Aircraft of the Second World War at Sea
Part 4: Italy
By Steve Cabral
July 2013

At the end of World War I the Italian Army let its air force (Corpo Aeronautico Militare) wind down, as did many countries. After Mussolini took power in 1922 the air force found itself in sympathy with the fascist movement and became an instrument of propaganda for the new regime. In 1923 the air force became the Royal Italian Air Force, Regia Aeronautica, and a separate and independent force from the army. All planes and pilots belonged to the air force, and separate Army and Navy commands and liaisons were established so that aircraft assigned to assist those branches could do so efficiently. In the 1920s and 1930s aviation became quite popular in Italy. She soon had the third largest airline industry and more pilots per 1,000 citizens than any other country. With their low production the Italians rarely suffered a pilot shortage.

They did, however, emphasize training. Stuka and P.108 crews were given extensive training before deployment in 1940 and 1941. Training slipped as the war went on. Stuka pilots were not able to match the Luftwaffe’s training of the first Picchiatelli pilots; yet the Italians developed skip bombing as in U.S. 5th Air Force. By the start of World War II the Italian aviators held 96 world records in flight achievements.

Despite sending airplanes to fight in Spain, the air staff drew many false conclusions on future air war. Italy became the last country to adopt a biplane fighter. Her fighters emphasized maneuverability over speed and armament, while bombers had the weak armament typical in Europe, though better than most. In addition, few Italian planes in 1940 were all metal. Fabric and wood still figured in construction techniques, and planes were crafted rather than mass produced.

Her biggest problem was engines. Except for the Piaggio engines in the P.108, the engine industry made weak-horsepower models resulting in low average speed and a need for three motors in planes that should have mounted two. None exceeded 1250 hp except the P.108 and those with license-built engines.

Another problem was production. Italy couldn’t match Japan, let alone France or England. Total numbers built per model were often 500 to 1,000, and rarely over 200 of the mid-war designs. Contrast that to 33,000 Bf-109’s or 11,000 Zeroes. Italy had but 1,200 first-rate planes in 1940; Germany had 4,900 in September 1939.

After the Italian surrender Mussolini set up a new government in North Italy called the RSI. Italian industry along with German Lend-Lease kept an air force (Aviazione della RSI) in service until the war ended. In South Italy a few Italian-built aircraft flew with the Allies, bolstered by Lend-Lease, such as P-39Q’s as the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. In June 1946 the Regia Aeronautica became the Aeronautica Militare with the end of the monarchy.

Bombers

SM-79: A three-engined Savoia-Marchetti-produced bomber with a pronounced hunchback design, this aircraft served from the Spanish Civil War to 1944. It composed half of Italy’s 1,000 bombers in 1940. The plane could carry 2,200 lbs of bombs or two 17.7” torpedoes. It excelled in the torpedo bomber roll and as a level bomber. It had three heavy and two light machine guns aboard. Its success in Spain led to its export to several foreign countries in a version with twin German engines. Romania produced these under license. The replacement, the SM-84, actually had inferior combat abilities: Fewer than 500 were produced, and it was retired from service while the SM-79 remained operational.

SM-81: A three-engined Savoia-Marchetti bomber developed from an airliner in 1935. It saw service in Ethiopia and then Spain. Though it was more aerodynamically shaped than the SM-79, it had a fixed undercarriage and retractable turrets that caused it to be a slow flyer. It carried 1,100 lbs of bombs but had 10 machine guns aboard, very heavy by 1930s standards. The aircraft gave good service but served primarily as a transport in World War II, though it proved an effective night bomber in North Africa. Its record against naval targets was unremarkable.

Z-1007: Entering service in 1938, this three-engine, all-wood bomber aircraft from Cantieri Navali Trieste (CANT) proved a total failure with poor engine performance. With new engines the plane became the Z1007bis and gave excellent service from September 1940 onward. It could carry 2,646 lbs of bombs or two 17.7-inch torpedoes, and carried two heavy and two light machine guns. The 1943 version could reach 306 mph. Interestingly, some planes had a single fin and others a twin tail; they flew side by side without distinction of tail type. It was the most graceful looking of the three triple-engined planes, though its all-wood construction proved brittle in the extreme conditions of Russia and North Africa.

Br.20: Fiat’s twin-engine bomber was designed to trumpet the Fascist powers’ strength. It entered service in Spain in 1937 where it appeared to be a great aircraft. Japan purchased 100 and found them inadequate against the Chinese. Redesigned before WW2 as the Br.20M, the newer version served over the Channel, Greece, North Africa and Russia, where it excelled at bombing against no opposition but died in droves if enemy fighters present. It carried 3,500 lbs of bombs and had four machine guns.

Ca.309: This twin-engine recon-bomber with fixed landing gear from Caproni saw little combat in WW2. It was used primarily as a transport after the loss of Eritrea and Ethiopia. It carried 600 lbs of bombs and three machine guns.

Ca.313: Another of the Caproni light bombers (Ca.309-313), it was designed for colonial service with a 900 lb bomb load and three machine guns. It had no outstanding characteristics but was exported to Sweden. France and Great Britain ordered 500 of these but only five were delivered. Germany bought a few as transports.

P.108: A four-engined heavy bomber by Piaggio that looked somewhat like a B-17. It mounted seven heavy and two light machine guns. Interestingly it had no tail gun, instead having twin remote controlled turrets on the outer engine to cover rear and flanks. Mussolini’s son Bruno, the 274th Squadron commander, was killed in a training flight of this bomber in August 1941. The bomber entered service in May 1941, but the need to train crews delayed the operational debut until June 1942. Its bomb load of 7,000 lbs was heavier than B-17 and lighter than B-24. The aircraft was used operationally in very small numbers against targets in Gibraltar and North Africa. The cargo and airline versions were seized by the Germans, giving them excellent service on the Eastern Front.

SM.85: A twin-engined Savoia-Marchetti dive bomber. After 34 were built the squadron commander declared that operationally he anticipated 100% casualties. After a few flights the planes were scrapped and Italy switched to Ju-87B bombers. It carried an 1,100 lb bomb and had one machine gun.

Ba.201: Breda produced a single-engine, single-seat, retractable-gear dive bomber that could carry an 1,100 lb bomb and was armed with two heavy machine guns. It had a remarkable resemblance to a Ju-87 Stuka except for cockpit and landing gear that looked like a Hawker Hurricane’s. Only one was constructed. It had brutally efficient dive brakes but a low top speed from the German DB601 engine.

Z-506: A three-engined float plane by CANT that saw early duty as a bomber and torpedo plane. It was soon transferred to recon duties as it proved too vulnerable to enemy fighters. It could carry 2,600 lbs of bombs or one torpedo and was armed with three light and one heavy machine gun. Poland operated the Z-506 near Danzig in WW2.

Z-501: A large, single-engined CANT float plane that served from 1935 to 1950. Though it performed poorly in the face of enemy fighters it soldiered on in air-sea rescue and ASW duties. It carried three machine guns and 1,400 lbs of bombs. It managed to kill two enemy submarines and damage six. The plane twice set seaplane endurance records in the 1930’s.

Ro.37: A single-engine, two-seat biplane by Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM). It served as the Italian army’s primary recon plane in Ethiopia, Spain and then WW2. It entered service in 1935 and served until 1943. It was extremely vulnerable to enemy fighters but Italy could produce nothing better. It carried 400 lbs of bombs and three machine guns.

Ro.43: A radial-engined floatplane derived from the R0.37. It served as the primary shipboard recon aircraft in WW2. It carried two machine guns and no bombs.

Ro.44: An IMAM single-engine, single-seat float fighter biplane that entered service in 1937. It mounted two heavy machine guns. It was based on the Ro.43, a float variant of the Ro.37. Its purpose was to provide fleet fighter cover in the absence of aircraft carriers. A total failure, it served only in the Aegean, useless in the face of modern monoplane fighters.

Fighters

Cr.32: A Fiat single-engine biplane fighter that served from 1932 to 1940. It appeared to give excellent service in Spain, racking up 300 kills to 73 losses. Italy determined the biplane was the fighter of the future, but its defeat of Soviet I-15 biplanes and I-16 monoplanes was due to superior pilots and tactics. When encountering Britain’s biplane Gloster Gladiator in Egypt the Cr.32 was hacked down in droves. It was quickly retired from operational service. It was armed with two heavy and two light machine guns and could carry 220 lbs of bombs.

Cr.42: This Fiat fighter was ordered into production due to delays in the two new monoplane fighters. It was the last biplane fighter put in production by the major powers, and as such is about the best biplane fighter ever built. It served from September 1939 to 1949, the Germans converting many to night intruders. It carried two heavy machine guns and 440 lbs of bombs. The plane attained air superiority over the Horn of Africa but isolation ground them down. They held their own in North Africa against the Gladiators but were easily defeated over the Channel by Spits and Hurricanes. With the Hurricanes’ arrival in Egypt they switched to ground support, night fighter, convoy escort and sea attack modes all with some success.

G.50: Italy’s first monoplane was very similar to the Mc.200 including the canopy issue. The Fiat design saw limited service in Spain and was exported to Finland. A planned upgrade to G.52 was cancelled in favor of G.55. Armament and even shape was similar to the Mc.200.

G.55: Italy’s best fighter entered service in 1943 with an inline engine DB605; it was armed with one 20mm and four heavy machine guns later three cannon and two machine guns. None fought for the Regia Aeronautica but did serve with the RSI. It was produced post-war by Fiat and exported to Argentina and Egypt. The G.55S had a redesigned radiator to allow it to carry a single 2,100 lb Whitehead Fiume torpedo.

Mc.200: The Macchi monoplane fighter armed with two heavy machine guns entered service in the summer of 1940 escorting SM-79’s over Malta. Interestingly it was designed with a closed canopy, but Italian pilots demanded open ones. They came to regret that in Russia. It went on to serve until the surrender in September 1943 when only 100 of 1,100 built still flew. It could be easily mistaken for the G.50; the Macchi had a ring of blisters around the engine cowling making for easy visual identification.

Mc.202: The Mc.200 was inferior to contemporary fighters, so a replacement was made using the wings, controls and part of the fuselage of that plane mated to a DB601 engine. It was armed with two heavy and two light machine guns, the later two replaced by 20 mm guns late in production. The Mc.202 was superior to P-40’s and Hurricanes and became the main Italian fighter from 1941 onward.

Mc.205: This was a Mc.202 with a DB605 engine. It served from April 1942 to 1948. It was armed the same as the 202, although the two lights were sometimes replaced with two heavy machine guns instead of 20 mm guns. It was able to stand up to the P-51 and Fw-190 on equal terms.

Re.2000: The Reggiane radial engine fighter was based on the U.S. Seversky P-35. It was rejected by the Air Force in favor of the Mc.200. Testing showed flaws with the engine (bane of Italy designs) but found it more maneuverable than the Mc.200 or Bf-109E. The few planes built were used as fleet escorts and a catapult version was designed for use on the new battleships. All were lost in the Fritz-X attack on the deserting Italian warships in 1943. The land version was withdrawn from service in 1942. Sweden and Hungary also operated this aircraft. The Hungarians used a different engine; the Swedes were stuck with the original. Armament was two heavy machine guns. 12 long range versions could carry 4,400 lbs of bombs.

Re.2001: A Re.2000 with a new fuselage, mounting the inline Alfa Romeo-built DB601, produced a plane equal to the Mc.202 in performance. It carried the same armament as the Mc.202 but with longer range. The cannon-armed versions were used as night fighters. The plane served over Italy and the Med, and the fighter-bomber carried a 550 lb bomb. It was in service from 1941 to 1948.

Re.2002: A Re.2001 with a new fuselage to accommodate a radial engine, it entered service in 1942. It was armed the same as Mc.202 though it could mount one 1,100 lb and two 350 lb bombs, allowing it to serve as a dive bomber.

Re.2005: A completely new inline engine fighter mounting three 20 mm and two heavy machine guns, it entered service in 1943. The 29 built fought over Sicily and Italy. Germany sent 13 survivors to Romania for oil field defense. It could carry the same bomb load as the Re.2002 but hardpoints were not standard and the plane was very expensive to produce.

Foreign

Fi-167: This Fieseler torpedo bomber was designed for use on Graf Zeppelin. Since no carrier materialized the plane never entered production, and the 12 built were sold to Romania and Croatia. It was armed with two machine guns and carried either 2,200lbs of bombs or one torpedo; it was a two-seat inline-engined biplane.

Ju-87: One of the most famous planes of WW2, the Junkers dive bomber known as the Stuka began a reign of terror in Spain when Guernica was bombed and was feared until the Battle of Britain in 1940. Losses were severe and the aircraft was withdrawn from France. In Italian service it began attacks on Malta in August 1940 and continued there through the next two years with side trips to Greece and North Africa. The aircraft’s main weakness was slow speed, which made it an easy target for enemy fighters. Used overwhelmingly for ground war, it was capable of doing great damage against naval targets. Italy purchased the Ju-87B when their dive bomber designs proved useless in combat. Armed with two machine guns and 1,100 lbs of bombs, it was called Picchiatelli (nose-dive) in Italy.

Bf-109G: Italy received 305 various models of the Messerschmitt, including G-6, G-10, G-12, G-14 and K-4.

Pit the Allied forces against the Regia Aeronautica yourself
in Second World War at Sea: Bomb Alley!