Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

I’m looking for transfer information of Italian fighter (C.S.I.R) to Russia from 1941 until 1943. On internet have many pages of their climb record, combat but about training or transfering flying nothing.
What was the course of outward journey and return flight? Which cities were the intervening airfield? I know Macchi 200 had range 570km, this mean Saetta should use 4-5 intervening landing.
I found one pages but there is just Romanian direction, possible if they use other way, example Hungarian, Bulgarian way?
Please, look below:
http://web.tiscali.it/warbirds/warbirds/corpo_aereo_ita_Russia.htm
Somebody have info or diary about the fighter pilots, and could share with us and fill up to the forum. I will be very happy. Thank you. Kind regards,

GaraiB

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

My current co-author, Dmitriy Karlenko, recently wrote a book in French language: L'AVIATION ITALIENNE SUR LE FRONT DE L'EST, published by AIRMAG as their Horse Série No. 5.

You may find the info you're looking for in there (I don't have his book).

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

The transferring route for the Fighter Group was:

Tirana - Belgrado - Bucarest.

And some days later:

Bucarest - Roman - Tudora.

At the end of the month they get closer to the front line:

Tudora - Balta - Kriwoj Rog, from where they flew the first actions

Then, moving with the front line, they reached Saporoshje and Stalino and Voroscilovgrad and a series of forward fields, in the spring and summer of 1942, but it is a bit difficult to name them as airfield...

Before the return to Italy they stayed in Odessa.


Hope that you could be a bit happy now. ;-)

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Hello Dénes and Manlio,

Thanks for a quick replay.
I should try to get this book. Manlio it is prefect info about transferring route.
I found some details more, one report with Guiseppe Perin, member of 21°Gruppo caccia.

http://www.monarchici.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid= 206&mode=mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Kind regards,

GaraiB

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Manlio, were there any losses due to accidents during the transfer flights? I am especially interested in the above airfields and the months of Aug.-Oct. 1941.
Thank you.

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Dénes,

If you're talking about the transferring flight of august 26th, no accidents as far as I know.

If you mean during the remaining of the 22° Gruppo Caccia on the airfield of Kriwoj Rog this should be the list of accidents:

- aug 28th, ten. Longoni 362^ Sq. crashed while turning before landing, and died.

- sept 24th, four fighters (out of a formation of seven of 362^) ran out of fuel and did emergency landing.

- sept 25th m.llo Stoppani (371^) had engine trouble and e.l.

- sept 27th, s.ten Omicini (371^) had engine trouble and e.l.

- sept 29th, sgt Fornaci (362^) had engine trouble and e. l.




ciao

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Hello Manlio,

I was actually referring to accidents/incidents on Rumanian/Bessarabian/Trans-Dnestra airfields, in Aug.-Oct. 1941.

There must have been a few incidents, as I have the following info (original data from a book manuscript under final work):
Aug. 16: "An Italian “Caproni No. 311” (probably a twin-engine Ca.311 transport) turned over on landing at Bucharest-Otopeni airfield. The three-man crew of Lt. Lulli (pilot) Lt. Cei (observer) and Serg. Pessiona (radio operator) escaped unhurt. The aircraft was reported to have been operated by the “Italian Operations Group for Rumania”.

Aug. 27: "An interesting incident resulted from the participation of Italian volunteer fighter pilot, Capt. Carlo Maurizio Ruspoli. He took-off from Tudora airfield to accompany Gr. 7 vân. Bf 109Es on a combat sortie. Over hostile territory he engaged Soviet fighters and reportedly claimed two of them. But his Macchi MC.200 (No. 81-12, formerly operated by 81a Squadriglia of Gruppo 6) was hit and he had to belly-land in friendly territory near Kamenskoye."

Sept. 2: "An Italian airman, Serg. magg. Sebastiano Petrucci of the 119th Air Observation Squadron, was killed in an accident[1] at Botoşani, Rumania. He was buried in the Italian Military Cemetery in the Ghencea district of Bucharest."

Sept. 4: "Michele Gatti, an Italian airman serving with the 128th Observation Squadron, was killed at Tudora[1], Rumania in unknown circumstances."

[1] This Italian air unit arrived to the front zone, to Krivoi Rog, also only on 25 September. By then, it stationed in Rumania, at Tudora airfield.

Could you investigate these incidents, please?


Grazie,

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

This is a famous one and there are quite a few images showing the recovery of the damaged aircraft (which, like the other two of 1° Stormo detached to Russia, was a reconnaissance version of the C.200, as visible by the pod applied on the wing leading edge - some had it on the port wing and some on the starboard wing...) along with its pilot, quite a personality among R.A. pilots, not only for his noble origins, but mainly for his courage and efficience in fulfilling the tasks he was assigned.

http://win.150gct.it/public/veltro/Ruspoli1.jpg

http://win.150gct.it/public/veltro/Ruspoli2.jpg


http://win.150gct.it/public/veltro/Ruspoli3.jpg

http://win.150gct.it/public/veltro/Ruspoli4.jpg

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Indeed, he was famous among Rumanian airmen, too.

Here is what I wrote about his (and his brothers):
"Capitano Carlo Maurizio Ruspoli[1], Prince of Poggio Suasa (...) Arriving in Rumania as a member of Sezione Volo Fotocinematografica RA, he volunteered to fight on the Eastern Front alongside his Rumanian comrades. [insert photo or Ruspoli’s Macchi MC.200 aircraft here]."

[1] He had two brothers, Constantino and Marescotti, in the famous Italian Folgore Parachute Regiment. Both were eventually killed in action as paratroopers. Erroneous information has been published, related to the presumed death of the ‘Ruspolli’ brothers, reportedly killed in combat as fighter pilots over Bessarabia on 19 August 1941.

Did he have yet another brother, too, who reportedly piloted the CANT Z.1007 transport in Aug.-Sept. 1941 (seen in the last photo above)?

Another question: does anyone know the identity of the Italian tri-motor Caproni Ca.133 transport, set on fire and destroyed by I-16s strafing Selz (Saltz, Zeltsy) airfield on 22 Sept. 1941?

Thanks,

Re: Italian fighters flew to Russia 1941-1943 (C.S.I.R.)
 

Dénes,

I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but I was talking about the Fighter Group...

Anyway:

- aug 16th: the crash was right after the take off from Bucarest (destination Tudora), when the starboard engine of Ca311 (M.M.11654) of 119^ Sq. failed. In the e.l. the plane turned over. Pilot and observer unhurt but radio operator, serg. Pessina, suffered various hurts.
Two more planes had troubles during the flight and were forced to land in Focsani airfield.

- sept 2nd: no activity for 119^ Sq. due to bad weather. There is a note about the death of Airman Petrucci (not a serg. magg.) on sept 3th. But in the HQ records Petrucci is reported as death in the night of 31 august. He was shoot cause he did not observe the alt of a guard and did not answer the password. He was buried in Botosani cemetery with military honours.

- sept 4th: no informations about Michele Gatti.

Last but not least: about the accident involving the C.200 of Ruspoli, Which are your sources? I have no any informations about it, but I Know that a section of his C.200 is reported in action over Odessa the 28 august...


ciao