Captured aircrafts flown by the Regia

[Xilon_x]

Dewoitine D.520 before their transfer in Italy from Istres (France). On 1943 the Germans captured 246 D.520s and batch of 75 airplanes was transferred to Italy. The D.520 was a good plane, fast and well armed, forceful against the obsolete C.R,42s

As German forces invaded Vichy's so-called "free zone" in November 1942, they captured 246 D.520s; additionally, a batch of 62 was completed under German occupation. Some were used by the Luftwaffe for training purposes. The Germans also transferred 120 D.520s to Bulgaria and 60 to Italy. A number of them were intended for the Romanian Air Force, but the shipment was lost on the way. One source claims that they arrived and have been used against the Soviets, but says no details of service are known. Another source claims 150 aircraft were sent to Romania. Yet another source claims the so-called Romanian Dewoitines were in fact in transit to Bulgaria and only flew over Romania in order to get to their final destination. The latter seems the most reliable explanation viewed against the numbers of Dewoitines actually available.

A rare photo of the P-38 Lightning landed at Capoterra airfield on southern Sardinia the 12 of June, 1943

The 12 of June, 1943 a lonely P-38 landed at Capoterra airfield on southern Sardinia. The Italians on the airfield cannot believe what was happening. A soldier, quickly, move a car just on the front of the aircraft to prevent a restart. The P-38's pilot was opening the canopy when he realize that he had landed on the wrong place. He tried to take off but it was too late to do it and he was captured. The pilot - his identity is unknown - was flyng from Malta to Gibraltar ( other sources says he was flyng from Tunis to Pantelleria ) to deliver a bag containing documents and mail. He landed at Capoterra almost out of fuel after a long trip above the Mediterranean Sea . Later was found a compass failure resulting in 30 degrees error on the route . The P-38 was probably an E model upgraded to G models. Voices says that last four digits of the serial number were 2278. The US insignia was covered with Italian Dark Green paint who was a bit darker respect the US Olive Drab. Then were applied white bands on the booms, Sabaudian crosses on the tails and spinners was painted in white. The Lightning was tested at Guidonia Experimental Center near Rome and later was used against US bombers. The Col. Angelo Tondi - a skilled Italian pilot - flyng with the P-38 shoot down a US B-24 Liberator off Anzio coast at 11am of August 11, 1943, six of B-24's crew bailed out from the aircraft . The Italian Lightning had a no long flyng career because the German synthetic fuel used by Italians corroded P-38's fuel tanks and the aircraft was forced to stay on the ground, but US reports says that B-17s bombers were attacked by two P-38s on early September 1943. During another mission a damaged US P-38 was flyng close to US bombers needing protection. The bomber's gunners, thinking he was the " enemy " P-38, shoot down the aircraft.

[JG52Krupi]

Awesome, thanks posting it always interesting to hear what became of captured aircraft.

[Xilon_x]

The Cant.Z 1007bis "Bir-Hakeim" (FL-AVM) of the Free French Aviation captured at Enfidaville, Tunisia

Evocative view of the captured Macchi C.202 shipped to the United States. The restored airplane is now exhibited at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington

This Cant Z 506 protographed at Kalafrana, Malta, belonget to the Regia Aeronautica's 139th Squadron RST. On July 29th, 1942 it rescued the crew of a Beaufighter but the English prisioners during the flight to Taranto overwhelmed the Italians and hijacked the aircraft to Malta. afterwards the plane was based at Alexandria

A Savoia Marchetti S.79 captured in North Africa operated by FAA unit with UK roundels but no serial - NA3T/ATPH Photo.

[Xilon_x]

Potez 63.11 A3 S.N. 692 captured by germans after the occupation of Vichy's territory. Ten aircrafts of this type were utilized by the Regia Aeronautica, mostly for training flights


Two pictures of the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV S.N. N3589 landed at Pantelleria airport on September, 13th 1940

[Sven]

"On July 29th, 1942 it rescued the crew of a Beaufighter but the English prisioners during the flight to Taranto overwhelmed the Italians and hijacked the aircraft to Malta."

Not the nicest way of saying thanks

[Necrobaron]

Originally Posted by Sven

"On July 29th, 1942 it rescued the crew of a Beaufighter but the English prisioners during the flight to Taranto overwhelmed the Italians and hijacked the aircraft to Malta."

Not the nicest way of saying thanks

I agree. They should've just allowed themselves to be taken prisoner...

[Sven]

Originally Posted by Necrobaron

I agree. They should've just allowed themselves to be taken prisoner...

That or dying from the heating sun and dehydration if they weren't found by another force, well anyway I think they Italians learned from that experience, better leave the English for the sharks

[Xilon_x]

Swordfish 4A in Italian hands following the Taranto raid November 1940

Swordfish P4127 of 820 squadron captured at Bacu Abis, Sardinia, 2 August 1940.

Captured Typhoons saw service in the Luftwaffe. None of the Fleet Air Arm Typhoon were captured by axis forces.

Captured Wellingtons saw service in the Luftwaffe. None of the Fleet Air Arm Wellingtons were captured by axis forces.

ITALY

Stabilimento Construzioni Aeronautiche, Guidonia

List of captured Allied aircraft flown by the Italian Regia Aeronautica during WW II

Amiot 351
ANF les Mureaux 113/117
Bloch 152
Bloch 210
Breguet Bre 521 Bizerte
Breguet Bre 693
Bristol Type 142M Blenheim
Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter
Bucker Bu 131 [ex-Jugoslav]
Fairey Swordfish
Farman F.222
Gloster Gladiator
Hawker Fury
Hawker Hurricane
Liore-et- Olivier LeO 451
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Loire-Nieuport LN 410
Morane- Saulnier M.S.230
Morane- Saulnier M.S.406
North American NA-57
Potez 63.11
Rogozarski PVT
Rogozarski SIM-XIV-H
Zmaj Fizir FN



Captured aircrafts flown by the Regia Aeronautica
Breguet Br.693
Caudron C.445
Hawker Fury
Potez 25

Beachcraft D17
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk
Hawker Hurricane
Potez 631

Blackburn Skua
de Havilland DH.60 Moth
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451
Potez 63-11

Breguet Br.19
Dewoitine D.520
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
PZL P.24

Breguet Br.695
Dornier Do 17 (Yugoslavia)
Loire Nieuport LN 411
Rogozarski IK-3

Bristol Beaufighter
Fairey Albacore
Me. Bf 108 (Yugoslavia)
Rogozarski PVT

Bristol Blenheim
Fairey Swordfish
Morane-Saulnier MS.406
Rogozarsky SIM XIV H

Bücker Bü 131 (Yugoslavia)
Gloster Gladiator
North American NA-57
Supermarine Spitfire

[Xilon_x]

ITALIAN T6 TEXAN

[carl]

nice bit of history xilon, shame people making judgements about actions taken by others during a war.