Regia Aeronautica

CRDA CANT Z.506

Shot down by Allied fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. All 20 occupants were killed.

Savoia-Marchetti SM.75

The aircraft left Tunis Airport in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano with wounded soldiers on board. At that time, the aircraft was heavily loaded. On a night approach to Castelvetrano, weather conditions were poor with low clouds and rain falls. The first approach was abandoned by the captain because he was unable to locate the runway due to poor visibility. The approach lights of the aircraft were out of order at that time. During the second approach, the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway but the speed was too high (160 km/h). During the last segment, the captain reduced the engine power to idle when the aircraft plunged and hit the runway surface. The right wing caught fire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while all 33 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. Crew: Ten Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot, Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot, Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer, Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator, Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

The crew was performing a training sortie from Pisa Airport. While cruising off Viareggio, the three-engine aircraft was mistakenly shot down by the crew of the German cargo ship christened 'Nicoline Maersk'. The aircraft crashed into the sea and was lost, killing all five crew members. Some debris of the wreckage were found in 1984. Crew: Ten Cipriani, S/Ten Fasciani, A/S Bufali, A/S Cosana, A/A Domanetti.

CRDA CANT Z.506

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Italy. All three crew members were killed.

Piaggio P.108

Following an uneventful bombing mission over Gibraltar, the crew was returning to his base when he was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to a fuel exhaustion. The aircraft crash landed on a beach located in Valencia. While all seven crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Savoia-Marchetti SM.75

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Rome-Ciampino to the Guidonia Airbase. The aircraft crashed on landing for unknown reason. The aircraft was wrecked and all four crew members were injured, among them Lt Col Amadeo Paradisi, pilot.

Piaggio P.108

The crew was engaged in a circle training flight around the airport of Pisa-San Giusto. On approach, two engines lost power simultaneously. The aircraft stalled and crashed few yards short of runway. Five crew members were injured while three others were killed, among them the captain Mussolini. Crew (274th Squadron): Lt Francesco Sacconi, pilot, Off Angelo Trezzini, engineer, Cpt Bruno Mussolini, pilot. (Aged 23, he was the second son of Benito Mussolini).

Fiat BR.20 Cigogna

Back to Belgium following a bombing mission over England, the aircraft crashed on landing at Brussels Airport for unknown reason. It was confirmed the aircraft was hit by the British Flak and was damaged while returning to its base. All six crew members were killed. Crew (13th Squadron): Talete Rebuscini, pilot, S/T Luigi Dal Forno, Elvio Romito Maresciallo, Giuseppe Maruelli, Mario Cini, Giacomo Columbano.

Fiat BR.20 Cigogna

The twin engine aircraft was involved in a bombing mission over England and left Chièvres AFB in the day. In unknown circumstances, the aircraft went out of control and crashed some 400 meters from the Florenville station. All six crew members were killed. Crew (13th Squadron): Cpt Carlo Pagani, pilot, Arrigo Tenente Vardabasso, pilot Giovanni Maresciallo Favia, copilot, Sgt Aldo Maggiori Del Monte, flight engineer, Sgt-Mag Paride Astesati, air gunner, Sgt Paolo Biziocchi, radio navigator.

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

The three engine aircraft left El Feteyat Airfield at 1700LT bound for Tobruk. Half way down, the crew informed ground he was about 160 km east of his departure point. While approaching Tobruk, the aircraft was hit by flak, went out of control and crashed in flames in the desert, some 60 km west of Tobruk. All nine occupants were killed, among them the Italian Minister of Aviation Italo Balbo. Crew: Marechal Italo Balbo, Pilot, Major Ottavio Frailich, copilot, Captain Gino Cappannini, flight engineer, Sergeant-Major Giuseppe Berti, radio navigator, Enrico Caretti, Lino Balbo, Claudio Brunelli, Nello Quilici, Cino Florio.