ANR SM.79 losses 6th April 1944

[Brian Bines]

I understand a formation of SM.79s was intercepted by Thunderbolts 64FS/57th FG in the Valdarno area losing at least five aircraft. All I could find was loss of the aircraft of Cap. Giulio Albini, Mar. Vittorio Daverio, S.Ten Ugo Cusmano and SM Fabbri plus aircraft of S.Ten Perina and Ten Ottone Sponza landing with combat damage. I found a list of 30 airman lost this day but not linked to any aircraft but believe the Albini crew included Av.sc Ferillo, SM Leggo, and SM Gaeta . Seeking any information about which crewmen were lost with what aircraft, does a book such as 'Storia degli Aerosiluranti Italiani' list losses by crew/aircraft,

Brian Bines

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I have no answer but there is only a list of killed and missing members of RSI forces and services here: http://www.laltraverita.it/elenco_caduti_e_dispersi.htm

The list gives unit of the fallen, and a death location. A quick check of casualties on 6 April 1944 show many ANR names, with different locations, so possibly giving a possibility to group them by death locations as a starting point to form crews.

[Brian Bines]

Laurent thanks for your help . I found a list of 30 names of crewmen lost on the 6th. April and on the site you gave 4 of these names were for other dates/locations . Of the 26 Fliers remaining 8 are shown at Pergine, 9 at Valdarna, 7 at San Giovanni and 2 at San Donato all locations in the Valdarna area. The Osprey SM.79 booklet shows the captains of the shot down aircraft as Cap. Albini (Pergine), M.llo Daverio (Valdarno), S.Ten. Cusamo ( San Giovanni), and SM Fabbri (Valdarna) with two other aircraft returning with combat damage. The Osprey books shows SM Gaeta (lost a leg in July 4) as being in the Albini crew while another site gives S.ten Minardi, M.llo pi. Daverio, Av.sc Ferillo, M.llo Rodolfo and SM Magnelli as a crew. Thats all I can link at present, there are some book in Italian online about the ANR Torpedo SM.79s but I do not know if they contain loss listings,

Regards
Brian Bines

[CENTURION]

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

[Brian Bines]

Marco, Thank you very much for providing this information,

Regards
Brian Bines