SM.82 units 1944

[BruceMk11]

The 450 Sqn ORB records ops escorting SM.82s to Yugoslavia (supply dropping) on the 13/4/44 and 17/4/44. These were presumably ACI a/c.

I'm trying to identify the unit/s concerned; any ideas?

[Larry deZeng]

Bruce Mark Eleven -

Probably 2°Gruppo, 3°Stormo Trasporto, Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud, Lecce-Galatina, Southern Italy, but that is a guess based purely on deductive reasoning.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian...rent_Air_Force

L.

[udf_00]

Assigned to 334 Wing from FEB 1944 :
1° Gruppo Trasporti, S.M. 82,
88° Gruppo Trasporti, Cant Z.1007bis/ter.
Found trace of a supply drop on 13 APR 1944 by 8 Cant of 88° Gruppo over Berane (Montenegro).

[Larry deZeng]

More..............

The Oberbefehlshaber Südost daily report for 13 April 1944 states in part, "An unknown number of transports with fighter escort have landed at Bos. Petrovac." (44 34 N - 16 20 E)

No mention in the OBSO daily reports of Allied transport aircraft over Yugoslavia on 17 April.

L.

[Gianandrea Bussi]

According to "L'Aeronautica Italiana nella Guerra di Liberazione", edited in 1975 by Italian AF Historical Office, on 13 april 1944 9 italian SM.82 of 1° Gruppo Trasporti with allied fighter escort, dropped kg. 15.430 of supplies over Petrovach. 11 aircraft took part to the mission but two of them didn't drop.
On 17 april 1944 3 aircraft dropped kg.6000 over Ticevo: 8 other aircraft didn't drop because of bad visibility that didn't allow to find the dropping area. All belonged to 1° Gruppo Trasporti.

Gianandrea

[BruceMk11]

Larry, udf_00, Gianandrea: thanks for your input, in particular the information from 'L'Aeronautica Italiana nella Guerra di Liberazione'.

Bruce

[Brian]

Hi guys

I thought I'd hijack the experts on this posting!

We have not resolved what exactly 253 Squadron shot down on 7 April 1944. It was believed to have been a Co-Belligerent SM.79/82 but as far as I am aware it has not been verified or confirmed. Any ideas, please.

Cheers
Brian

[James A Pratt III]

This is from the Ali D'Italia 14 on the SM 82:
"In Southern Italy the Regia Aeronautica mustered some 29 S.82 part of which had been based in Puglie and Sardinia and the others arriving from the north. They were all put to immediate use with utility flights and propaganda raids over the north. In October 1943 the S.82s were assigned to the 1st Transport Gruppo at Lecce and flew over Yugoslavia in support of local guerillas. Assisting the Italian "Garbaldi" Division in the Balkans proved a major commitment until the 1500 survivors were repatriated on 22 Februrary 1944. When daylight missions were suspended to avoid German fighters the S.82s were transferred to the 88th Gruppo of the 2nd "Notturo" (Night) Stormo in support of Tito's troops continued until the very end,...."

[Brian]

Thanks James

Can we accept that 253 Squadron's victim on 7 April 1944 was an SM.82 from the 1st Transport Gruppo? If so, there must be a loss of aircraft and life attributable to this sad incident.

Still searching!

Cheers
Brian

[Gianandrea Bussi]

Brian,
in a brief history of the 1° Gruppo activity published in a book devoted to the 36° Stormo history (in november 1948 Storrno Notturno became 36° Stormo Trasporti) I've found no mention of the 7 april 1944 episode. Even though this doesn't imply that the tri-engined aircraft didn't belong to that Gruppo, please remember that - assuming that the aircraft was italian - our Air Force in the South Italy had many types of tri engined aircraft in service : S.73, S.75, S.79, S.81, S.82, S.84, G.12.

Gianandrea