un-powered flight.
After almost three hours of gliding, the Italians were transferred from Rangsdorf to Liegnitz were they finally saw the Komet for the first time. However bad weather and the Russian advance didn't allow any of the Italian pilots to ever fly the Me163 and the pilots returned to Italy at the beginning of February 1945."

Of the involved pilots at least Sergente Maggiore Mario Veronesi flew combat sorties in the Bf109Gs as late as April 1945 (see http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/italy_veronesi.htm).

As you might see your father name is not among the names in the list, which means that there perhaps were 18 pilots. Do you know his rank at the time? Do you know if he served in the Regia Aeronautica and if so, which unit?

The field on the Eastern front was as you can see from my text near Liegnitz and no Italians were ever combat ready flying the Me163.

Best wishes/Håkan Gustavsson

WWII Biplane Fighter Aces
http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity

[gabriel pagliarani]

CANCELLED BY AUTHOR Sept 29 2002

[gabriel pagliarani]

Please Hakan, try to visit this forum:
http://www.stormbirds.com/lwag/ubb/Foru ... 00016.html
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ANSWER from a certain Sig Giorgio Spada:


Dear friends, I have just a simple question:
Does any of you have any info about
possible activities of messerchmitts me 262
in (northern) italy ?

Regards and Thanks in advance

Giorgio Spada

peppo44@katamail.com


REPLY OF MODERATOR Mr.Richard

Dear Gorgio,
To attempt to answer this very question for myself, I had purchased the book "Air War Italy 1944-45"; by Nick Beale, Ferdinando D'Amico, and Gabriele Valentini; Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury, England; c. 1996. The authors give many reported sightings of Me 262s in Italy, but, on page 200, go on to state:

"Despite many reported sightings, we know of no hard evidence that Me 262s were ever in Italy. OKL in April had notified the Italian Embassy that pilots of II° Gr.C. would be trained on the type in Germany but no more came of this than of rumours within the Gruppo that they would be getting the He 162."

Regards,
Richard

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[Cantankerous]

There's a link containing information making it unlikely that Italian pilots flew the Me 163 Komet:
https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/2201 ... 163-pilots