Fiat CR.42
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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 War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. The CR.42 was an evolution of Fiat’s earlier
CR.32 The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. Designed by the aeronautical engineer Celestino Rosatelli, it was a compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable aircraft for its era, leading to ...
fighter, featuring a more powerful supercharged
Fiat A.74 The Fiat A.74 was a two-row, fourteen-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine produced in Italy in the 1930s as a powerplant for aircraft. It was used in some of Italy's most important aircraft of World War II. Design and development The A.74 marked ...
R1C.38 air-cooled
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
and aerodynamic improvements to its relatively clean exterior surfaces. The aircraft proved to be relatively agile in flight, a factor that had been attributed to its very low
wing loading In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed of an aircraft in straight, level flight is partly determined by its wing loading. An aircraft or animal with a ...
and a sometimes decisive tactical advantage. RAF Intelligence praised its exceptional manoeuvrability, further noting that "the plane was immensely strong", though it was technically outclassed by faster, more heavily armed monoplanes. While primarily used as a fighter, various other roles were adopted for some variants of the type, such as the ''CR.42CN'' night-fighter model, the ''CR.42AS'' ground-attack aircraft, and the ''CR.42B'' ''Biposto'' twin-seat trainer aircraft. During May 1939, the CR.42 entered service with the ; it was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service. By 10 June 1940, the date when Italy entered the Second World War, roughly 300 of the type had been delivered, which defended metropolitan cities and important military installations at first. By the end of 1940, the Falco had been involved in combat on various fronts, including the Battle of France, the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
,
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
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, and
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. By the end of the war, Italian CR.42s had been used on further fronts, including
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, the Eastern Front and the Italian mainland. Following the signing of the
Italian armistice The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
with the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
on 8 September 1943, the type was relegated to use as a trainer by the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, while some Italian CR.42s were seized by the Germans and used by the ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' to perform ground-attack operations. The CR.42 was produced and entered service in smaller numbers with the air forces of other nations, including Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. By the end of production, in excess of 1,800 CR.42s has been constructed, making it the most numerous Italian aircraft to be used during the Second World War.''Avions militaires 1919–1939 – Profils et Histoire''1979, p. 89. Aviation author Przemyslaw Skulski has claimed that the fighter had performed at its best during its service with the Hungarian Air Force, specifically during its deployment against
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forces on the Eastern Front of the war, where it reportedly achieved a kill to loss ratio of 12 to 1.Skulski 2007, p. 67.


Design and development


Origins

During the late 1930s, while a new generation of
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
fighter aircraft were already beginning to be introduced across the various air services of Europe, there was still a considerable time before they would be developed and available enough to assume total responsibility for strategic air power operations. By the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
during September 1939, many powers still fielded biplanes amongst their air wings, such as the British
Gloster Gladiator The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. Developed private ...
and the Italian CR.42. As such, even as the first flights of the latter were being conducted during 1939, despite an acknowledgement of its effective obsolescence, it was also recognised that such biplanes would likely make a valued contribution in plentiful second-line roles. This pragmatic observation turned out to be correct as not only would the CR.42 be built in greater numbers than any other Italian fighter of the war, it would also see action on every front in which the '' Regia Aeronautica'' fought upon.Cattaneo 1967, p. 3. The CR.42 was basically an evolution of the design of the earlier Fiat CR.32, which in turn had been derived from the CR.30 series created in 1932. During the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
of the mid-1930s, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had employed the CR.32 and had reportedly accomplished significant successes using the fighter. The positive combat experience gave sufficient encouragement to the type's principal manufacturer, Fiat Aviazione, for the company to produce a proposal for the development of a more advanced derivative of the design, incorporating the newly finalised supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
and several other enhancements. Key features of the fighter, which was designated as the ''CR.42'', included its relatively clean aerodynamic exterior, a very strong structure, and a high level of maneuverability, a combination which had traditionally appealed to Italian pilots according to Cattaneo.Cattaneo 1967, p. 4. According to aviation author Gianni Cattaneo, both the proposal and the concept of a developed biplane was well received by the ''Regia Aeronautica'', having placed a high value on the agility of the platform, confidence may have also been high due to prior wars in
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
and Spain having been fought against relatively disorganised opposition, giving a somewhat deceptive impression of effectiveness.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 3–4. During its formal military evaluation, the prototype CR.42 was tested against the rival
Caproni Ca.165 The Caproni Ca.165 was an Italian biplane fighter developed just before World War II, but produced only as a prototype, as the competing Fiat CR.42 ''Falco'' was selected for series production. Design Although known for three-engine heavy b ...
biplane fighter, and was judged to be the superior design, although the Ca.165 was a more modern design which boasted a higher speed, albeit at the cost of maneuverability. During flight tests, it demonstrated its ability to reach 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).Cattaneo 1967, p. 5. During late 1939, by which time a major European war already seemed inevitable, the CR.42 was ordered for the ''Regia Aeronautica''. The type had been ordered as just a single element of the larger ''R'' plan, under which Italy was to procure 3,000 new fighter aircraft, such as the monoplane
Fiat G.50 The Fiat G.50 ''Freccia'' ("Arrow") was a World War II Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by aviation company Fiat. Upon entering service, the type became Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane that had an enclosed ...
and 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 ...
, to equip and expand its air services. According to Cattaneo, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the CR.42 was considered to be the best biplane in service. Although the age of the biplane was noticeably already coming to a close by this point, a number of other foreign air forces expressed considerable interest in the new fighter. Once quantity production had been established, a number of early Falcos were delivered to foreign customers, even to the extent of re-directing aircraft originally intended for delivery to the ''Regia Aeronautica''; these customers included
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
and Sweden.Cattaneo 1967, p. 10.


Further development

Soon after its introduction to service, Fiat developed a number of variants of the type. The ''CR.42bis'' and ''CR.42ter'' featured increased firepower, while the ''CR.42CN'' was a dedicated night fighter model, the ''CR.42AS'' was optimised for performing ground attack missions, and the ''CR.42B'' ''Biposto'' commonly served in a twin-seat trainer role. Of these, the ''Biposto'', which was furnished with a longer fuselage than other models to enable a second seat to be placed in tandem with the pilot, became the most extensively modified of all the CR.42 variants. 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 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, a pair of machine guns were commonly fitted. About 40 aircraft were produced by Agusta and Caproni Trento.Sgarlato, Nico.''Fiat CR.42'' In addition, various experimental configurations of the CR.42 was both studied and constructed for trial purposes. These included the ''I.CR.42'' (''Idrovolante''= seaplane) and the re-engined ''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 ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...
base, on
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, 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 , full weight from . The ''CR.42DB'' was an attempt to improve the type's performance by installing a
Daimler-Benz DB 601 The Daimler-Benz DB 601 was a German aircraft engine built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, and many others. Approximately 19,000 601's were produced befo ...
V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines. The f ...
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 (), commonly known as Guidonia, is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio, central Italy. Geography The municipality of Guidonia Montecelio, formed by the main towns of Guidonia and Montecelio, l ...
, near Rome. During test flights, it demonstrated its ability to attain a top speed of 518 km/h (323 mph), as well as a maximum ceiling of and a range of . The project was cancelled as the biplane configuration did not offer any advantages over contemporary monoplane fighter designs. Although this variant never went into production, to the present day, the CR.42DB has continued to hold the distinction of being the fastest biplane to have ever flown. Historians are still not certain exactly how many CR.42s were manufactured. The most likely estimate is thought to be 1,819 aircraft in total, including the 63 CR.42LWs (51 according to some sources) produced under ''Luftwaffe'' control, and a further 140 fighters that were produced for the various export customers for the type.


Design

The Fiat CR.42 was a robust and relatively clean single-seat biplane fighter aircraft; in spite of the biplane configuration of the aircraft, it was a modern, "sleek-looking" design, based around a strong steel and
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductilit ...
structure. The CR.42 was furnished with fixed main
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
, the legs of which were attached to the underside of the lower wing stubs; both the legs wheels were enclosed within
streamline Streamline may refer to: Business * Streamline Air, American regional airline * Adobe Streamline, a discontinued line tracing program made by Adobe Systems * Streamline Cars, the company responsible for making the Burney car Engineering * ...
d fairings for aerodynamic reasons. The upper wing was larger than its lower wing, a configuration known as a sesquiplane.Sgarlato 2005, . The aircraft proved to be exceptionally agile in flight, a characteristic which had been attributed to be a result of the fighter's very low
wing loading In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed of an aircraft in straight, level flight is partly determined by its wing loading. An aircraft or animal with a ...
. The very strong structure of the fighter enabled pilots to perform virtually all manoeuvres. Shortcomings of the CR.42 included its slower speed in comparison to monoplanes, and a lack of armour, firepower and radio equipment. The CR.42 was typically powered by a single supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
which, via a gearing apparatus, drove a metal three-blade Fiat-
Hamilton Standard Hamilton Standard was an American aircraft propeller parts supplier. It was formed in 1929 when United Aircraft and Transport Corporation consolidated Hamilton Aero Manufacturing and Standard Steel Propeller into the Hamilton Standard Propeller C ...
3D.41-1 propeller of diameter. During the aircraft's development, particular attention was paid to the design of the
NACA cowling The NACA cowling is a type of aerodynamic fairing used to streamline radial engines installed on airplanes. It was developed by Fred Weick of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1927. It was a major advance in aerodynamic ...
which accommodated the engine; the cowling featured a series of adjustable flaps for cooling purposes. The engine bay incorporated a
fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...
to be used in the event of a fire. In terms of armament, the early CR.42s were outfitted with a single 7.7 mm and one 12.7 mm
Breda-SAFAT machine gun Breda-SAFAT (''Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche / Breda Meccanica Bresciana'' - ''Società Anonima Fabbrica Armi Torino'') was an Italian weapons manufacturer of the 1930s and 1940s that designed and produced a range of m ...
, which was installed in the decking of the upper fuselage and fired directly through the propeller. As per Italian tradition, a counter for the rounds fired was present amongst the cockpit's instrumentation. The fuselage of the CR.42 was composed of a
welded Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion. Welding is distinct from lower temperature techniques such as braz ...
steel-tube triangulated framework built of light-
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductilit ...
formers; while the forward fuselage was covered by metal panelling, fabric covered the exterior rear of the cockpit. The rigidly-braced wings used a structure that was constructed mainly of light duralumin alloys and steel; the
leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
was metal-skinned while the rest of the wing's exterior was covered with fabric. The upper wing, which was the only one to be furnished with ailerons, was joined in the center and supported above the fuselage via an inverted 'V'-shaped cabane, while the lower wings were directly attached onto the longerons within the base of the fuselage. The tail unit used a
cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
arrangement, composed of a duralumin framework and fabric covering.


An Allied test pilot's opinion

Capt. Eric Brown, RN, Chief Naval Test Pilot and C.O. of the Captured Enemy Aircraft Flight, tested the Falco of ''Sergente'' Pietro Salvadori that had landed on Orfordness beach, on 11 November 1940. He reported the CR.42 was "remarkably fast" for a biplane, with a top speed of 270 mph (434 km/h) at 12,500 ft. (3,810 m). The Falco had a "marginal stability which is the mark of a good fighter". Moreover, it was "brilliantly manoeuvrable, an acrobatic gem, but under-gunned and very vulnerable to enemy fire".


Operational history


''Regia Aeronautica''

During May 1939, the Fiat CR.42 entered operational service with the Regia Aeronautica; the 53° ''Stormo'', based at
Turin Caselle Airport Turin Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Torino) , also known as Turin-Caselle Airport (''Aeroporto di Torino-Caselle''), is an international airport located at Caselle Torinese, north-northwest of the city of Turin, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, ...
, was the first unit to be equipped with the type.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 5–6. On 10 June 1940, the date on which Italy entered the Second World War on the side of Germany, roughly 300 aircraft had been delivered. Italy had delayed its entry into the war in order to better prepare itself for combat; through the period commonly known as the
Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germa ...
, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' activated many new squadrons and did all that was possible to speed up aircraft deliveries, including of the CR.42. Accordingly, further orders for the type were placed as a part of this expansion effort.Cattaneo 1967, p. 6. Upon Italy's entry into the conflict, the ''Falchi'' were principally tasked with the defense of Italy's cities and military installations alike, such as Regia Aeronautica airbases and ''
Regia Marina The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("M ...
'' (Italian Royal Navy) bases. To some extent, the CR.42 continued to be used in this capacity right up until the signing of the
Italian armistice The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
with the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
. By 8 September 1943, the day on which Italy formally surrendered to the Allies, only around 60 of these aircraft were still in a flyable condition. By the end of the CR.42's production during 1942, a total of 1,784 fighters had been constructed. On numerous occasions, the ''Falco'' was engaged in dogfights against the British Gloster Gladiator, another biplane fighter, over
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, and later against the British
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...
monoplane, sometimes resulting in unexpected successes. The maneuverability of the ''Falco'' was an aspect of particular concern to the RAF pilots that faced them. Aviation author Haining observed that: "A RAF Intelligence report in late October 1940 circulated to all pilots and their squadrons, with copies to Prime Minister,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, 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.'"


Battle of France

On 13 June 1940, three days after entry of Italy into the war, 23 pilots from 23° ''Gruppo'' of 3° ''Stormo'' escorted a flight of ten
Fiat BR.20 The Fiat BR.20 ''Cicogna'' (Italian: " stork") was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber that was developed and manufactured by Italian aircraft company Fiat. It holds the distinction of being the first all-metal Italian bomber to enter service;B ...
bombers to bomb the French naval base of
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
. Later that day, they attacked French Air Force base of
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. The old town lies from the sea clustered arou ...
, in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...
region in southeastern France, hitting on the ground, approximately 50 enemy aircraft and destroying at least 20 of them.Sgarlato 2005, p. 24.De Marchi 1994, p. 6. Italian pilots from 151° ''Gruppo'' claimed the shooting down of 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 to make contact and crashed during its landing, killing the pilot.Sgarlato 2005, p. 24. On 15 of June, 67 CR.42s from the same units, plus 18° ''Gruppo'' (from 3° ''Stormo''), attacked the airfields of Southern France. 27 biplanes from 150° ''Gruppo'' strafed the airfield of Cuers-Pierrefeu, between Cuers and Pierrefeu-du-
Var Var or VAR may refer to: Places * Var (department), a department of France * Var (river), France * Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran * Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
, with machine gun fire, causing around 15 V-156Fs to burst into flames.Sgarlato 2005, p. 24. 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.Sgarlato 2005, pp. 24–26. Subsequently, Fiats attacked the airfields of Le 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 the downing of three Bloch and five Dewoitine fighters,De Marchi 1994, pp. 6–7. in exchange for the loss of five ''Falchi''.De Marchi 1994, p. 7.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 6–7. Following the Fall of France, an Italian air group of CR.42s and BR.20 bombers operated from Belgium during October and November 1940. This task force flew some offensive operations during the later stages of the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
, but incurred a high loss rate. Cattaneo speculated that the light losses experienced during the Battle of France had persuaded the ''Regia Aeronautica'' that the type was considerably more effective that it was against the modern frontline fighter aircraft that it would be coming up against, and thus had encouraged this brief deployment.Cattaneo 1967, p. 7. In the present day, the RAF Museum at Hendon, London has a CR.42 on static display from this time; this aircraft had reportedly force-landed in Suffolk with a broken oil pipe, with the pilot surviving.


Malta

Over the skies of
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, the CR.42 encountered British Hurricanes for the first time on 3 July 1940. That day, Flying Officer Waters (P2614) shot down an
SM.79 The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 ''Sparviero'' (Italian for sparrowhawk) was a three-engined Italian medium bomber developed and manufactured by aviation company Savoia-Marchetti. It may be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. Th ...
bomber five miles (eight 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.Cull and Galea 2008, pp. 54–55. The Hurricane pilots soon discovered that the Italian biplanes could often outmaneuver their aircraft and that this was a crucial factor in any dogfight against them.
Pilot Officer Jock Barber remembered: "On my first combat, the 9 of July, I attacked the leader of a ''Squadriglia'' of Falcos, while light LieutenantGeorge Burges attacked an SM.79 bomber. When I shot the CR.42 at a range of 100 yards 1 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 ,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 The Rinella Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Rinella) is a Victorian battery in Kalkara, Malta. It is commonly referred to as Fort Rinella ( mt, Forti Rinella), although it was never classified as a fort while in use. It was armed with an Armstrong 1 ...
, and blew up; he was the first pilot to be killed in action at Malta. This was the first recorded air victory in the Second World War 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 an advantageous position. Nevertheless, Cattaneo noted that the Hurricane gradually proved itself to be superior to the CR.42.Cattaneo 1967, p. 8.


Night fighter operations

As the war went on, the CR.42 had been superseded in the day fighter role by more advanced aircraft, but found a renewed niche performing the night fighter mission. The ''Falco'' served as the main night fighter of the ''Regia Aeronautica'', even though it was not equipped with
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
and often lacked radio equipment. Some ''Falco'' night fighters were equipped with extended exhaust pipes to hide the exhaust flame. Additionally, 2 spotlights were fitted under the wings of some of the night fighters. 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 The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was a British medium bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was one of three twin-engined, front line medium bomber types that were in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the outbreak of the Second World ...
bomber that had been sent to attack
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
. 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 intruder 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.Cattaneo 1967, p. 10. According to Cattaneo, the CR.42 achieved a degree of success as a night fighter, proving itself to be effective against RAF bombers that were bombing industrial targets throughout northern Italy during 1942.


''Corpo Aereo Italiano''

In autumn 1940, ''Regia Aeronautica'' sent 18° ''Gruppo'' (of 56° ''Stormo'') in Belgium with 83a, 85a and 95a ''Squadriglia'' equipped with CR.42s as part of the ''
Corpo Aereo Italiano The ''Corpo Aereo Italiano'' (literally, "Italian Air Corps"), or CAI, was an expeditionary force from the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Royal Air Force) that participated in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz during the final months o ...
'', an independent air corps for operations against Great Britain.Neulen 2000, pp. 32–33 On 11 and 23 November 1940, multiple CR.42s flew two raids against England. ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft frequently experienced difficulties in maintaining formation flight with the slower biplanes. Even though slower, with an open cockpit, many units lacking radio, and armed with only a pair of machine guns (a pair of 12.7 mm/.5 in or a combination of former and a 7.7 mm/.303 in Breda-SAFAT), the ''Falchi'' could easily outturn the Hurricanes and the Spitfires opposing it and usually 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; one Italian pilot's account is as follows: "I engaged one of the British fighters from a range of between . Then I saw a Spitfire, which was chasing another CR.42, and I got in a shot at a range of . 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 of 1940/1941, the CR.42s were transferred back to the Mediterranean theatre.Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 7.


East Africa

While flying the Falco in Africa Orientale Italiana (A.O.I),
Mario Visintini Mario Visintini, MOVM, (26 April 1913 – 11 February 1941) was an Italian military pilot, the first Regia Aeronautica flying ace of World War II. In recognition of his flying skill and meticulousness, Visintini was nicknamed ''cacciatore scientif ...
became the top biplane fighter ace of the Second World War (having achieved 16 kills) and Luigi Baron and Aroldo Soffritti became the second and third Fiat CR. 42 top scoring aces, having made 12 and 8 air victories respectively.Gustavsson and Slongo 2009, p. 87. Moreover, during that short and difficult campaign, the Fiat fighters were responsible for the destruction of a large number of RAF and
South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...
(SAAF) aircraft, both in the air and on the ground, including a number of Hurricanes.Gustavsson and Slongo 2009, p. 47. During 1940, three ''squadriglie'' stationed in
Italian East Africa Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was an Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. It was formed in 1936 through the merger of Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and the newly occupied Ethiopian Empire, conquered in the S ...
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, Italian Eritrea, and
Italian Somaliland Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...
— 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 1940 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 The Vickers Wellesley was a medium bomber that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey. It was one of two aircraft to be named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of ...
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.Sutherland and Canwell 2009, p. 32. Dogfights usually occurred when enemy airfields were being attacked. But fierce air battles took place at the beginning of November 1940, during the British offensive against the Italian forts of
Gallabat Gallabat ( ar, القلابات) 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 Th ...
and
Metemma Metemma ( Amharic: መተማ), also known as Metemma Yohannes 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 68 ...
, along the Sudan border. The ''Regia Aeronautica'' was dominant in these fights, sometimes even against more powerful opponents. The most successful day was on 6 November when the CR.42s achieved seven confirmed victories against the Gladiators, for no losses. In the air duels fought during 1940, losses however were also suffered: at least six Fiats were destroyed and about a dozen damaged. Operations involving the CR.42 were typically hampered by wider logistical issues; the Royal Navy had prevented Italian supplies reaching East Africa and aerial transportation alone proved to be insufficient.Cattaneo 1967, p. 9.


North Africa

It was on the
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
n front that the CR.42 was most extensively used.Cattaneo 1967, p. 7. At the beginning of the war in Italian North Africa, there were 127 CR.42s from the 13° ''Gruppo'' (2° ''Stormo'') at Castel Benito and from the 10° and 9° ''Gruppo'' of 4° ''Stormo'' in
Benina Benina is a suburban borough ( formerly Basic People's Congress) administrative division of Benghazi, Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the ...
, including reserve aircraft. According to some historians, it was in the North African theatre that the CR.42 performed at its best. Experienced Italian pilots, the majority of them being veterans of the Spanish Civil War, employed the exceptional manoeuvrability of the CR.42 to great effect, enabling successful attacks against RAF Gladiators, Hurricanes and Spitfires and often forcing their opponents "...to adopt the tactic that Messerschmitt pilots had used against them: to avoid dogfights and to attack them with sudden dives." Initially, the Falco was pitted against the contemporary Gloster Gladiator and
Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...
(the latter being operated by the South African Air Force) biplanes,Boyne 1997, . as well as the
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
fast bombers of the RAF, opposing which they were able to achieve a measurable level of success. On 29 June, a group of CR.42s from 2° ''Stormo'' scrambled to intercept an inbound formation of Blenheims, estimated as totalling nine aircraft, that were in the process of bombing the airfield of
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
T2. During the ensuing engagement, the Italian pilots claimed to have shot down six of the British bombers, probably from No.113 Squadron, which that day reported as having lost three aircraft.Gustavsson, Håkan
"''Sergente Maggiore'' Teresio Vittorio Martinoli: Biplane Fighter Aces, Italy."
''surfcity.kund.dalnet.se'', ''Håkans aviation page''. Retrieved: 22 July 2009.
On 8 August 1940, in an aerial duel between comparable rivals, a flight of 16 CR.42s from 9° and 10° ''Gruppi'' of 4° ''Stormo'' were "bounced" by 14 Gladiators of No.80 Squadron RAF over Gabr Sàleh (about 65 kilometres southeast of
El Adem Gamal Abdel Nasser Airbase () is a Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyya al-Lībiyya, Berber: Adwas Alibyan Ujnna) base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk. It is believed to onc ...
and 35 kilometres east of Bir El Gubi). Four of the CR.42s were shot down while four more were force-landed and later recovered. In return, the Italian pilots claimed to have downed five Gladiators in the
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...
(three shared amongst the pilots of 10° ''Gruppo'' and two shared by the 73a ''Squadriglia'' pilots) along with two probables (the 90a ''Squadriglia''’s Diary reported six victories), with two Gladiators actually lost (one pilot for each side was killed in action), but the combat was a nasty day for the best unit fielded in North Africa. 4° ''Stormo'' was the mainstay of Italian fighter force in Africa, and its 73a ''Squadriglia'' was the best unit, yet that day lost five CR.42s (included the ones eventually recovered).Gustavsson, Håkan
"Flight Lieutenant Marmaduke Thomas St. John Pattle, D.F.C. (39029), No. 80 Squadron."
''surfcity.kund.dalnet.se''. Retrieved: 26 August 2010.
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''. The Gladiator was viewed as being superior to the Fiat in regards to its combat equipment also. The 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT could fire an effective explosive bullet, but the Gladiator's Brownings were able to shoot 2.5 more rounds per second than the synchronized Italian machine guns. However, the CR.42 was capable of superior performance; it was much faster at about thanks to its smaller wing area, constant-speed propeller and the superior power of its engine, which could provide up to for short periods at emergency rating.Håkan & Slongo 2012. The overall exchange ratio between CR.42 and Gladiator is difficult to assess, but Håkan Gustavsson and Slongo rated the Gladiator with an advantage about 1.2–1.9:1. Eventually, on 31 October 1940, the ''Falchi'' scored their first confirmed air victories in
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
against the Hawker Hurricane. During the air battle over
Mersa Matruh 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 ...
''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 made a forced landing at
Qasaba A kasbah (, also ; ar, قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣaba, lit=fortress, , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term ''alca ...
with a holed fuel tank. Notwithstanding these successes, it became increasingly evident that the Fiat CR.42 was unable to operate effectively against the more modern monoplanes of which increasingly larger numbers were being fielded. Over time, the type was able to rely only on its considerable manoeuvrability and ''Regia Aeronautica'' piloting skills as potential advantages against its opposition. Italian losses were, however, stemmed when the more advanced
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 ...
and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...
of ''Luftflotte'' 4, arrived in the theatre during April 1941. The CR.42s were progressively relegated to performing ground-attack operations instead, leaving interception duties to the more capable monoplanes.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 7–8.


Greece

The Fiat CR.42 was the main ''Regia Aeronautica'' front-line fighter when the
Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
broke out during late 1940. Sixty-four ''Falcos'' (out of 179 fighters) were deployed in air bases in
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
: in
Drenovë Drenovë ( rup, Ndãrnova; Bulgarian and mk, Дреново) is a village in the former Drenovë Municipality of the Korçë County in southeastern Albania. After the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Korçë. Hist ...
(
Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau som ...
), with 160° ''Gruppo'' and in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, with 363a, 364a and 365a ''Squadriglie'' of 24° ''Gruppo''.Carr 2012, p. 4 In Greece, on the whole, the fighting was largely successful for the ''Falco'' pilots, who claimed to have achieved a ratio kill/losses of 5.6 to 1. The ''Regia Aeronautica'' coped with
Royal Hellenic Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 8 November , equipment = , equipment_label ...
's (RHAF) obsolete reconnaissance aircraft, such as the Breguet Br.19, without any problems, and won victories over the Greek fighters, which included various foreign-built aircraft such as the
PZL P.24 The PZL P.24 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed during the mid-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. It was developed as a dedicated export version of the PZL P.11, a gull wing all-metal fighter designed by Polish aeronautical engineer Zygmun ...
, the Bloch MB.151s and the Gloster Gladiator.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 8–9. Two days after the start of the war, on 30 October, there was the first air battle. Some Henschel Hs126s of 3/2 Flight of 3 Observation ''Mira'' took off to locate Italian Army columns. But they were intercepted and attacked by Fiat CR.42s of 393a ''Squadriglia''. A first Henschel was hit and crashed, killing its observer, Pilot Officer Evanghelos Giannaris, the first Greek aviator to die in the war. A second Hs 126 was downed over
Mount Smolikas Mount Smolikas ( el, Σμόλικας; rup, Smolcu) is a mountain in the Ioannina regional unit, northwestern Greece. At a height of 2,637 metres above sea level, it is the highest of the Pindus Mountains, and the second highest mountain in Gre ...
, killing Pilot Officer Lazaros Papamichail and Sergeant Constantine Yemenetzis. The first CR.42 victories were credited to Fernando Zanni and Walter Ratticchieri.Skulski 2007, p. 31. On 4 November 1940, three CR.42s jumped three RHAF Breguet from 2 ''Mira'', sent to attack the 3rd Julia Alpine Division retreating from a mountain pass near
Metsovo Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east. The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large r ...
. A Breguet was shot down, one crash-landed and the third returned to base, though badly shot up. At the beginning of November, the Greeks received support by the Royal Air Force and on 4 November six
Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its ...
s from 70 Squadron attacked Valona. CR.42s pilots shot down two British bombers and damaged two more. Fortunes started to reverse, on 18 November, the first day of Greek army counter-attack. While a CR.42 shot down a Greek
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
, during a dogfight with Greek fighters, 393a ''Squadriglia'' damaged four PZL P.24s but lost three Fiats. On the same day, a flight of 20 Gladiators from RAF 80 Squadron landed in Athens. While deployed in North Africa, the CR.42 pilots had been able to achieve a clear superiority over the Gladiators but in Greece, they suffered more heavy losses. The superiority of the Gloster was achieved in part as a result of its enclosed cockpit, which was an advantage when operating in the cold winter sky, while the R/T radio allowed for the adoption of more effective tactics that made it possible to ambush the Italian CR.42 formations, as well as the superior quality of the British aces of 80 Squadron, commanded by Marmaduke Pattle. The majority of the Italian pilots shot down and killed in Greece were new arrivals, fresh from flying schools; these pilots frequently insisted on direct engagements against the more manoeuvrable British biplanes, leading to unfavourable dogfights. In the Greco-Italian War, CR.42 pilots claimed 162 kills, for the loss of 29 aircraft. By July 1943, CR.42s were still equipped by 383a ''Squadriglia Assalto'' (Ground Attack Squadron) based in Zara and in September 1943, by 392a (in Tirana) and 385a ''Squadriglie Autonome''.De Marchi 1994, p.9


Iraq

During April 1941,
Rashid Ali Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany (" Sayyad" serves to address higher standing ...
led a pro-Axis coup in Iraq. In response, British Army units began moving into the area to quell the rebellion, many of which made landfall near
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...
.Thomas 2002, p. 79. Germany and Italy dispatched support to Ali's forces in the form of Messerschmitt Bf 110s, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s and CR.42s, which were quickly put into action against the British. The ''Regia Aeronautica'' sent 155a ''Squadriglia'' (named ''Squadriglia speciale Irak'') equipped with the improved ''CR.42 Egeo'' version, which was furnished with a radio set and a 100-litre auxiliary tank, the latter of which increased the fighter's 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), during which their aircraft were reportedly painted in Iraqi colours. On 22 May 1941, a flight of CR.42s took off from
Alghero Alghero (; ca, label= Alguerese, L'Alguer ; sc, S'Alighèra ; sdc, L'Aliera ) is a city of about 45,000 inhabitants in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea. The city's name comes from ...
and flew up to 900 km to Valona (one of which crashed on landing),
Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
, Aleppo and
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
. A total of 11 Fiat biplanes flew together with a single SM.79 and a
SM.81 The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 ''Pipistrello'' (Italian: bat) was the first three-engine bomber/transport aircraft serving in the Italian '' Regia Aeronautica''.Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 188. When it appeared in 1935, it represented a real s ...
, which served as "pathfinders" and transport aircraft, while a further three SM.82s transported weapons for the campaign. On 23 May, the Italian aircraft arrived in Iraq. Six days laterThomas 2002, p. 81.(on 28 May according to other sources), the CR.42s, in what was to prove the final air-to-air combat of the brief campaign, intercepted and engaged a formation of RAF Blenheims, claiming two No. 94 Squadron Gladiators, with the loss of one CR.42 shot down by a Gladiator flown by Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta.Thomas 2002, p. 81. Three of the CR.42s were damaged during combat and were subsequently abandoned in Iraq. The seven survivors of the engagement were withdrawn with great difficulty, since the SM.79 "pathfinder" had been destroyed on the ground by the RAF, despite being located further away at Aleppo airfield, Syria. The Axis effort to reinforce the Iraqi insurgents was insufficient and the coup had quickly been put down; however, this contributed 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.Lembo, Daniele. "La squadriglia speciale Irak." ''Aerei nella Storia'' Magazine, Delta editions, Parma, 9/1999, pp. 34–38.


Royal Hungarian Air Force

The first foreign purchaser of the CR.42 was the
Royal Hungarian Air Force The Hungarian Air Force ( hu, Magyar Légierő), is the air force branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The task of the current Hungarian Air Force is primarily defensive purposes. The flying units of the air force are organised into a single ...
(MKHL), which placed orders for 52 aircraft during mid-1938. The
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
, while aware that the CR.42 was conceptually outdated in comparison to the newer generation of monoplanes, had considered the rapid re-equipment of their fighter component to be of vital importance. Additionally, the Italian government had expressed its willingness to forgo CR.42 delivery positions in order to expedite the re-equipment of the Hungarian units. By the end of 1939, a total of 17 CR.42s had been delivered to Hungary, where they were promptly issued to 1. ''Vadász Ezred'' (1st Fighter Wing), which began conversion from the earlier 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 during mid-1940.Green and Swanborough 1982, pp. 4–5. Some of the CR.42s in Hungarian service were armed with a single 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 that were driven via the crankshaft of the aircraft's engine. In total, the MKHL ordered 70 CR.42s but, through a barter which included the exchange of a captured
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
n Savoia-Marchetti SM.79, they received an additional two CR.42s during 1941. The Hungarian CR.42s were first used in combat against neighbouring Yugoslavia during April 1941.Neulen 2000, pp. 122–123. During the short conflict in the Balkans, the MKHL reportedly lost two of their CR.42s.Neulen 2000, p. 123. In mid-June, CR.42 fighters equipped several MKHL units: 1/3.'Kör ász'F.S. and 1/4. 'Szent György' F.S. both based in Budapest-Mátyásföld; 2/3. 'Ricsi' F.S. (in Bustyaháza) and 2/4. 'Repülö tör' F.S. (in
Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...
).Neulen 2000, p. 125.Bernád 2007, p. 14. On 27 June 1941, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union and, on that same day, Hungarian CR.42s received their baptism of fire when 2/3. Squadron escorted bomber formations against Stanislau, today Ivano-Frankivsk, in Ukraine. Ensign László Kázár was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire while strafing, leading to his crash landing 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 a single aircraft 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.135 The Caproni Ca.135 was an Italian medium bomber designed in Bergamo in Italy by Cesare Pallavicino. It flew for the first time in 1935, and entered service with the Peruvian Air Force in 1937, and with the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Royal Air ...
s, commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, on their way to bomb a 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the
Southern Bug River , ''Pivdennyi Buh'' , name_etymology = , image = Sunset S Bug Vinnitsa 2007 G1.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Southern Bug River in the vicinity of Vinnytsia, Ukraine , map = PietinisBug ...
in the city of Nikolayev, on the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
. On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by a flight of Soviet
Polikarpov I-16 The Polikarpov I-16 (russian: Поликарпов И-16) is a Soviet single-engine single-seat fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear to attain ...
fighters. The escorting Hungarian CR.42s shot down five I-16s while sustaining no losses amongst their own. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev on 16 August, the commander of
Luftflotte A list of ''Luftwaffe "Luftflotten"'' (Air Fleets) and their locations between 1939 and 1945. Timeline ImageSize = width:580 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:80 bottom:60 top:10 right:40 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy ...
4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated the successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska.Neulen 2000, pp. 125–126. 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.Skulski 2007, p. 67. For a time, the surviving CR.42s were relegated to training roles. During spring 1944, a night assault CR.42 Squadron was formed. These aircraft were equipped with flame dampers and bomb racks for the carriage of four 50 kg bombs; however, these planes were reportedly not used operationally. The majority of Hungary's CR.42s were lost in training accidents and strafing attacks by U.S. aircraft during 1944. It is believed that a single Hungarian ''Falco'' survived the war.


Belgian Air Force

During 1939, a mission from
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
's ''
Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Arm ...
'' purchased a batch of 40 CR.42s for a total price of 40 million francs.Skulski 2007, p. 47. On 6 March 1940, the first of these arrived in Belgium but was destroyed in a landing accident. The CR.42s were mainly delivered to the ''Evere Établissements Généraux de l'Aéronautique Militaire'', which were responsible for their assembly. The first operational squadron, IIème ''Group de Chasse'' (Fighter Group) based at
Nivelles Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monst ...
, received its full complement of 15 while other units still awaited further deliveries. The exact quantity of CR.42s delivered to Belgium prior to the German attack on 10 May 1940 has been estimated by historians to fall between 24 and 27 aircraft, the last of which having been transported to France and lost in the railway station at
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
. However, 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 planes of Major Lamarche and two others (R.21 and R.27) in a hangar at
Nivelles Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monst ...
were not serviceable, while another was at Airfield Number 41 with mechanical trouble.Skulski 2007, p. 49. The Fiat CR.42s were first to be blooded in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
; after their initial encounters with the vastly superior Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters of the ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'', the entire contingent of Fiats was quickly 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 attacking Ju 52s (from 17/KGzbV 5) in the
Tongeren Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...
area, forcing one to crash-land near
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
. The Fiats were then jumped by the escorting Bf 109s from I./JG.1 but, thanks to their superior agility, managed to safely return to base. That day, the Belgian pilots claimed to have downed a further four German aircraft: three Do 17 bombers and a single Bf 109, while the Stukas of I./St.2 destroyed no less than 14 CR.42s at Brustem airfield. In a total of 35 missions flown, the CR.42s downed at least five and probably even eightPacco 2003, p. 69. enemy aircraft including a
Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Designed in the early 1930s as a '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") intended to be fast enough to outrun opposing a ...
, 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 later found by the Germans. Their final fate is not known. Overall, the total claims made by Belgian CR.42 pilots were: eight Do 17, four Bf 109 and a single Ju 52.


Swedish Air Force

Sweden was the largest export customer for the CR.42. The Swedish Air Force purchased various types of Italian combat aircraft during 1939–1941, as an emergency measure enacted in response to the outbreak of the Second World War. As a consequence of the war, no other nations were willing to supply fighter aircraft to a small neutral country, while Sweden's domestic production would be insufficient until at least 1943. Between February 1940 and September 1941, Sweden received a total of 72 CR.42s; these fighters were equipped with radio sets, armour plate behind the pilot and ski landing gear for winter operations. The Swedish aircraft were designated ''J 11''.Cattaneo 1967, pp. 10–12. 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
Bråvalla Wing Bråvalla Wing ( sv, Bråvalla flygflottilj), also F 13 Norrköping, or simply F 13, is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Norrköping in south-eastern Sweden. History The Air Wing was established in 1943 as the fourt ...
(F 13) 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 a ski undercarriage. During the spring of 1942, the J 11s of 1. Division were transferred to Luleå airfield. The J 11s scrambled several times to intercept German aircraft that violated Sweden's borders, but usually failed to make contact with intruders. 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 that had been used by the Fiat factory. By the end of 1942, eight fighters had been lost, while 17 more had followed by the end of 1943. In total, in excess of 30 CR.42s were lost due to accidents and mechanical failure.Skulski 2007, p. 77. Swedish pilots appreciated the J 11's formidable close-in dogfighting abilities; however, they would often complain about the type's low speed, insufficient armament and the open cockpits that were unsuited for the severe climate of
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
. By 1945, the Swedish CR.42s were considered to be obsolete.Cattaneo 1967, p. 12. By 14 March 1945, the remaining J 11s of the F 13 wing were decommissioned for good by the Swedish Air Force. A total of 19 aircraft were sold to a civilian contractor, ''Svensk Flygtjänst'' AB, who used 13 of them as target tugs for at least 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. Secondhand aircraft were given Swedish civil registrations. The last J 11 was removed from the register during 1949. A single surviving Swedish "Falco" was preserved. It was stored at the F 3 wing; the aircraft had been deliberately "hidden away" with the intent of it being displayed in a future museum. Number NC.2453, marked as 9 9, is today on permanent static display in the Swedish Air Force Museum (
Flygvapenmuseum The Swedish Air Force Museum ( sv, Flygvapenmuseum) is located at Malmen Airbase in Malmslätt, just outside Linköping, Sweden. Malmen is where Baron Carl Cederström, nicknamed the "Flyer Baron" founded his flying school in 1912. Malmen Airb ...
) in
Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...
.


''Luftwaffe''

Shortly following the announcement of the
Italian armistice The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
of 1943, the ''Luftwaffe'' took over the majority of Regia Aeronautica aircraft. Among these aircraft were a number of CR.42s.Skulski 2007, p. 79. German Rüstungs-und-Kriegsproduktion Stab took control of Italy's northern aircraft industry; consequently, an order for 200 CR.42LW (LW=''Luftwaffe'') was placed with Fiat for use by the ''Luftwaffe''. In German service, the type was used to conduct nighttime harassment operations and anti-partisan roles. A number of the captured Fiats were allocated to training divisions as well. The CR.42 was nicknamed "''Die Pressluftorgel''" or "the Pneumatic Organ" by ''Luftwaffe'' trainee pilots, presumably because of its profusion of pneumatic systems.Håkan & Slongo 2009. One of the German units to use the CR.42 was ''Nachtschlachtgruppe'' (NSGr.) 9, based in
Udine Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
. It was tasked with fighting against partisans in the region of the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
, Istria and
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
. During November 1943, the 1. ''Staffel'' received its ''Falchi'' and, in January 1944, the unit was transferred to the airfield at Caselle, near
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
, to operate against partisan units in the vicinity of the Southern Alps. On 28 January, the 2. Staffel was also equipped with the CR.42. The training of German pilots took place at a school in
Venaria Reale Venaria Reale ( pms, La Venerìa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northwest of Turin. Venaria Reale borders the municipalities of Robassomero, Caselle Torinese, Druent ...
.Skulski 2007, p. 79 During February 1944, after news of the Allies' landing at
Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town 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 ...
, 1.''Staffel'' and 2.''Staffel'', based at Centocelle Airport in Rome, attacked Allied units in southern
Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...
, which were conducted mostly during moonlit night raids. NSGr9 attacked enemy troops in the
Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first ho ...
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. As a consequence of Allied raids that damaged the Fiat factory in Turin, only 150 CR.42LWs were ultimately completed, of which 112 would reach operational condition.Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 14. Another German unit that used the type, both in Southern Italy and the Balkans, was ''Jagdgeschwader'' JG 107, which flew them as night fighters, fighter-bombers and fighter-trainers.


Last claimed biplane kill of history

The CR.42LWs equipped to the newly formed 3./NSGr 7 in Zagreb, Croatia, in April 1944. By September 1944, 2. ''Staffel'' was transferred in Croatia too (at
Pleso Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Franjo Tuđman Zagreb) or Zagreb Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Zagreb) () is an international airport serving Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest and busiest airport in Croatia. In 2019 it handled 3. ...
) and the Fiats later equipped 1. ''Staffel'' also, in Graz,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.Håkan & Slongo 2009. On 8 February 1945, ten ''Luftwaffe'' CR.42LWs of Stab and 2. ''Staffel'' of ''Nachtschlachtgruppe'' 7, took off from their base in Agram- Gorica, Croatia, to strafe the airfield at Grabovica, used by partisan forces. At the last moment, they were diverted to attack partisans northwest of Sisak, during which they were attacked by a flight of American P-38 Lightnings of the 14th Fighter Group. The American fighters shot down three Fiat biplanes, but two of the P-38s did not return to base. One of them was claimed by a German pilot, but this kill was not confirmed. According to authors Håkan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo, the unidentified German pilot's claim is the last known claimed victory of a biplane to occur.Håkan & Slongo 2012.Håkan & Slongo 2009. There is doubt regarding the claim. The 14th Fighter Group's unit history does not record any losses on this date by the 37th Fighter Squadron, which reported the engagement with the biplanes. The two aircraft which failed to return to base were reported as lost to ground fire during a ground sweep near Vienna, and were in the 48th Fighter Squadron.


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 service within the Aegean theater, outfitted with an extra 100 L (26.4 US gal)
fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a 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 propelle ...
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:Dedicated 2 seat trainer variant with a lengthened fuselage to accommodate the 2nd cockpit. ;CR.42bis: Standard armament of two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted. ;CR.42CN:
Night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
version sometimes equipped with spotlights mounted under the wings and/or extended 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''. The aircraft were equipped with exhaust flame dampers, a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns and underwing racks for four 50 kg bombs. 150 were built, of which 112 were accepted into service by the ''Luftwaffe''.Håkan & Slongo 2009. ;CR.42 "Bombe Alari": (unofficial but widely used name) Modification carried out at SRAMs (repair centers), to allow outdated fighters to be used in the ground attack role. 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 Force ; *
Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia The Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske; ZNDH), was the air force of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a puppet state established with the support of the Axis Powers on the territory ...
; * ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' ; *
Royal Hungarian Air Force The Hungarian Air Force ( hu, Magyar Légierő), is the air force branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The task of the current Hungarian Air Force is primarily defensive purposes. The flying units of the air force are organised into a single ...
; * '' Regia Aeronautica'' * Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force ; * Spanish Air Force (two CR.42bis delivered in 1939) ; * Swedish Air Force


Surviving aircraft

* MM5701 – CR.42 on static display at the
Royal Air Force Museum London The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force. It is part of the Royal Air Fo ...
in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. This was captured on 11 November 1940 when it suffered an overheated engine and was forced to land on the shingle beach at
Orford Ness Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the m ...
, Suffolk. During the summer of 1941, it was flown by the
Air Fighting Development Unit The Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) was an air technical intelligence part of the Royal Air Force which developed tactics and tested captured enemy aircraft. It was based at Royal Air Force Stations Northolt, Duxford and Wittering. The AF ...
in mock combat against a variety of British fighters. At the end of 1943 all testing was complete and the aircraft was marked for preservation in a future museum as a result of an earlier request of the
Air Historical Branch The Air Historical Branch (AHB) is the historical archive and records service of the Royal Air Force. First established in 1919, the AHB was responsible for creating the ''Official History of British Air Operations in the First World War''. The ...
. It was subsequently stored at several RAF facilities until 1978, when it was moved to its present home, the RAF Museum. * 2542 – J 11 under restoration to airworthy at
The Fighter Collection The Fighter Collection is a private operator of airworthy vintage military aircraft or warbirds. It is based in the United Kingdom at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire, an airfield that is owned by the Imperial War Museum and is also the site ...
in
Duxford, Cambridgeshire Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area. History The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of the ...
. The aircraft was lost and the pilot, Bertil Klintman, killed in a
Controlled flight into terrain In aviation, a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT; usually ) is an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, a body of water or an obstacle. In a typical CFIT scenario, ...
accident on the 13 April 1942 in Kiruna Municipality in the north of Sweden. The aircraft was one of seven flying in an exercise at very low level over snow-covered, mountainous terrain in conditions that made judging height difficult. The body of the pilot was quickly recovered, but the aircraft remained at the crash site until it was recovered in 1983. * 2543 – J 11 on static display at the Swedish Air Force Museum near Linköping, Östergötland. * Reconstruction – CR.42 on static display at the
Italian Air Force Museum The Italian Air Force Museum is an aircraft museum at Vigna di Valle, on Lake Bracciano (Lazio), in central Italy. It is operated by the . The museum's collection has an emphasis on Italian machines and seaplanes. While maintaining the technical a ...
in Bracciano, Lazio. It is made up of 60% original parts. It is in Italian colours as "MM4653", and is in fact is a composite built up with the help of parts recovered in Sweden, Italy and France.


Specifications (CR.42)


See also

*
Fiat CR.20 The Fiat CR.20 was an Italian biplane fighter used during the 1920s and 1930s. Designed by Celestino Rosatelli, it represented an intermediate step from the early biplane CR.1 and the later, successful series CR.30, CR.32 and CR.42. Desig ...
* Fiat CR.30 * Fiat CR.32


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* Apostolo, Giorgio. ''Fiat CR 42, Ali e Colori 1'' (in Italian/English). Torino, Italy: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 1999. No ISBN. * Apostolo, Giorgio. ''Fiat CR 42, Ali d'Italia 1'' (in Italian/English). Torino, Italy: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 1998. No ISBN. * ''Avions militaires 1919–1939 – Profils et Histoire'' (in French). Paris: Hachette, Connaissance de l'histoire, 1979. * Bernàd, Denes, Dmitriy Karlenko and Jean-Lous Roba. ''From Barbarossa to Odessa – The Luftwaffe and Axis Allies strike South-East: June–October 1941 – Volume 1'' Hinckley, Ian Allan Publishing, 2007. . * Beale, Nick, Ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini. ''War Italy: 1944–45''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1996. . * Boyne, Walter J. ''Scontro di Ali'' (in Italian). Milano: Mursia, 1997. . * Carr, John, ''On Spartan Wings'', Barnsley, SY: Pens & Sword Military, 2012. . * Cattaneo, Gianni. ''The Fiat CR.42 (Aircraft in Profile no. 170)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. No ISBN. * Cull, Brian and Frederick Galea. ''Gladiators over Malta: The Story of Faith, Hope and Charity''. Malta: Wise Owl Publication, 2008. . * De Marchi, Italo. ''Fiat CR.42 Falco'' (in Italian). Modena, Italy: Stem Mucchi, 1994. No ISBN. * * Forslund, Mikael. ''J 11, Fiat CR 42'' (in Swedish with English summary). Falun, Sweden: Mikael Forslund Production, 2001. . * * * Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "Fighter Biplane Finale...The Falco". ''
Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' maga ...
'', No. 20, December 1982–March 1983. pp. 1–14. . * Gustavsson, Håkan and Ludovico Slongo. ''Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2''. Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford /New York, Osprey Publishing, 2009. . * Gustavsson, Håkan and Ludovico Slongo. ''GLADIATOR vs. CR.42 FALCO 1940–41''. Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford /New York, Osprey Publishing, 2012. . * Gustavsson, Håkan
"South African Air Force use of the Fiat CR.32 and CR.42 during the Second World War."
''Håkans aviation page'', 9 April 2009. Retrieved: 13 April 2009. * Haining, Peter. ''The Chianti Raiders: The Extraordinary Story Of The Italian Air Force in The Battle Of Britain''. London: Robson Books, 2005. . * Kopenhagen, W. ''Das große Flugzeug-Typenbuch'' (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Transpress, 1987. . * Lambert, John W. "The 14th Fighter Group in World War II". Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History, 2008. . * Lucas, Laddie, ed. ''Wings of War: Airmen of All Nations Tell their Stories 1939–1945''. London: Hutchinson, 1983. . * Massimello, Giovanni and Giorgio Apostolo. ''Italian Aces of World War 2''. Oxford / New York: Osprey Publishing, 2000. . * Neulen, Hans Werner. ''In the skies of Europe – Air Forces allied to the Luftwaffe 1939–1945''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. . * Pacco, John. "Fiat CR.42" ''Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique militaire 1930–1940'' (in French). Artselaar, Belgium, 2003, pp. 66–69. . * Pagani, Flaminio. ''Ali d'aquila Duelli Aerei nei Cieli d'Europa 1936–1943'' (in Italian). Milano: Mursia, 2007. * Punka, George. ''Fiat CR 32/CR 42 in Action (Aircraft Number 172)''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal, 2000. . * "S.C." (in Italian). ''Il Messaggero Roma'', 12 July 1984. * Sgarlato, Nico. ''Fiat CR.42'' (in Italian). Parma, Italy: Delta Editrice, 2005. * Skulski, Przemysław. ''Fiat CR.42 Falco''. Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. . * Sutherland, Jon and Diane Canwell. ''Air War East Africa 1940–41 The RAF versus the Italian Air Force''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Aviation, 2009. . * * * Taylor, John W.R. "Fiat CR.42." ''Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. . * Thomas, Andrew. ''Gloster Gladiator Aces''. Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2002. . * Vossilla, Maggiore. "Pilota Ferruccio, comandante 18° Gruppo C.A.I (in Italian)." ''Prima Battaglia Aerea Relazione giornaliera'' Ministero dell'Aeronautica, 11 Novembre 1940. * Wheeler, Barry C. ''The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings.'' London: Chancellor Press, 1992. . * Winchester, Jim. "Fiat CR.42." ''Aircraft of World War II'' (The Aviation Factfile). Kent, UK: Grange Books plc, 2004. .


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiat Cr.42 1930s Italian fighter aircraft World War II Italian fighter aircraft CR.42 Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1938