[Gielle]

I'd like also to add, not willing in this way underestimate the SAAF achievements, that the Fiat CR 42 could be considered a "modern" AC only under the year of construction respect.
If you consider that in 1940 were already flying AC such as the Bf 109 and the Spit, it gets hard to consider modern a biplane with fixed landing gear and a power max output of @ 850 HP.
It was fault of the Italian High Command to insist in a design which was surpassed by more modern technologies, when in 1939 ordered Fiat to produce the CR 42, maybe blinded by the great successes achieved during the Spanish Civil War by the CR 32, but tgime had changed, and great manouvrabilty wasn't anymore the key success in a dog fight.

You should also consider that the Italian East Africa was cut off from the mainland, and no supplies could be brought in, because obviously the Suez Canal was off limits for the Italian Navy, and the route around Africa was too long and risky.