RO-37 in North Africa

[James A Pratt III]

Does anyone have any other information on the RO-37's combat service in North Africa 1940-43 beside what is found in Fighters Over the Desert and Hurricanes over Toburk? I understand the 63, 64, 67, and 73 Gruppos and the 129 Squadrlia Autonomo operated this aircraft there but very little is mentioned about this aircraft in the above works. Here is what I have based on my notes made some time ago from the above books:
12 June 40 3 claimed Destroyed ground air raid
28 June 40 5 damaged ground air raid
29 June 40 1 claimed Gladiator 33 Sqn
10 Dec 40 1 claimed Gladiator 3 RAAF
8 Jan 41 several claimed destroyed ground air raid
31 Jan 41 3 damaged ground air raid
please note my above notes are not 100% accurate. Thanks in advance. Please note I do have info on this aircrafts use in Ethiopia and Greece from the Grub st books.

[Mikael Olrog]

You might want to try the GAVS forum
http://www.freeforumzone.com/viewdis...?f=79483&idc=1
/Mikael

[Gianandrea Bussi]

Activity of the Osservazione Aerea units has been badly covered by italian books.
The few infos I've found are:
on 11 june five Ro.37 of 137a or 127a Sq. were hit at El Adem during an air raid. Three of them were destroyed according to a source (all badly damaged according to another one).

on 28 june six other were destroyed (or badly damaged according another source) during an air raid at the same airport.

On 30 june a Ro.37 was shot down by enemy fighters and the two crews were killed. 137a Sq., probably.

Best regards

Gianandrea

[Tony Jones]

From a report at the PRO

1 Ro 37 found wrecked at Ajaccio 1944

On Bastla/Borgo airfiled Corsica 1944

2 x Ro 37 wrecks, plus badly damaged MM1169, 11088 and 11002

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

May I just point out that Fighters over the desert says the 3 destroyed and 2 damaged Ro 37 happened on the June 11th, 1940 (just as Gian states)

It does not mention the losses on June 28th

Interesting the loss on June 30th, since 33Sq claimed 2 unknown FIGHTERS shot down that day...

Cannot locate the other claims and losses. Since I don't have Hurricanes over Tobruk, perhaps this is a book I should get??

Cheers
Stig

[Ludovico Slongo]

Dear Mr. Jarlevik,

if you are interested in Air war over North Africa in 1940, you will for sure appreciate "Hurricanes over Tobruk" that -despite the fact that I still quote "Fighters Over the Desert" as an absolute masterpiece- is since 1999 my favourite book in English language on the subject.
Regarding Ro 37 (bis) losses, last year I looked for the war diaries of the Italian units that flew the type in 1940 in the archives of the Historycal Office of the Italian Air Force only to discover that they were lacking and perhaps (not sure of this) they don't exist any more, so a reliable reconstruction of the "Romeo" losses in Norht Africa during 1940 will be a quite difficult business.

Regarding the known losses it is interesting to note that 202 Group's fighters apparently only claimed two Romeos during 1940 (those already listed by Mr. Pratt III on 29 June 1940 and 10 December 1940) while in Italian sources it is possible to find two admitted losses on 30 June 1940 as already related by Mr. Bussi (I found the info in the history of 50° Stormo written by Nino Arena) and 28 July 1940 (this loss is quoted in the War diary of 90a Squadriglia Caccia) this last loss lack a suitable British claim (so may be a 112 Squadron pilot) while nothing is known from Italian sources regarding a possible December loss that remains however possible not to say probable.
The other recorded losses were suffered on the ground and according with the history of Italian Air Force written by Generale Giuseppe Santoro in 1950 they were:
3 Ro 37 heavily damaged and 2 damaged on El Adem 11-June 1940.
5 Ro 37 damaged on Tobruk T2 28-June 1940 (during the same raid that indirectly caused the death of Italo Balbo).
1 Ro 37 destroyed and 2 heavily damaged on Sollum 26 September 1940.
2 Ro 37 destroyed on Sollum 29 October 1940.
2 Ro 37 damaged on Benghazi Berka 11 November 1940.
3 Ro 37 damaged on Sollum 10 December 1940.

Regarding 33 Squadrons claims on 30 June, according to my sources (33 Sqd. ORB) Ernest Dean and Peter Wickham claimed two CR 32s (or a CR 42 and a CR 32) during an early morning patrol over Bardia. It seems that they had in fact shot down a CR 32 of 50° Stormo (Tenente Ivano Vanni)probably damaging another that crash-landed and was written off on landing back at base (Sergente Aldo Santucci). The loss of the Ro 37 on this date (30 June) seems to me connected with the similar claim for a Ro 37 made by Peter Wickham the day before (29 June) with perhaps a mix up of dates.

Kind Regards
Ludovico.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thank You Ludovico

Much appreciated update. Looks like I have to get Hurricanes over Tobruk after all!!

Cheers
Stig