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Re: ANR SM.79 losses 6th April 1944
Hello Brian,
according to "Storia degli aerosiluranti italiani" of Carlo Unia and "L'aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana" of Nino Arena, the 12 SM.79s were flying at 700 meters high when, 7 minutes past Firenze, near Montevarchi, were attacked by the Thunderbolts.
The SM.79 B1-03 (Cap. Albini Giulio Cesare, All. Uff. Pil. Rondalli Giovanni, Serg. arm. Arlotti Augusto, Serg. M. mot. Gaeta Nicola, Serg. M. marc. Leggio Vincenzo and Serg. M. p. Valentini Filippo) was shot down in flames near Pergine - all crew KIA.
The SM.79 B1-07 (S. Ten. pil. Cusmano Ugo, Serg. pil. Omicini Mario, Av. sc. mot. Pasqualini Rodolfo, Av. sc. marc. Ferri Mario, 1th Av. arm. Buccianti Ugo and Serg. mot. p. Gobitta Gino) crashed near S. Donato - all crew KIA.
The SM.79 B1-10 (M.llo Pil. Daverio Vittorio, S. Ten. pil. Minardi Vincenzo, Av. sc. mot. Ferrillo Domenico, M.llo marc. Raffa Rodolfo and Serg. M. arm. Magnelli Stelvio) crashed near S. Giovanni Val d'Arno - all crew KIA.
The SM.79 B2-55 (Serg. pil. Fabbri Giuseppe, Av. sc. mot. Gaimarri Bruno, Av. sc. marc. Mantovani Raffaele, Serg. M. arm. Gigliotti Bernardo, Av. sc. marc. p. Tondelli Vittorio, Serg. arm. p. Di Tuglie Nicola, Av. sc. elet. p. Bettinardi Renato and Av. sc. elet. p. Catalano Ferdinando) crashed near Lamassa (in the Incisa area) -all crew KIA.
The SM.79 B1-33 claimed a P-47 shot down but crash landed near Paggio (in the Ciuffenna area) (S. Ten. pil. Perina Marcello (OK), Serg. pil. Gallieri Amos (WIA), Av. sc. mot. Cappelli Omero (OK), 1th Av. marc. Bosisio Sarpi (OK), Av. A. U. arm. Zanghi Franco (OK), Serg. M. mont. p. Bellabona Generoso (WIA), 1th Av. el. co. p. Lentini Raffaele (WIA) and 1th Av. fot. p. Benforti Franco(KIA)).
The SM.79 B2-04 (Ten. pil. Sponza Ottone, S. Ten. pil. Giulini Luigi, Av. sc. mot. Facchin Guido, Av. sc. marc. Aghito Gabriele, 1th Av. mont. arm. Traditi Paolo and M.llo mot. p. Pagella Natale (WIA)) was able to land at Peretola airfield with the aircraft like a sieve, probably F.U. - crew safe.
The SM.79 of Ten. pil. Bertuzzi Irnerio caimed a P-47 destroyed and was damaged but landed safely at Peretola airfield.
Note: p. = passenger
Hope this helps.
Marco
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