81a Squadriglia

''81a Squadriglia'' was an Italian fighter squadron raised in March 1917 that served through the end of World War I. One of its aces, Flavio Baracchini, would become the first awardee of the Gold Medal for Military Valor. The squadron would be credited with 34 aerial victories, and suffer four dead. It ended the war with 28 aircraft on strength.

History

''81a Squadriglia'' of the ''Corpo Aeronautico Militare'' was founded at the Central Flying School in Arcade, Italy in March 1917, during World War I. In April 1917, it deployed to operate Nieuport 11 fighters, and was attached to ''2o Gruppo''. The new unit flew its first combat sorties on 23 April 1917 and fought its first fight the following day. On 1 May 1917, '' Sergente'' Enrico Sorrentino scored the fledgling squadron's first aerial victory. In July, Flavio Baracchini became the first Italian fighter pilot to win the Gold Medal for Military Valor. The squadron re-equipped with Nieuport 17s.Franks et al 1997, p. 125.

The squadron was one of those displaced in the wake of the Italian defeat at the Battle of Caporetto. It bounced about four airfields in the last week of October as it repeatedly relocated. To add to the confusion, its commanding officer, Mario Zoboli, had orders transferring him out of the squadron's command on 1 November 1917. On 6 November, he returned when the orders were rescinded. Three days later, the squadron relocated once more, to join ''6o Gruppo'' at Istrana. The move would put them in position for the great air battle over their base on 26 December 1917.

In February 1918, the squadron began replacing its Nieuport 17s with Hanriot HD.1s. Hanriot supplies being insufficient, some Nieuport 27s were also brought on strength. The squadron served on through Summer 1918. Then, on 26 October 1918, it was included in the ''Massa da Caccia'' (Fighter Mass) that supported the victorious final Italian offensive at Vittorio Veneto. When the war in northern Italy ended on 3 November 1918, the ''81a Squadriglia'' had flown 4,118 combat sorties, engaged the enemy 230 times, and were credited with 34 aerial victories. The squadron suffered four dead. It still had 21 Hanriots and a Nieuport 27 in service.

Commanding officers

* ''Capitano'' Salvatore Calori: March 1917 - 24 June 1917
* ''Capitano'' Mario Zoboli: 24 June 1917 - 25 March 1918 (see above)
* ''Capitano'' Renato Mazzucco: 25 March 1918 through war's end

Duty stations

* Arcade, Italy: March 1917
* Borgnano: April 1917
* Aviano: 26 October 1917
* Bassano: 27 October 1917
* Arcade: 31 October 1917
* Istrana: 9 November 1917
* Isolo di Carturo: 2 February 1918
* Casoni: 17 February 1918

Notable members

Flying ace Flavio Baracchini scored 13 of his 21 accredited victories with ''81a Squadriglia''. Other aces who scored victories while with the squadron were Gastone Novelli and Alessandro Buzio.

Aircraft

* Nieuport 11
* Nieuport 17
* Hanriot HD.1
* Nieuport 27

Endnotes

References

* Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory. ''Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI''. Grub Street, 1997. , .
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017

Italian Air Force
Military units and formations of Italy in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1917
1917 establishments in Italy
Squadriglie of Italy