[Nick Beale]

That’s a lot of operations and losses to cover—you’re almost asking for someone to write you a book (I know, I’ve done it). The essentials:

Residual presence of Stab and II./JG 77 until early September 1944.

All Italian units were grounded by the Germans from 25 August through into October.

All Italian units forcibly grounded on 25 August 1944 by the Germans.

2° Gruppo Caccia activated toward the end of October (three Squadriglie of Bf 109s).

1° Gruppo Caccia returned from training in Germany in January 1945 (three Squadriglie of Bf 109s).

3° Gruppo Caccia was training in Holzkirchen on the Bf 109 and the personnel returned to Italy in the final weeks but the unit never became operational.

Operations by the Italian fighters were sporadic thanks to the very low amounts of fuel allocated to Italy (the bulk of stocks had been withdrawn to Germany in October 1944) and to bad weather.

Disastrous encounter with USAAF P-47s on 2 April. Last mission (IIRC) on 19 April.