Italian Aircraft and Armament (1943)

A RESTRICTED Informational Intelligence Summary, reprinted from an original WW2 Intelligence aircraft recognition manual, published in July 1943. Distributed to Squadrons with the warning notice: 'Not to be taken into the air on combat missions'. Each aircraft has a photograph, silhouette, description, and performance and armament specifications. Includes details of the Fiat CR 42, Macchi, Breda BA 88, Reggiane, Caproni, Savoia-Marchetti and many other military aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica

In 1943 the Regia Aeronautica was forced on the defensive during the Sicilian Campaign. Italian pilots were constantly fighting against Allied efforts to sink Regia Marina ships. Just before the Allied invasion, a huge Allied bomber offensive struck the airfields in Sicily in an effort to gain further air superiority. This left the Regia Aeronautica very weak, but aircraft continued to arrive from Sardinia, southern Italy, and southern France. The last mission of the Regia Aeronautica before the truce with the Allies was the defence during the United States Army Air Forces' bombings of Frascati and Rome on 8 September 1943.

Altho the Regia Aeronautica suffered from the lack of sound industrial planning resulting in orders for an exaggerated number of different aircraft with the lack of the development of adequate engines limiting aircraft performance and reducing capacity to house weapons with a proper punch, they did succeed win producing aircraft as the Macchi C.202 that was probably the most successful Italian fighter during the Second World War.