Franco Bordoni Bisleri
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Franco Bordoni-Bisleri (10 January 1913 – 15 September 1975) was an Italian
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
and racing car driver. He is one of the top-scoring
aces ACeS (PT Asia Cellular Satellite) was a regional satellite telecommunications company based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It offered GSM-like satellite telephony services to Asian market. The coverage area included Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Phili ...
of the
Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') 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. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
, with 19 air victories. His nickname was "Robur" ("strength" in Latin) and was painted on most of his aircraft and racing cars.


Early life

Bordoni was born in Milan. His grandfather was
Felice Bisleri Felice Bisleri (30 November 1851 – 17 September 1921) was an Italian businessman, inventor and chemist. He was born in Verolanuova near Brescia and established the Felice Bisleri & Co. chemical laboratory in Milan, developing the successful "Fer ...
(1851–1921) who had started and owned the family-run Ferro-China-Bisleri amaro business. Franco studied at the Collegio San Carlo, one of the most exclusive private schools in the city. By the time he had completed his studies, he had already shown himself to be a talented car driver. The young Franco was attracted to flying by the lure of the speed. He became a civil pilot (1936) but failed in his efforts to join the Italian Royal Air Force (''
Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') 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. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
''), due to a minor nasal problem. He finally succeeded in entering the service as a temporary '' Sottotenente'' in 1937 and got a military aviation license that allowed him to fly combat missions in World War II.


World War II

When Italy entered the war in June 1940, Bordoni rejoined the . He was sent to 95a ''Squadriglia'' of 18° ''Gruppo'', based at the Albenga airfield, during the fighting against France and was then assigned to the Italian Air Corps ('' Corpo Aereo Italiano''). In October he arrived in Belgium for the last part of the Battle of Britain. He recalled: "My first visit to Libya was in August 1940... I returned on 29 January 1941 when I served with 18° ''Gruppo'' (3° Stormo) until 14 August 1941."Lucas ed. 1983 p. 169. Bordoni, who had his nickname "Robur" (related to the family brand) painted on his plane, obtained his first air victory on 10 March 1941: flying a
Fiat CR.42 The Fiat CR.42 ''Falco'' ("Falcon", plural: ''Falchi'') is a single-seat sesquiplane fighter developed and produced by Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione. It served primarily in the Italian in the 1930s and during the Second World ...
for 95a ''Squadriglia'', he shot down a Bristol Blenheim, east of
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
. On 14 April, still flying a CR.42, he attacked – together with some Fiat G.50 fighters from 155° ''Gruppo Autonomo'' C.T. – some Mk.I Hawker Hurricanes from Fighter Squadron 73 that were bouncing a
Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Con ...
Stuka in action over Tobruk bay. During the dogfight, Bordoni-Bisleri downed the Hurricane flown by Pilot Officer Lamb.Malizia 2004, p. 96. According to other sources, Bisleri shot down the Hurricane Mk.I V7553 "TP-E" of Flight Sergeant Herbert Garth Webster (RAF No. 519739), who was killed. Three days later, 17 April, he claimed another Blenheim, destroyed east of Derna. In May, while his unit was stationed in Benghazi, he was promoted to ''
Tenente A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often su ...
'' and was awarded his first '' Medaglia d'argento al valore militare'' and the German Iron Cross. On 2 June he shot down two more Blenheims, over the Port of Benghazi and off the coast, but his CR.42 was damaged by defensive fire. For these claims he was awarded his second ''Medaglia d'argento al valore militare''. On the evening of 28 July 1941 he and one other CR.42 took part in an attack on a British submarine south of Benghazi together with five Ju 87s. It is possible that the submarine was HMS ''Union'', which was claimed to have been sunk. "In 1941 – he remembered – the CR.42 was a good aircraft, easy to fly, strong and manoeuvrable, but it lacked sufficient speed and armament. It was possible to fight Gladiators, Blenheims and Wellingtons in this aircraft, but against other aircraft it was outclassed." Upon returning to Italy in August of the same year, 18° ''Gruppo'' was re-equipped with the Fiat G.50. By the time they were moved to Greece, the 18° had shifted to the
Macchi C.200 The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: "Lightning"), or MC.200, was a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. Various versions were flown by the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Air Force) who used the type throughou ...
''Saetta'', but the unit never encountered any enemy planes in Greece. In the beginning of October 1942 the 3° ''Stormo'' pilots started to receive their first MC.202s as replacements for lost MC.200s. "The situation became very different – he recalled – as with this new aircraft it was possible to successfully combat Hurricanes and P-40s and it was easier to intercept bombers." The score of Bisleri started to rise. On 20 October he claimed a twin-engined bomber over Fuka. In fact, during the day a Martin Baltimore was lost over El Daba and a Martin Maryland from 203 Squadron was also lost and it is possible that Bordoni-Bisleri's claim matches these losses. Six days later, on 26 October, Bordoni-Bisleri (83a ''Squadriglia'', 18° ''Gruppo'') with eleven other pilots of 3° ''Stormo'' and seven from 4° (all flying 202s) attacked a wide formation of thirty Kittyhawks and seventeen Spitfires covering twelve Bostons and six Baltimores, in the Fuka and Daba areas. Bordoni-Bisleri claimed one of the Kittyhawks, which crash-landed about southeast of Fuka but according to some sources the same kill was claimed by ''Tenente'' Vittorio Squarcia (73a ''Squadriglia''). The downed Kittyhawk was piloted by Flying Officer J. G. Meredith. Bisleri claimed another Kittyhawk, on 30 October, over El Kattara, in
El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...
area, while returning from a reconnaissance flight. On 1 November 1942, he and his wingman ''Tenente'' Caetani attacked 15 P-40s on the road Sidi el Barrani
Marsa Matrouh Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...
. Bordoni-Bisleri shot down two P-40s and Caetani claimed a third. For this achievement they were awarded a ''Medaglia d'argento al valore militare'' (Bordoni-Bisleri's third). Three days later on 4 November, Bordoni-Bisleri, with ''Capitano'' Mario Pinna of 74a ''Squadriglia'' and ''Sergente Maggiore'' Francesco Cuscuna of 75a ''Squadriglia'' intercepted three P-40 Kittyhawks. Near their airfield at Abu Smeit, Bordoni-Bisleri shot down one of the Curtiss fighters that, moments before, had hit Pinna, forcing him to bale out badly wounded in his face and on his hands. On 30 July 1943 some Italian pilots attacked a
formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondary ...
of B-17s escorted by P-38s over Rome. Flying his C.205, Bordoni-Bisleri shot down a B-17 (kill number 13) over Pratica di Mare, firing 800 rounds of 12.7 mm
ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
. Some sources claims that this claim was shared with ''Sergente'' Mantelli. In two combat missions on 11 August he downed two more B-17s. The first fell in the sea, off Civitavecchia. The second four-engine bomber was shot down from and fell northeast of
Bracciano Bracciano is a small town in the Italian region of Lazio, northwest of Rome. The town is famous for its volcanic lake ( Lago di Bracciano or "Sabatino", the eighth largest lake in Italy) and for a particularly well-preserved medieval castle Cast ...
lake. While flying one of the older MC.202s, on 19 August, he claimed a B-26 off the coast of Ostia, still near Rome. The following day he was promoted ''Comandante'' (flight commander) of 83a Squadriglia. On 21 August, still flying a C.202, he fired 630 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition at a B-17 that fell near the Pomigliano d' Arco railway station (Naples). Nine days later (30 August 1943), Bordoni, now flying again a C.205, destroyed a B-17 near Viterbo, with 430 rounds of 20 mm and 400 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition. He obtained his last air victory with 83a ''Squadriglia'', in 3° ''Stormo'', flying a
C.205 The Macchi C.205 ''Veltro'' ( it, Greyhound) (also known as MC.205, "MC" standing for "Macchi Castoldi") was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, the Macchi C.205 ...
. On 5 September 1943, just three days before Italian armistice of Cassibile he shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress, off Civitavecchia, on the Latium coast. Bordoni-Bisleri ended the conflict "with 19 victories with CR.42s and C.202s. Twelve were over Libya and the final seven were American bombers." Six were Curtiss P-40s and four were Blenheims.


Sports car racing

After the war, Bordoni became president of the family's liquor company and started a career in sports car racing. He went on to become one of Europe's leading amateur drivers during the 1950s. He continued to use the "Robur" logo and slogan (featuring a fighting
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
) also seen on the liquor bottles. The debut came in 1949, driving a Fiat 1100 B in the Mille Miglia. In 1950 he scored his first victory in the Coppa Inter-Europa at
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
in a Maserati A6. He took further wins later the same year and the following, driving a Dagrada-Fiat Sport 750 at
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
, Circuito del Castello in Teramo and in the Coppa Ascoli at Circuito delle Caldaie. In 1952 he won the 1.1 liter class of the
Bari Grand Prix The Bari Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix road race, held in Bari, Italy, between 1947 and 1956. The course was and, except for 1956, was run in an anticlockwise direction. In 1953 the race was not contested. Winners Bari ...
in an O.S.C.A. In 1953 he became Italian Sportscar Champion, driving a Gordini T15S in which he won the Coupe de Vitesse at the Autodrome de Montlhéry, the Trullo d'Oro at the Castellana circuit and the Pergusa Grand Prix. The 1954 season saw him repeat his wins of the Trullo d'Oro and the Pergusa Grand Prix as well as winning the Trieste- Opicina hillclimb. In 1955 he was offered a position driving for the
Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
factory team, Officine Alfieri Maserati, and got the chance to race a number of different models. He drove a Maserati 300S in the 10 Hours of Messina, the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod and won his second Trieste-Opicina hillclimb with it. In the Targa Florio, driving a Maserati 200S, he had to retire from the race. He had more luck with a Maserati A6GCS, that brought him his third victory in the Pergusa Grand Prix. Bordoni continued to drive for Maserati during the following years. His last victory came at the 1957 Grand Prix des Frontières. He retired from racing in 1959 at the age of 46.


Death

Bordoni-Bisleri died in a plane crash on 15 September 1975. He was coming back from Rome after a commemoration of parachutists, attended by Pope Paul VI and organized by the Aero Club of Milan, of which he was President. He was flying a SIAI Marchetti F.260, accompanied by his ten-year-old son, Franchino, and a friend, Gianni Allegri. Near Chiavari, in Liguria, they met a heavy storm and the plane crashed on Mount Anchetta, fatally injuring everybody on board. His death had considerable press coverage at the time, although little was mentioned of his past with the
Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') 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. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
.


Awards

* Silver Medal of Military Valor (three times during World War II) * Iron Cross 2nd class (1939)


Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


See also

* List of World War II aces from Italy


Bibliography

* Lucas, Laddie (ed.). ''Wings of War: Airmen of All Nations Tell their Stories 1939–1945''. London: Hutchinson, 1983. . * Malizia, Nicola. ''Fiat G-50 (Aviolibri Records No. 2)'' (in Italian/English). Roma Istituto Bibliografico Napoleone, 2005. .


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bordoni, Franco 1913 births 1975 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Italy Italian World War II flying aces Racing drivers from Milan Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 2nd class Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1975 World Sportscar Championship drivers