Fiat CR.42
Encyclopedia
The Fiat
CR.42 Falco ("Falcon", plural:Falchi) was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter
which served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica
before and during World War II
. The aircraft was produced by the Turin firm
, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. With more than 1,800 built, it was the most widely produced Italian aircraft to take part in World War II. The Fiat CR.42 was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service as a fighter, and represented the epitome of the type. RAF Intelligence praised its exceptional manoeuvrability, further noting that "the plane was immensely strong."
It performed at its best with Hungarian Air Force, on Eastern Front
, where it had a kill to loss ratio of 24 to 2.
, which was in turn derived from the Fiat CR.30
series created in 1932. The Regia Aeronautica
had employed the CR.32 during the Spanish Civil War
with great success, which led to Fiat proposing a more advanced fighter based around the supercharged
Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine
geared to drive a metal three-blade Fiat-Hamilton Standard 3D.41-1 propeller of 2.9 m (9.5 ft) diameter and a robust, clean, sesquiplane design. The rigidly braced wings covered with fabric were constructed from light duralumin
alloy and steel
. It reached a top speed of 438 km/h (272 mph) at 5,300 m (17,400 ft) and 342 km/h (213 mph) at ground level. Climb rate was 1 minute and 25 seconds to 1,000 m (3,280 ft) and of 7 minutes and 20 seconds to 6,000 m (19,700 ft).
In spite of the biplane configuration, the CR.42 was a modern, "sleek-looking" design based around a strong steel and alloy frame incorporating a NACA cowling
housing the radial engine, with fairings for the fixed main landing gear
. The CR.42's upper wing was larger than its lower wing, a configuration known as a sesquiplane. The aircraft proved exceptionally agile thanks to its very low wing loading
, although at the same time, the CR.42 lacked armour and radio equipment.
During evaluation, the CR.42 was tested against the Caproni Ca.165
biplane fighter, and was judged to be superior, although the Ca.165 was a more modern design which boasted a higher speed at the cost of maneuverability. Although the age of the biplane was coming to an end a number of other air forces expressed interest in the new fighter, and a number of early Falcos were delivered to foreign customers.
Soon after its combat introduction, Fiat developed a number of variants. The CR.42bis and CR.42ter had increased firepower, the CR.42N was a night fighter, the CR.42AS was optimised for ground attack, and the CR.42B Biposto was a two-seat trainer.
The Biposto was the most extensively modified, with a longer fuselage allowing a second seat to be placed in tandem. About 40 aircraft were produced by Agusta and Caproni Trento. Its length was increased by 68 centimeters over the standard fighter, to a total of to 8.94 m; the height was 23 centimeters less. Empty weight was only 40 kg more, as the wheel fairings had been removed. Overall weight was 2,300 kg. Top speed was 430 km/h at 5,300 meters, only 8 km/h less. Up to 1945, two machine guns were fitted.
Experimental configurations included the I.CR.42 (Idrovolante= seaplane) and the CR.42DB. Beginning in 1938, Fiat had worked on the I.CR.42, then gave the task to complete the project to CMASA factory in Marina di Pisa on the Tirreno sea coast. The only prototype was built in 1940. Tests started at the beginning of 1941, at the Vigna di Valle base, on Lake Bracciano
, north of Rome. Top speed was 423 km/h, range was 950 km while ceiling was reduced to 9,000 m. Empty weight went from 1,720 to 1,850 kg, full weight from 2,295 to 2,425 kg.
The CR.42DB was an attempt to improve the type's performance by installing a Daimler-Benz DB 601
V12 engine
of 753 kW (1,010 hp). This prototype, MM 469), was flown by test pilot Valentino Cus in March 1941, over Guidonia Montecelio
, near Rome. This variant could reach a top speed of 518 km/h (323 mph), with a maximum ceiling of 10,600 m and a range of 1,250 km. The project was cancelled as the biplane configuration did not offer any advantages over contemporary monoplane fighter designs. Although it never went into production, to this day the variant has the distinction of being the fastest biplane ever flown.
It is still not certain how many CR.42s were built. The most likely estimate is 1,819 in total, including the 63 (51 according to some sources) produced under Luftwaffe
control and the 140 produced for export.
. By the time Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, about 300 aircraft had been delivered. The Falchi defended airfields, cities, and Regia Marina
(Italian Royal Navy) bases until the Italian armistice with the Allies
of 8 September 1943. The Falchi also fought against the British Gloster Gladiator
over Malta, and later against the British Hawker Hurricane
, sometimes with unexpected success. The manoeuvrability of the Falchi concerned the British. "A RAF Intelligence report in late October 1940 circulated to all pilots and their squadrons, with copies to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
, and the War Cabinet, declared: 'The manoeuvrability of the CR.42s, in particular their capacity to execute an extremely tight half roll, has caused considerable surprise to other pilots and undoubtedly saved many Italian fighters from destruction.'"
When production was stopped in 1942, a total of 1,784 CR.42s had been built. By 8 September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies, only around 60 of the aircraft were in flying condition.
. Meanwhile, 12 Falchi from 151° Gruppo of 53° Stormo attacked the airfield of Fayence
, in Provence
, causing little damage. Later they attacked Hyères
base, hitting on the ground approximately 50 enemy aircraft and destroying at least 20 of them. Italian pilots from 151° Gruppo claimed a French Vought V.156F. On the same day, a CR.42 from 82a Squadriglia (13° Gruppo) took off to intercept a reconnaissance aircraft, but it failed interception and crashed on landing, killing the pilot.
On 15 of June, 67 CR.42s from same units, plus 18° Gruppo (from 3° Stormo), attacked the airfields of Southern France. 27 biplanes from 150° Gruppo machine-gunned the airfield of Cuers-Pierrefou, setting on fire about 15 V-156Fs. Seven of the Fiats giving top-cover were intercepted by Bloch MB.152s (Bloch MB.151s, according to other sources) from A.C.-3 that shot down a Falco and forced another to land. Italian pilots claimed four French fighters. Subsequently, Fiats attacked the airfields of Cannet des Maures and Puert Pierrefin, close to the border. This time the French fighter units reacted and the Fiats were attacked by Dewoitine 520s
from G.C.III/6. Regia Aeronautica aviators claimed 8-10 air victories and many aircraft destroyed on the ground. Fiat pilots were credited with three Bloch and five Dewoitine kills,
with the loss of five Falchi shot down.
, the CR.42 encountered Hurricanes for the first time on 3 July 1940. That day, Flying Officer Waters (P2614) shot down a SM.79
bomber five miles (8 kilometers) off Kalafrana, but he was soon attacked in turn by the escorting Falchi who badly shot up his aircraft. Waters crashed on landing and his Hurricane was written off. The Hurricane pilots soon discovered that the Italian biplanes could easily out-maneuver their aircraft.
A week later, a dozen CR.42s from 23° Gruppo appeared in the sky over Malta for a reconnaissance. Flight Lieutenants Peter Keeble and Burges scrambled to intercept them, and the resulting action greatly impressed the Malta defenders with the CR.42s maneuvering capability. Keeble attacked one CR.42 - probably the aircraft (MM4368) flown by Sottotenente Mario Benedetti of 74a Squadriglia that crashed, killing its pilot, but then came under attack himself by the Falchi of Tenente Mario Pinna and Tenente Oscar Abello. Keeble tried to dogfight with the Italians, but his engine was hit and his Hurricane dived into the ground at Wied-il-Ghajn, near Fort Rinella
, and blew up. He was the first pilot to be killed in action at Malta. This was the first air victory in World War II of the CR.42 against the Hurricane. Shortly after Keebles loss, a meeting of all the pilots and senior staff was called to discuss the best ways of countering the agile CR.42. A suggestion was made that the Hurricane should put down a bit of flaps as this might enable it to turn with the CR.42, but the only realistic proposal was to climb above these aircraft to be in advantageous position.
and often lacked radio equipment. The first night interception was performed on the night of 13–14 August 1940 by Capitano Giorgio Graffer, when he located and opened fire on a British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
bomber that had been sent to attack Turin
. When his guns jammed, Graffer rammed the bomber before bailing out. The bomber had been badly damaged and subsequently crashed into the English Channel whilst attempting to return to its base.
One of the most successful night interceptions took place on the night of 25 August 1942. That day, in an attempt to oppose RAF night intruding missions that were hammering Italian airfields, the 4° Stormo borrowed four radio-equipped CR.42s, by 208a and 238a Squadriglie of the 101° Gruppo Bombardamento a Tuffo, based at Abar Nimeir, to use them as night interceptors.
. Luftwaffe aircraft had difficulty flying in formation with the slower biplanes. Even though slower, with an open cockpit
, no radio, and armed with only two machine guns (a 12.7 mm/.5 in and a 7.7 mm/.303 in Breda-SAFAT), the Falchi could easily out-turn the Hurricanes and the Spitfires and proved difficult to hit. "The CR 42 turned to fight using all the aeroplane's manoeuvrability. The pilot could get on my tail in a single turn, so tightly was he able to pull round." As the RAF intelligence report stated, the Falchi were hard targets. "As I fired he half rolled very tightly and I was completely unable to hold him, so rapid were his manoeuvres. I attacked two or three more and fired short bursts, in each case the enemy aircraft half-rolled very tightly and easily and completely out-turned me. In two cases as they came out of their rolls, they were able to turn in almost on my tail and opened fire on me."
Against British monoplanes, the CR.42s were not always outclassed. "I engaged one of the British fighters from a range of between 40 to 50 metres [130–165 feet]. Then I saw a Spitfire, which was chasing another CR.42, and I got in a shot at a range of 150 metres [500 feet]. I realised that in a manoeuvered flight, the CR.42 could win or survive against Hurricanes and Spitfires, though we had to be careful of a sweep from behind. In my opinion, the English .303 bullet was not very effective. Italian aircraft received many hits which did no material damage and one pilot even found that his parachute pack had stopped a bullet." During the winter, the CR.42s were transferred back to the Mediterranean theater.
became the top biplane fighter ace of World War II (with 16 kills) and Luigi Baron and Aroldo Soffritti became the second and third Fiat CR. 42 top scoring aces, with 12 and 8 air victories. Moreover, during that short and difficult campaign, the Fiat fighters destroyed a large number of Royal Air Force and South African Air Force
aircraft, both in the air and on the ground, including a number of Hurricanes.
In 1940, three squadriglie stationed in Italian East Africa
-- Ethiopia
, Italian Eritrea
, and Italian Somaliland
-- were equipped with CR.42s. The 412a - the most experienced Squadriglia - was based in Gura (with the 414a Squadriglia) and in Massawa
. The 413a Squadriglia was in Assab
. Fighting there began in June and lasted until the autumn of 1941. The Italians met mostly British bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, destroying many of them. On 12 June 1940, 412a Squadriglia attacked nine Vickers Wellesley
bombers from 47 Squadron above Asmara
, and Tenente Carlo Canella claimed the first CR.42 victory in East Africa, a Wellesley that was heavily damaged and forced to crash-land. Two days later, the 412a Squadriglia again intercepted a pair of Wellesleys, this time from 14 Squadron, that were trying to bomb Massawa. Tenente Mario Visintini, for the first of his 16 air victories in East Africa, shot down the Wellesley flown by Pilot Officer Plunkett.
Dogfights usually occurred when enemy airfields were being attacked. Fierce air battles took place at the beginning of November 1940, during the British offensive against the Italian forts of Gallabat
and Metemma
, along the Sudan border. The Regia Aeronautica was dominant in these fights, sometimes even against more powerful opponents. Losses were also suffered in the air duels in 1940, at least six Fiats were destroyed and about a dozen damaged.
At the beginning of the war in Italian North Africa
, there were 127 CR.42 from the 13° Gruppo (2° Stormo) at Castel Benito and from the 10° and 9° Gruppo of 4° Stormo in Benina
, including reserve aircraft. Initially, the Falco was pitted against the contemporary Gloster Gladiator and Hawker Hart
of the South African Air Force.
Increasingly evident, the Fiat CR.42 was unable to operate effectively against modern aerial opposition, relying only on manoeuvrability and Regia Aeronautica piloting skills. However, on 8 August 1940, in an aerial duel between comparable rivals, 16 Fiat CR.42s from 9° and 10° Gruppi of 4° Stormo were "bounced" by 14 Gladiators of 80 Squadron over Gabr Saleh (about 65 kilometres southeast of El Adem and 35 kilometres east of Bir El Gobi). Four CR.42s were shot down while four more force-landed (later recovered). The Italian pilots claimed five Gladiators in the dogfight
(three shared amongst the pilots of 10° Gruppo and two shared by the 73a Squadriglia pilots) and two probables (the 90a Squadriglia’s Diary reported six victories). That air combat highlighted the advantages of the Gladiator over the CR.42, especially radio equipment that could permit coordinated attacks, and the Gladiator's superior low altitude overall performance, with a markedly superior horizontal manoeuvrability over the Falchi.
Experienced Italian pilots, most of them veterans of the Spanish Civil War, employed the exceptional manoeuvrability of the CR.42 in successful attacks against RAF Gladiators, Hurricanes and Spitfires, forcing their opponents "...to adopt the tactic that Messerschmitt pilots had used against them: to avoid dogfights and to attack them with sudden dives." Nevertheless, on 31 October 1940, the Falchi scored their first confirmed air victories in North Africa
against the Hawker fighters. During the air battle over Mersa Matruh Sergente Maggiore Davide Colauzzi and Sergente Mario Turchi from 368a Squadriglia, while escorting SM.79 bombers, shot down the Hurricanes of 33 Squadron
that were flown by 26-year-old Canadian Flying Officer Edmond Kidder Leveille (RAF no. 40837) - who was forced to bail out but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy completely and Flying Officer Perry St Quintin (Hurricane P3724), who was forced to make a forced landing at Qasaba with a holed fuel tank.
Italian losses were, however, stemmed when the more advanced Macchi C.200
, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and Messerschmitt Bf 110
of Luftflotte 4, arrived in April 1941.
. Germany and Italy sent Messerschmitt Bf 110s, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s and CR.42s into action. The Regia Aeronautica sent 155a Squadriglia (named Squadriglia speciale Irak) equipped with the CR.42 Egeo version which had a radio set and a 100 litre auxiliary tank, increasing the operational range (typically 800 km at 380 km/h) up to 1,100 km at economical speed. In Iraq, the Regia Aeronautica was only operational for four days (28–31 May 1941), with their aircraft painted in Iraqi colours.
CR.42s took off from Alghero
on 22 May 1941 and flew up to 900 km to Valona
(one crashed on landing), Rhodes
, Aleppus and Mosul
. A total of 11 Fiats flew together with a S.79 and a S.81 as "pathfinders" and transport aircraft, while three SM.82s transported weapons for the campaign. The Italian aircraft arrived in Iraq on 23 May. Six days later (on 28 May according to other sources) the Fiat CR.42s, in what was to prove the final air-to-air combat of the brief campaign, intercepted RAF Blenheims, claiming two No. 94 Sqn Gladiators, with the loss of one CR.42 shot down by a Gladiator flown by Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta. Three Fiats were damaged and abandoned in Iraq. The seven survivors were withdrawn with great difficulty, since the S.79 "pathfinder" was destroyed on the ground by the RAF despite being located at Aleppus airfield, Syria. The Axis effort to reinforce Iraqi insurgents was insufficient and failed, but led to the decision to invade Syria that resulted in a substantial diversion during an already critical moment for the Allies. While retreating, 164a Squadriglia CR.42s were used to defend Pantelleria.
, while aware that the CR.42 was conceptually outdated, considered the rapid re-equipment of their fighter component vital, the Italian government having expressed its willingness to forgo CR.42 delivery positions in order to expedite the re-equipment of Hungarian units. By the end of 1939, 17 CR.42s had reached Hungary, issued to 1. Vadász Ezred (1st Fighter Wing) which began conversion from the CR.32. Its two groups of two squadrons, 1./I Vadász Osztály (Fighter Group) at Szolnok and the 1./II Vadász Osztály at Mátyásföld, Budapest, received their full complement of fighters in mid-1940.
Some CR.42s in Hungarian service were fitted with a 12.7 mm (.5 in) Gebauer GKM Machine Gun 1940.M (Gebauer Kenyszermeghajtasu Motorgeppuska, or "Gebauer Positive-Driven Motor-Machine Gun"); these were fixed twin-barrel guns driven from the aircraft engine's crankshaft.
In total, the MKHL ordered 70 CR.42s but through a barter which included a captured Yugoslavia
n Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
, they received two additional CR.42s in 1941. The Hungarian CR.42s were first used against Yugoslavia, in April 1941. During the short conflict in the Balkans the MKHL lost two CR.42s.
On 27 June 1941, when Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union, the CR.42s equipped three MKHL units: 1./I Group, based in Szolnok
, 1./II Group, at Mátyásföld, of 1st Fighter Wing, and 2./II Group, based in Kolozsvár, of 2nd Fighter Wing. On the same day Hungarian CR.42s had their baptism of fire, when 2/3. Squadron escorted bombers against Stanislau. Ensign László Kázár was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire while strafing and crash landed behind enemy lines. On the same day, Sergeant Árpád Kertész, from the same unit, claimed the first victory, shooting down a Soviet reconnaissance plane. The 2/3. Squadron flew many sorties until the middle of July escorting bombers and strafing enemy airfields. They claimed six additional kills, losing one plane on 12 July, when 2nd Lieutenant Gyõzõ Vámos collided in a dogfight with a Polikarpov I-16 and bailed out, surviving. On 11 August, Hungarian Fiats escorted six Caproni Ca.135s, commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, on their way to bomb a 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the Bug
river in the city of Nikolayev, on the Black sea
.
On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by Soviet Polikarpov I-16
fighters. The escorting Hungarian CR.42s shot down five I-16s, with no own losses. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev on 16 August the commander of Luftflotte 4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated the successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska.
The Hungarian CR.42s were later used in the ground attack role against Soviet forces
until December 1941. Although typically outclassed by more modern types, the Hungarian CR.42s scored 25 destroyed, one probable, one damaged (according to other sources they claimed 24 plus two Soviet planes in the air) and one aircraft destroyed on the ground, losing two planes to Soviet fighters. The surviving CR.42s were relegated to training roles. In spring 1944 a night assault CR.42 Squadron was formed. The aircraft were equipped with flame dampers and bomb racks for four 50 kg bombs, but reportedly these planes were not used operationally. Most of CR.42s were lost in training accidents and strafing attacks by U.S. aircraft in 1944. Not a single Hungarian Falco survived the war.
's Aéronautique Militaire purchased 40 CR.42s, for a total price of 40 millions francs. The first arrived on 6 March 1940, when one aircraft was destroyed in a landing accident. The CR.42s were mainly sent to the Evere Établissements Généraux de l'Aéronautique Militaire for assembly. The first operational squadron, IIème Group de Chasse (Fighter Group) based at Nivelles
, south of Brussels
, received its full complement of 15 while other units still awaited further deliveries.
The exact quantity of CR.42s delivered to Belgium before the German attack on 10 May is estimated by historians to be between 24 and 27, the last being transported to France and lost in the railway station at Amiens
. Photographic evidence suggests that the total number of CR.42s delivered was 30. On 9 May, squadrons operating the Falchi were the 3rd "Cocotte rouge", with 14, and the 4th, "Cocotte Blanche", with 11 aircraft. In addition to those, the aircraft of Major Lamarche and two others (R.21 and R.27) in a hangar at Nivelles
were not serviceable, while another was at Airfield Number 41 with mechanical troubles. The Fiat CR.42s were first to be blooded in Belgium
but after encountering the vastly superior Messerschmitt Bf 109
fighters of the Luftwaffe
, the entire contingent of Fiats was soon overwhelmed, although the Belgian pilots fought with great skill. The Belgian CR.42s fought from the first day of the invasion, when they attacked a formation of Ju 52s (from 17/KGzbV 5) in the Tongres area, forcing one to crash-land near Maastricht
. The Fiats were then jumped by the escorting Bf 109 from I./JG.1, but thanks to their superior agility managed to come back safely. That day the Belgian pilots claimed four more German aircraft: three Do 17 and a Bf 109, while the Stukas of I./St.2 destroyed no less than 14 Fiats at Brustem airfield.
In a total of 35 missions flown, the CR.42s downed at least five and probably even eight enemy aircraft including a Dornier Do 17
, Junkers Ju 52
and the vaunted Bf 109 for a loss of two of their own. The only two confirmed Bf-109E losses were scored by Charles Goffin. After capitulation, the five surviving Fiat CR.42s were brought into a French Air Force depot in Fréjorques, where they were found by the Germans. Their final fate is not known. Overall claims by Belgian CR.42s were: eight Do 17, four Bf 109 and one Ju 52.
purchases of various types of Italian combat aircraft in 1939-41 were an emergency measure caused by the outbreak of war. There were no other nations willing to supply aircraft to a small neutral country and domestic production would be insufficient until 1943. From 1940 to 1941, Sweden received 72 CR.42s, which were equipped with radios, 20 mm (.79 in) armour plate behind the pilot and ski landing gear. The Swedish aircraft were designated J 11.
The J 11s were initially assigned to the F 9 wing, responsible for the air defence of Gothenburg
, but were transferred to the newly established F 13 wing
in Norrköping
in 1943 when F 9 received more advanced J 22
fighters.
The J 11s operating from Kiruna
, in the north of Sweden
, were equipped with ski undercarriage. In spring 1942, the J 11s of 1. Division were moved to Lulea
airfield. The J 11s scrambled several times to intercept German aircraft violating Swedish borders, but usually failed to make contact. The J 11s of 2. and 3. Divisions based in Gothenburg managed to intercept intruders a few times, forcing them to leave Swedish airspace.
During their service in Swedish Air Force, the CR.42 suffered many accidents, sometimes because of the poor quality of materials used by the Fiat factory. By the end of 1942, eight had been lost, and 17 more by the end of 1943. In all, over 30 CR.42s were lost due to accidents and mechanical failures.
Swedish pilots appreciated the J 11's formidable close-in dogfighting abilities;
however, they complained about low speed, insufficient armament and the open cockpits that were unsuited for the severe climate of Scandinavia
.
The remaining J 11s of the F 13 wing were decommissioned for good by the Air Force by 14 March 1945. A total of 19 aircraft were sold to a civilian contractor, Svensk Flygtjänst AB, who used 13 of them as target tugs for one season, although the type was not well suited for the role. Another six J 11s were delivered to Svensk Flygtjänst AB as a source for spare parts. The aircraft were given Swedish civil registrations. The last J 11 was removed from the register in 1949.
One surviving Swedish "Falco" was preserved. It was stored at the F 3 wing; the aircraft was "hidden away" for a future museum. Number NC.2453, marked as 9 9, is today on a permanent static display in the Swedish Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseum) in Linköping
.
. Its task was to fight partisans in the region of the Alps
, Istria
and Croatia
. The 1. Staffel received its Falchi in November 1943 and in January 1944 the unit was transferred to Caselle
airfield near Turin
to operate against partisan units in the Southern Alps. On 28 January, the 2. Staffel too was equipped with the CR.42. The training of Germans pilots took place at a school in Venaria Reale
.
In February 1944, after the Allies had landed at Anzio
, 1.Staffel and 2.Staffel, based at Centocelle Airport in Rome, attacked Allied units in southern Latium
, mostly in moonlit night raids. NSGr9 attacked enemy troops in the Monte Cassino
area. The CR.42 proved to be useful as a light bomber at night but subsequently NSGr9 began to be equipped with the Ju 87D. 2.Staffel kept using the Fiat biplanes until mid-1944. On 31 May, the unit still had 18 Falchi, 15 of which were operational.
Due to Allied raids over the Fiat factory in Turin, only 150 CR.42LWs were completed, with 112 becoming operational. Another unit to use them in Southern Italy and the Balkans was Jagdgeschwader (JG) 107 which flew them as night fighters, fighter-bombers and fighter-trainers. The CR.42 was nicknamed "Die Pressluftorgel" or "the Pneumatic Organ" by Luftwaffe trainee pilots.
CR.42 Egeo: Equipped, for Aegean theater, with a extra 80 L (20 US gal) fuel tank
in the fuselage.
CR.42AS: A close air-support version. The two standard 12.7 mm machine guns could be supplemented with two more. There were underwing racks for two 220 lb (100 kg) bombs. AS stands for 'Africa Settentrionale.' There was an additional engine filter to prevent damage from sand which caused a loss in power, a common occurrence in North Africa, since filter-less engines could be damaged after only a few hours use.
CR.42B: One aircraft equipped with the Daimler-Benz DB 601
engine, estimated maximum speed 518 km/h (323 mph). Also known as the CR.42DB.
CR.42bis: Standard armament of two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted.
CR.42CN: Night fighter
version with spotlights in gondolas under the wings and prolonged engine exhausts.
CR.42ter: 2 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) machine guns with two additional guns mounted in blisters under the wings.
ICR.42: Experimental floatplane version designed by CMASA, top speed decreased by only 8 km/h (5 mph) in spite of the 124 kg (273 lb) increase in weight.
CR.42LW: Night harassment, anti-partisan aircraft for the German Luftwaffe
.
CR.42 "Bombe Alari": ( unofficial but widely used name) Modification carried out at SRAMs (repair centers), to allow outdated fighters to be used in ground attack roles. Underwing pylons for 2 × 50 kg (110 lb) bombs were added; often these pylons were loaded with 100 kg (220 lb) bombs. The same modification was carried out on Fiat G.50s and Macchi C.200s.
CR.42 two-seaters: Several Italian CR.42s were converted into two-seat communications aircraft.
CR.42DB: One CR.42 was fitted with an early 895 kW (1,200 hp) DB 601A inline engine. A speed of 525 km/h (326 mph) was attained.
Nazi Germany
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
Fiat Aviazione
Fiat Aviazione was an Italian aircraft manufacturer, at one time part of the Fiat group, focused mainly on military aviation. After the World War I, Fiat consolidated several Italian small aircraft manufacturers, like Pomilio and Ansaldo. Most famous were Fiat biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s,...
CR.42 Falco ("Falcon", plural:Falchi) was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
which served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
before and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The aircraft was produced by the Turin firm
Fiat Aviazione
Fiat Aviazione was an Italian aircraft manufacturer, at one time part of the Fiat group, focused mainly on military aviation. After the World War I, Fiat consolidated several Italian small aircraft manufacturers, like Pomilio and Ansaldo. Most famous were Fiat biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s,...
, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. With more than 1,800 built, it was the most widely produced Italian aircraft to take part in World War II. The Fiat CR.42 was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service as a fighter, and represented the epitome of the type. RAF Intelligence praised its exceptional manoeuvrability, further noting that "the plane was immensely strong."
It performed at its best with Hungarian Air Force, on Eastern Front
Eastern Front
Eastern Front may refer to one of the following:* Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * 1635: The Eastern Front...
, where it had a kill to loss ratio of 24 to 2.
Design and development
The CR.42 was a evolutionary design based on the earlier Fiat CR.32Fiat CR.32
The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. This nimble little Fiat was compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable and gave impressive displays all over Europe in the hands of the Pattuglie Acrobatiche. The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in...
, which was in turn derived from the Fiat CR.30
Fiat CR.30
|-See also:-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1794...
series created in 1932. The Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
had employed the CR.32 during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
with great success, which led to Fiat proposing a more advanced fighter based around the supercharged
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
geared to drive a metal three-blade Fiat-Hamilton Standard 3D.41-1 propeller of 2.9 m (9.5 ft) diameter and a robust, clean, sesquiplane design. The rigidly braced wings covered with fabric were constructed from light duralumin
Duralumin
Duralumin is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The main alloying constituents are copper, manganese, and magnesium. A commonly used modern equivalent of this alloy type is AA2024, which contains 4.4% copper, 1.5% magnesium, 0.6% manganese and 93.5%...
alloy and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. It reached a top speed of 438 km/h (272 mph) at 5,300 m (17,400 ft) and 342 km/h (213 mph) at ground level. Climb rate was 1 minute and 25 seconds to 1,000 m (3,280 ft) and of 7 minutes and 20 seconds to 6,000 m (19,700 ft).
In spite of the biplane configuration, the CR.42 was a modern, "sleek-looking" design based around a strong steel and alloy frame incorporating a NACA cowling
NACA cowling
The NACA cowling is a type of aerodynamic fairing used to streamline radial engines for use on airplanes and developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1927...
housing the radial engine, with fairings for the fixed main landing gear
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
. The CR.42's upper wing was larger than its lower wing, a configuration known as a sesquiplane. The aircraft proved exceptionally agile thanks to its very low wing loading
Wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. The faster an aircraft flies, the more lift is produced by each unit area of wing, so a smaller wing can carry the same weight in level flight, operating at a higher wing loading. Correspondingly,...
, although at the same time, the CR.42 lacked armour and radio equipment.
During evaluation, the CR.42 was tested against the Caproni Ca.165
Caproni Ca.165
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William. "Facts by Request." Flying Review International, Volume 24, no. 3, November 1968, p. 71.* Lembo, Daniele I brutti anatroccoli della Regia, Aerei nella Storia, Westward editions, n.14....
biplane fighter, and was judged to be superior, although the Ca.165 was a more modern design which boasted a higher speed at the cost of maneuverability. Although the age of the biplane was coming to an end a number of other air forces expressed interest in the new fighter, and a number of early Falcos were delivered to foreign customers.
Soon after its combat introduction, Fiat developed a number of variants. The CR.42bis and CR.42ter had increased firepower, the CR.42N was a night fighter, the CR.42AS was optimised for ground attack, and the CR.42B Biposto was a two-seat trainer.
The Biposto was the most extensively modified, with a longer fuselage allowing a second seat to be placed in tandem. About 40 aircraft were produced by Agusta and Caproni Trento. Its length was increased by 68 centimeters over the standard fighter, to a total of to 8.94 m; the height was 23 centimeters less. Empty weight was only 40 kg more, as the wheel fairings had been removed. Overall weight was 2,300 kg. Top speed was 430 km/h at 5,300 meters, only 8 km/h less. Up to 1945, two machine guns were fitted.
Experimental configurations included the I.CR.42 (Idrovolante= seaplane) and the CR.42DB. Beginning in 1938, Fiat had worked on the I.CR.42, then gave the task to complete the project to CMASA factory in Marina di Pisa on the Tirreno sea coast. The only prototype was built in 1940. Tests started at the beginning of 1941, at the Vigna di Valle base, on Lake Bracciano
Lake Bracciano
Lake Bracciano is a lake of volcanic origin in the Italian region of Lazio, northwest of Rome. It is the second largest lake in the region and one of the major lakes of Italy...
, north of Rome. Top speed was 423 km/h, range was 950 km while ceiling was reduced to 9,000 m. Empty weight went from 1,720 to 1,850 kg, full weight from 2,295 to 2,425 kg.
The CR.42DB was an attempt to improve the type's performance by installing a Daimler-Benz DB 601
Daimler-Benz DB 601
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mankau, Heinz and Peter Petrick. Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Raumfahrt, Germany: Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3-92550-562-8.* Neil Gregor Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich. Yale University Press, 1998-External links:...
V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
of 753 kW (1,010 hp). This prototype, MM 469), was flown by test pilot Valentino Cus in March 1941, over Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia Montecelio is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy.- Geography :The community of Guidonia Montecelio lies to the north-east of Rome, some kilometres from the Grande Raccordo Anulare - a ring-shaped motorway which forms a circle around the capital...
, near Rome. This variant could reach a top speed of 518 km/h (323 mph), with a maximum ceiling of 10,600 m and a range of 1,250 km. The project was cancelled as the biplane configuration did not offer any advantages over contemporary monoplane fighter designs. Although it never went into production, to this day the variant has the distinction of being the fastest biplane ever flown.
It is still not certain how many CR.42s were built. The most likely estimate is 1,819 in total, including the 63 (51 according to some sources) produced under Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
control and the 140 produced for export.
Regia Aeronautica
The Fiat CR.42 entered service in May 1939, with the 53° Stormo, based at Turin Caselle AirportTurin Caselle Airport
Turin Airport , also known as Turin-Caselle Airport , is an airport serving Turin, a city in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. It is also named Sandro Pertini Airport , after former Italian President Sandro Pertini.The airport is a focus city of the reborn Alitalia...
. By the time Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, about 300 aircraft had been delivered. The Falchi defended airfields, cities, and Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Italian Royal Navy) bases until the Italian armistice with the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
of 8 September 1943. The Falchi also fought against the British Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
over Malta, and later against the British Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
, sometimes with unexpected success. The manoeuvrability of the Falchi concerned the British. "A RAF Intelligence report in late October 1940 circulated to all pilots and their squadrons, with copies to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, and the War Cabinet, declared: 'The manoeuvrability of the CR.42s, in particular their capacity to execute an extremely tight half roll, has caused considerable surprise to other pilots and undoubtedly saved many Italian fighters from destruction.'"
When production was stopped in 1942, a total of 1,784 CR.42s had been built. By 8 September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies, only around 60 of the aircraft were in flying condition.
Battle of France
The Falchi had their baptism of fire in the morning of 13 June 1940. That day, 23 pilots from 23° Gruppo of 3° Stormo escorted ten Fiat BR.20 bombers to the port of ToulonToulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. Meanwhile, 12 Falchi from 151° Gruppo of 53° Stormo attacked the airfield of Fayence
Fayence
Fayence is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Fayence is one of a series of "perched villages" overlooking the plain between the southern Alps and the Esterel massif, which borders the sea between Cannes and Saint-Raphaël. Fayence is a...
, in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, causing little damage. Later they attacked Hyères
Hyères
Hyères , Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
base, hitting on the ground approximately 50 enemy aircraft and destroying at least 20 of them. Italian pilots from 151° Gruppo claimed a French Vought V.156F. On the same day, a CR.42 from 82a Squadriglia (13° Gruppo) took off to intercept a reconnaissance aircraft, but it failed interception and crashed on landing, killing the pilot.
On 15 of June, 67 CR.42s from same units, plus 18° Gruppo (from 3° Stormo), attacked the airfields of Southern France. 27 biplanes from 150° Gruppo machine-gunned the airfield of Cuers-Pierrefou, setting on fire about 15 V-156Fs. Seven of the Fiats giving top-cover were intercepted by Bloch MB.152s (Bloch MB.151s, according to other sources) from A.C.-3 that shot down a Falco and forced another to land. Italian pilots claimed four French fighters. Subsequently, Fiats attacked the airfields of Cannet des Maures and Puert Pierrefin, close to the border. This time the French fighter units reacted and the Fiats were attacked by Dewoitine 520s
Dewoitine D.520
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the opening of World War II. Unlike the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, which was at that time the Armée de l'Airs most numerous fighter, the Dewoitine D.520 came close to being a match for the latest...
from G.C.III/6. Regia Aeronautica aviators claimed 8-10 air victories and many aircraft destroyed on the ground. Fiat pilots were credited with three Bloch and five Dewoitine kills,
with the loss of five Falchi shot down.
Malta
Over MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, the CR.42 encountered Hurricanes for the first time on 3 July 1940. That day, Flying Officer Waters (P2614) shot down a SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
bomber five miles (8 kilometers) off Kalafrana, but he was soon attacked in turn by the escorting Falchi who badly shot up his aircraft. Waters crashed on landing and his Hurricane was written off. The Hurricane pilots soon discovered that the Italian biplanes could easily out-maneuver their aircraft.
Pilot Officer Jock Barber remembered: "On my first combat, the 9 of July, I attacked the leader of a Squadriglia of Falcos, while [Flight Lieutenant] George Burges attacked an SM.79 bomber. When I shot the CR.42 at a range of 100 yards [91 meters], he did a flick-roll and went spinning down. I found myself engaged in dogfighting with the remaining CR.42s. This went down to about 10,000 feet [3,048 meters]; by then I had used up all my ammunition without much success, although I am convinced I got quite a few strikes on the leader in the initial combat. I realized pretty quickly that dogfighting with biplanes was just not on. They were so manoeuvrable that it was very difficult to get in a shot, and I had to keep diving and turning to keep myself from being shot down. George had by this time disappeared so I stuck my nose down and, with full throttle, was very thankful to get out of the way."
A week later, a dozen CR.42s from 23° Gruppo appeared in the sky over Malta for a reconnaissance. Flight Lieutenants Peter Keeble and Burges scrambled to intercept them, and the resulting action greatly impressed the Malta defenders with the CR.42s maneuvering capability. Keeble attacked one CR.42 - probably the aircraft (MM4368) flown by Sottotenente Mario Benedetti of 74a Squadriglia that crashed, killing its pilot, but then came under attack himself by the Falchi of Tenente Mario Pinna and Tenente Oscar Abello. Keeble tried to dogfight with the Italians, but his engine was hit and his Hurricane dived into the ground at Wied-il-Ghajn, near Fort Rinella
Fort Rinella
Fort Rinella is a Victorian fortification on the island of Malta. It is also referred to as the Rinella Battery in some maps and publications.-History:...
, and blew up. He was the first pilot to be killed in action at Malta. This was the first air victory in World War II of the CR.42 against the Hurricane. Shortly after Keebles loss, a meeting of all the pilots and senior staff was called to discuss the best ways of countering the agile CR.42. A suggestion was made that the Hurricane should put down a bit of flaps as this might enable it to turn with the CR.42, but the only realistic proposal was to climb above these aircraft to be in advantageous position.
Night fighter operations
The CR.42 was the main night fighter of the Regia Aeronautica, even if it was not equipped with radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and often lacked radio equipment. The first night interception was performed on the night of 13–14 August 1940 by Capitano Giorgio Graffer, when he located and opened fire on a British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
bomber that had been sent to attack Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. When his guns jammed, Graffer rammed the bomber before bailing out. The bomber had been badly damaged and subsequently crashed into the English Channel whilst attempting to return to its base.
One of the most successful night interceptions took place on the night of 25 August 1942. That day, in an attempt to oppose RAF night intruding missions that were hammering Italian airfields, the 4° Stormo borrowed four radio-equipped CR.42s, by 208a and 238a Squadriglie of the 101° Gruppo Bombardamento a Tuffo, based at Abar Nimeir, to use them as night interceptors.
Corpo Aereo Italiano
On 11 and 23 November 1940, CR.42s flew two raids against Great Britain as part of the Corpo Aereo ItalianoCorpo Aereo Italiano
The "Italian Air Corps" was an expeditionary force of the Italian Royal Air Force that participated in the Battle of Britain during the final months of 1940 during World War II. The CAI supported the German Air Force and flew against the British Royal Air Force...
. Luftwaffe aircraft had difficulty flying in formation with the slower biplanes. Even though slower, with an open cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, no radio, and armed with only two machine guns (a 12.7 mm/.5 in and a 7.7 mm/.303 in Breda-SAFAT), the Falchi could easily out-turn the Hurricanes and the Spitfires and proved difficult to hit. "The CR 42 turned to fight using all the aeroplane's manoeuvrability. The pilot could get on my tail in a single turn, so tightly was he able to pull round." As the RAF intelligence report stated, the Falchi were hard targets. "As I fired he half rolled very tightly and I was completely unable to hold him, so rapid were his manoeuvres. I attacked two or three more and fired short bursts, in each case the enemy aircraft half-rolled very tightly and easily and completely out-turned me. In two cases as they came out of their rolls, they were able to turn in almost on my tail and opened fire on me."
Against British monoplanes, the CR.42s were not always outclassed. "I engaged one of the British fighters from a range of between 40 to 50 metres [130–165 feet]. Then I saw a Spitfire, which was chasing another CR.42, and I got in a shot at a range of 150 metres [500 feet]. I realised that in a manoeuvered flight, the CR.42 could win or survive against Hurricanes and Spitfires, though we had to be careful of a sweep from behind. In my opinion, the English .303 bullet was not very effective. Italian aircraft received many hits which did no material damage and one pilot even found that his parachute pack had stopped a bullet." During the winter, the CR.42s were transferred back to the Mediterranean theater.
East Africa
It was in Africa Orientale Italiana (A.O.I) that the nimble Italian biplane performed better. It was flying the Falco that Mario VisintiniMario Visintini
Mario Visintini, MOVM, , was the first Regia Aeronautica World War II ace. He was the top scoring pilot of all belligerent air forces in Eastern Africa and the top biplane fighter ace of World War 2....
became the top biplane fighter ace of World War II (with 16 kills) and Luigi Baron and Aroldo Soffritti became the second and third Fiat CR. 42 top scoring aces, with 12 and 8 air victories. Moreover, during that short and difficult campaign, the Fiat fighters destroyed a large number of Royal Air Force and South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
aircraft, both in the air and on the ground, including a number of Hurricanes.
In 1940, three squadriglie stationed in Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
-- Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Italian Eritrea
Italian Eritrea
Italian Eritrea was the first colony of the Kingdom of Italy. It was created in 1890 and lasted officially until 1947.-Acquisition of Assab and creation of the colony:...
, and Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
-- were equipped with CR.42s. The 412a - the most experienced Squadriglia - was based in Gura (with the 414a Squadriglia) and in Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
. The 413a Squadriglia was in Assab
Assab
Assab is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1989, it had a population of 39,600. Assab possesses an oil refinery, which was shut down in 1997 for economic reasons...
. Fighting there began in June and lasted until the autumn of 1941. The Italians met mostly British bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, destroying many of them. On 12 June 1940, 412a Squadriglia attacked nine Vickers Wellesley
Vickers Wellesley
The Vickers Wellesley was a British 1930s light bomber built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey, for the Royal Air Force...
bombers from 47 Squadron above Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
, and Tenente Carlo Canella claimed the first CR.42 victory in East Africa, a Wellesley that was heavily damaged and forced to crash-land. Two days later, the 412a Squadriglia again intercepted a pair of Wellesleys, this time from 14 Squadron, that were trying to bomb Massawa. Tenente Mario Visintini, for the first of his 16 air victories in East Africa, shot down the Wellesley flown by Pilot Officer Plunkett.
Dogfights usually occurred when enemy airfields were being attacked. Fierce air battles took place at the beginning of November 1940, during the British offensive against the Italian forts of Gallabat
Gallabat
Gallabat is a village in the Sudanese state of Al Qadarif. It lies at one of the country's border crossing points with Ethiopia; on the other side of the border is Ethiopia's corresponding border village Metemma.-History:...
and Metemma
Metemma
Metemma is a town in northwestern Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan. Located in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Metemma has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 685 meters above sea level. Across the border is the corresponding Sudanese village of Gallabat...
, along the Sudan border. The Regia Aeronautica was dominant in these fights, sometimes even against more powerful opponents. Losses were also suffered in the air duels in 1940, at least six Fiats were destroyed and about a dozen damaged.
North Africa
It was "in Africa that this Italian machine performed best".At the beginning of the war in Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa was the aggregate of territories and colonies controlled by Italy in North Africa from 1911 until World War II...
, there were 127 CR.42 from the 13° Gruppo (2° Stormo) at Castel Benito and from the 10° and 9° Gruppo of 4° Stormo in Benina
Benina
Benina is a Basic People's Congress administrative division of Benghazi, Libya.It contains the Benina International Airport....
, including reserve aircraft. Initially, the Falco was pitted against the contemporary Gloster Gladiator and Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
of the South African Air Force.
Increasingly evident, the Fiat CR.42 was unable to operate effectively against modern aerial opposition, relying only on manoeuvrability and Regia Aeronautica piloting skills. However, on 8 August 1940, in an aerial duel between comparable rivals, 16 Fiat CR.42s from 9° and 10° Gruppi of 4° Stormo were "bounced" by 14 Gladiators of 80 Squadron over Gabr Saleh (about 65 kilometres southeast of El Adem and 35 kilometres east of Bir El Gobi). Four CR.42s were shot down while four more force-landed (later recovered). The Italian pilots claimed five Gladiators in the dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
(three shared amongst the pilots of 10° Gruppo and two shared by the 73a Squadriglia pilots) and two probables (the 90a Squadriglia’s Diary reported six victories). That air combat highlighted the advantages of the Gladiator over the CR.42, especially radio equipment that could permit coordinated attacks, and the Gladiator's superior low altitude overall performance, with a markedly superior horizontal manoeuvrability over the Falchi.
Experienced Italian pilots, most of them veterans of the Spanish Civil War, employed the exceptional manoeuvrability of the CR.42 in successful attacks against RAF Gladiators, Hurricanes and Spitfires, forcing their opponents "...to adopt the tactic that Messerschmitt pilots had used against them: to avoid dogfights and to attack them with sudden dives." Nevertheless, on 31 October 1940, the Falchi scored their first confirmed air victories in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
against the Hawker fighters. During the air battle over Mersa Matruh Sergente Maggiore Davide Colauzzi and Sergente Mario Turchi from 368a Squadriglia, while escorting SM.79 bombers, shot down the Hurricanes of 33 Squadron
33 Squadron
33 Squadron or 33rd Squadron may refer to:* No. 33 Squadron RAAF, a unit of the Australian Royal Air Force* No. 33 Squadron , a unit of the Finnish Air Force* No...
that were flown by 26-year-old Canadian Flying Officer Edmond Kidder Leveille (RAF no. 40837) - who was forced to bail out but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy completely and Flying Officer Perry St Quintin (Hurricane P3724), who was forced to make a forced landing at Qasaba with a holed fuel tank.
Italian losses were, however, stemmed when the more advanced Macchi C.200
Macchi C.200
The Macchi C.200 Saetta was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica . The MC.200 had excellent manoeuvrability and general flying characteristics left little to be desired...
, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
of Luftflotte 4, arrived in April 1941.
Iraq
In April 1941, Rashid Ali led a pro-Axis coup in Iraq. In response, British Empire troops landed at BasraBasra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
. Germany and Italy sent Messerschmitt Bf 110s, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s and CR.42s into action. The Regia Aeronautica sent 155a Squadriglia (named Squadriglia speciale Irak) equipped with the CR.42 Egeo version which had a radio set and a 100 litre auxiliary tank, increasing the operational range (typically 800 km at 380 km/h) up to 1,100 km at economical speed. In Iraq, the Regia Aeronautica was only operational for four days (28–31 May 1941), with their aircraft painted in Iraqi colours.
CR.42s took off from Alghero
Alghero
Alghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
on 22 May 1941 and flew up to 900 km to Valona
Valona
The valona is a popular narrative song- and poetry-form of the Mexican state of Michoacán. Its main characteristics are: a bitter sense of humor, mainly with reference to erotism and social concerns; its lyrics are composed as groupings of ten-line strophes, each line made up of eight syllables;...
(one crashed on landing), Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, Aleppus and Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
. A total of 11 Fiats flew together with a S.79 and a S.81 as "pathfinders" and transport aircraft, while three SM.82s transported weapons for the campaign. The Italian aircraft arrived in Iraq on 23 May. Six days later (on 28 May according to other sources) the Fiat CR.42s, in what was to prove the final air-to-air combat of the brief campaign, intercepted RAF Blenheims, claiming two No. 94 Sqn Gladiators, with the loss of one CR.42 shot down by a Gladiator flown by Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta. Three Fiats were damaged and abandoned in Iraq. The seven survivors were withdrawn with great difficulty, since the S.79 "pathfinder" was destroyed on the ground by the RAF despite being located at Aleppus airfield, Syria. The Axis effort to reinforce Iraqi insurgents was insufficient and failed, but led to the decision to invade Syria that resulted in a substantial diversion during an already critical moment for the Allies. While retreating, 164a Squadriglia CR.42s were used to defend Pantelleria.
Royal Hungarian Air Force
The CR.42's first foreign purchaser was the Royal Hungarian Air Force (MKHL), which placed orders for 52 aircraft in mid-1938. The HungariansHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, while aware that the CR.42 was conceptually outdated, considered the rapid re-equipment of their fighter component vital, the Italian government having expressed its willingness to forgo CR.42 delivery positions in order to expedite the re-equipment of Hungarian units. By the end of 1939, 17 CR.42s had reached Hungary, issued to 1. Vadász Ezred (1st Fighter Wing) which began conversion from the CR.32. Its two groups of two squadrons, 1./I Vadász Osztály (Fighter Group) at Szolnok and the 1./II Vadász Osztály at Mátyásföld, Budapest, received their full complement of fighters in mid-1940.
Some CR.42s in Hungarian service were fitted with a 12.7 mm (.5 in) Gebauer GKM Machine Gun 1940.M (Gebauer Kenyszermeghajtasu Motorgeppuska, or "Gebauer Positive-Driven Motor-Machine Gun"); these were fixed twin-barrel guns driven from the aircraft engine's crankshaft.
In total, the MKHL ordered 70 CR.42s but through a barter which included a captured Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
, they received two additional CR.42s in 1941. The Hungarian CR.42s were first used against Yugoslavia, in April 1941. During the short conflict in the Balkans the MKHL lost two CR.42s.
On 27 June 1941, when Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union, the CR.42s equipped three MKHL units: 1./I Group, based in Szolnok
Szolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
, 1./II Group, at Mátyásföld, of 1st Fighter Wing, and 2./II Group, based in Kolozsvár, of 2nd Fighter Wing. On the same day Hungarian CR.42s had their baptism of fire, when 2/3. Squadron escorted bombers against Stanislau. Ensign László Kázár was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire while strafing and crash landed behind enemy lines. On the same day, Sergeant Árpád Kertész, from the same unit, claimed the first victory, shooting down a Soviet reconnaissance plane. The 2/3. Squadron flew many sorties until the middle of July escorting bombers and strafing enemy airfields. They claimed six additional kills, losing one plane on 12 July, when 2nd Lieutenant Gyõzõ Vámos collided in a dogfight with a Polikarpov I-16 and bailed out, surviving. On 11 August, Hungarian Fiats escorted six Caproni Ca.135s, commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, on their way to bomb a 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the Bug
Bug
A bug is an insect of the order Hemiptera, known as the "true bugs".Bug or BUG may also refer to:-Biology:* Informally, most arthropods, except marine crustaceans, including individuals or species of** centipede** insect** millipede** mite...
river in the city of Nikolayev, on the Black sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by Soviet Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
fighters. The escorting Hungarian CR.42s shot down five I-16s, with no own losses. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev on 16 August the commander of Luftflotte 4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated the successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska.
The Hungarian CR.42s were later used in the ground attack role against Soviet forces
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
until December 1941. Although typically outclassed by more modern types, the Hungarian CR.42s scored 25 destroyed, one probable, one damaged (according to other sources they claimed 24 plus two Soviet planes in the air) and one aircraft destroyed on the ground, losing two planes to Soviet fighters. The surviving CR.42s were relegated to training roles. In spring 1944 a night assault CR.42 Squadron was formed. The aircraft were equipped with flame dampers and bomb racks for four 50 kg bombs, but reportedly these planes were not used operationally. Most of CR.42s were lost in training accidents and strafing attacks by U.S. aircraft in 1944. Not a single Hungarian Falco survived the war.
Belgian Air Force
In 1939 a mission from BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Aéronautique Militaire purchased 40 CR.42s, for a total price of 40 millions francs. The first arrived on 6 March 1940, when one aircraft was destroyed in a landing accident. The CR.42s were mainly sent to the Evere Établissements Généraux de l'Aéronautique Militaire for assembly. The first operational squadron, IIème Group de Chasse (Fighter Group) based at Nivelles
Nivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
, south of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, received its full complement of 15 while other units still awaited further deliveries.
The exact quantity of CR.42s delivered to Belgium before the German attack on 10 May is estimated by historians to be between 24 and 27, the last being transported to France and lost in the railway station at Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
. Photographic evidence suggests that the total number of CR.42s delivered was 30. On 9 May, squadrons operating the Falchi were the 3rd "Cocotte rouge", with 14, and the 4th, "Cocotte Blanche", with 11 aircraft. In addition to those, the aircraft of Major Lamarche and two others (R.21 and R.27) in a hangar at Nivelles
Nivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
were not serviceable, while another was at Airfield Number 41 with mechanical troubles. The Fiat CR.42s were first to be blooded in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
but after encountering the vastly superior Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
fighters of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, the entire contingent of Fiats was soon overwhelmed, although the Belgian pilots fought with great skill. The Belgian CR.42s fought from the first day of the invasion, when they attacked a formation of Ju 52s (from 17/KGzbV 5) in the Tongres area, forcing one to crash-land near Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
. The Fiats were then jumped by the escorting Bf 109 from I./JG.1, but thanks to their superior agility managed to come back safely. That day the Belgian pilots claimed four more German aircraft: three Do 17 and a Bf 109, while the Stukas of I./St.2 destroyed no less than 14 Fiats at Brustem airfield.
In a total of 35 missions flown, the CR.42s downed at least five and probably even eight enemy aircraft including a Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
, Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
and the vaunted Bf 109 for a loss of two of their own. The only two confirmed Bf-109E losses were scored by Charles Goffin. After capitulation, the five surviving Fiat CR.42s were brought into a French Air Force depot in Fréjorques, where they were found by the Germans. Their final fate is not known. Overall claims by Belgian CR.42s were: eight Do 17, four Bf 109 and one Ju 52.
Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air ForceSwedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...
purchases of various types of Italian combat aircraft in 1939-41 were an emergency measure caused by the outbreak of war. There were no other nations willing to supply aircraft to a small neutral country and domestic production would be insufficient until 1943. From 1940 to 1941, Sweden received 72 CR.42s, which were equipped with radios, 20 mm (.79 in) armour plate behind the pilot and ski landing gear. The Swedish aircraft were designated J 11.
The J 11s were initially assigned to the F 9 wing, responsible for the air defence of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, but were transferred to the newly established F 13 wing
F 13 Norrköping
F 13 Norrköping, Bråvalla Flygflottilj, Bråvalla Air Force Wing, or simply "F 13", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Norrköping in south-eastern Sweden.- History of the airbase :...
in Norrköping
Norrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
in 1943 when F 9 received more advanced J 22
FFVS J 22
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andersson, Hans G. SAAB Aircraft since 1937; 2nd revised edition. London: Putnam Aeronautical books, 1997. ISBN 0-85177-886-0...
fighters.
The J 11s operating from Kiruna
Kiruna
Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...
, in the north of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, were equipped with ski undercarriage. In spring 1942, the J 11s of 1. Division were moved to Lulea
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
airfield. The J 11s scrambled several times to intercept German aircraft violating Swedish borders, but usually failed to make contact. The J 11s of 2. and 3. Divisions based in Gothenburg managed to intercept intruders a few times, forcing them to leave Swedish airspace.
During their service in Swedish Air Force, the CR.42 suffered many accidents, sometimes because of the poor quality of materials used by the Fiat factory. By the end of 1942, eight had been lost, and 17 more by the end of 1943. In all, over 30 CR.42s were lost due to accidents and mechanical failures.
Swedish pilots appreciated the J 11's formidable close-in dogfighting abilities;
however, they complained about low speed, insufficient armament and the open cockpits that were unsuited for the severe climate of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
The remaining J 11s of the F 13 wing were decommissioned for good by the Air Force by 14 March 1945. A total of 19 aircraft were sold to a civilian contractor, Svensk Flygtjänst AB, who used 13 of them as target tugs for one season, although the type was not well suited for the role. Another six J 11s were delivered to Svensk Flygtjänst AB as a source for spare parts. The aircraft were given Swedish civil registrations. The last J 11 was removed from the register in 1949.
One surviving Swedish "Falco" was preserved. It was stored at the F 3 wing; the aircraft was "hidden away" for a future museum. Number NC.2453, marked as 9 9, is today on a permanent static display in the Swedish Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseum) in Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
.
Luftwaffe
After the Italian armistice the Luftwaffe took over the majority of Regia Aeronautica aircraft. Among these aircraft were a number of CR.42s.German Rüstungs-und-Kriegsproduktion Stab took control of Italy's northern aircraft industry, and ordered 200 CR.42LW (LW=Luftwaffe) from Fiat for the Luftwaffe, to use in night harassment and anti-partisan roles. Some of the captured Fiats were allocated to training divisions as well. One of the German units to use the CR.42 was Nachtschlachtgruppe (NSGr.) 9, based in UdineUdine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
. Its task was to fight partisans in the region of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The 1. Staffel received its Falchi in November 1943 and in January 1944 the unit was transferred to Caselle
Caselle
Caselle may refer to the following places in Italy:*Caselle, Italy, a subdivision of San Zeno Naviglio in the province of Brescia*Caselle in Pittari, town and commune in the province of Salerno*Caselle Landi, in the province of Lodi...
airfield near Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to operate against partisan units in the Southern Alps. On 28 January, the 2. Staffel too was equipped with the CR.42. The training of Germans pilots took place at a school in Venaria Reale
Venaria Reale
Venaria Reale is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 8 km northwest of Turin....
.
In February 1944, after the Allies had landed at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
, 1.Staffel and 2.Staffel, based at Centocelle Airport in Rome, attacked Allied units in southern Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
, mostly in moonlit night raids. NSGr9 attacked enemy troops in the Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
area. The CR.42 proved to be useful as a light bomber at night but subsequently NSGr9 began to be equipped with the Ju 87D. 2.Staffel kept using the Fiat biplanes until mid-1944. On 31 May, the unit still had 18 Falchi, 15 of which were operational.
Due to Allied raids over the Fiat factory in Turin, only 150 CR.42LWs were completed, with 112 becoming operational. Another unit to use them in Southern Italy and the Balkans was Jagdgeschwader (JG) 107 which flew them as night fighters, fighter-bombers and fighter-trainers. The CR.42 was nicknamed "Die Pressluftorgel" or "the Pneumatic Organ" by Luftwaffe trainee pilots.
Variants
CR.42: Early CR.42s were armed with one 12.7 mm (.5 in) machine gun and one 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun. The CR.42bis replaced the 7.7 mm with a second 12.7 mm.CR.42 Egeo: Equipped, for Aegean theater, with a extra 80 L (20 US gal) fuel tank
Fuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
in the fuselage.
CR.42AS: A close air-support version. The two standard 12.7 mm machine guns could be supplemented with two more. There were underwing racks for two 220 lb (100 kg) bombs. AS stands for 'Africa Settentrionale.' There was an additional engine filter to prevent damage from sand which caused a loss in power, a common occurrence in North Africa, since filter-less engines could be damaged after only a few hours use.
CR.42B: One aircraft equipped with the Daimler-Benz DB 601
Daimler-Benz DB 601
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mankau, Heinz and Peter Petrick. Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Raumfahrt, Germany: Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3-92550-562-8.* Neil Gregor Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich. Yale University Press, 1998-External links:...
engine, estimated maximum speed 518 km/h (323 mph). Also known as the CR.42DB.
CR.42bis: Standard armament of two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted.
CR.42CN: Night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
version with spotlights in gondolas under the wings and prolonged engine exhausts.
CR.42ter: 2 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) machine guns with two additional guns mounted in blisters under the wings.
ICR.42: Experimental floatplane version designed by CMASA, top speed decreased by only 8 km/h (5 mph) in spite of the 124 kg (273 lb) increase in weight.
CR.42LW: Night harassment, anti-partisan aircraft for the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
CR.42 "Bombe Alari": ( unofficial but widely used name) Modification carried out at SRAMs (repair centers), to allow outdated fighters to be used in ground attack roles. Underwing pylons for 2 × 50 kg (110 lb) bombs were added; often these pylons were loaded with 100 kg (220 lb) bombs. The same modification was carried out on Fiat G.50s and Macchi C.200s.
CR.42 two-seaters: Several Italian CR.42s were converted into two-seat communications aircraft.
CR.42DB: One CR.42 was fitted with an early 895 kW (1,200 hp) DB 601A inline engine. A speed of 525 km/h (326 mph) was attained.
Operators
- Belgian Air ForceBelgian Air ForceThe Air Component, formerly the Belgian Air Force, is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces. Originally founded in 1909, it is one of the world's first air forces, and was a pioneer in aerial combat during the First World War...
Nazi Germany
- LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
- Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő (Hungarian Air ForceHungarian Air ForceThe Hungarian Air Force is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army.- 1918 to Pre–World War II :Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, a small air arm was established operating surviving aircraft from Hungarian factories and training schools...
)
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
- Spanish Air ForceSpanish Air Force-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
- Swedish Air ForceSwedish Air ForceThe Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...
Survivors
Four CR.42s are known to exist:- The Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon has a Regia Aeronautica machine (MM5701) on display. This was captured on 11 November 1940 when it suffered an overheated engine and was forced to land on the shingle beach at Orfordness, Suffolk.
- At the Swedish Air Force MuseumSwedish Air Force MuseumThe Swedish Air Force Museum is located at Malmen Airbase in Malmslätt, just outside of Linköping, Sweden. Malmen is where Baron Carl Cederström, nicknamed the "Flyer Baron" founded his flying school in 1912. Malmen Airbase is home to the Royal Swedish Airschool operating SAAB 105 jettrainers...
near Linköping is a J 11, Fv2543. - The Fighter Collection at DuxfordImperial War Museum DuxfordImperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven...
are restoring another Swedish J 11 to fly - formerly Fv2542; now civil-registered as G-CBLS. - At the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle is a CR.42 in Italian colours as "MM4653", which in fact is a composite built up with the help of parts recovered in Sweden, Italy and France.