The North Korean pilots who flew Egyptian warplanes during the Yom Kippur War during a ceremony before their return to DPRK. (North Korea’s Armed Forces: On the Path of Songun)
After three years of extreme tension between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel in October 1973, Egyptian president Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat signed an agreement with the Arab Republic of Syria to launch a combined attack on the State of Israel. The war began on the 6th October 1973 and lasted for 19 days. Not many know that 20 pilots of the Korean People’s Army Air and Anti-Air Force (KPAAF) were involved in Egyptian air force operations.
Egyptian-Korean Relations
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had always maintained a good relationship with the Arab Republic of Egypt, beginning in the early 1950s.The Asian country always supported the position of the former Egyptian president ,Nasser, to nationalize the Suez Canal, and financially helped the country during the Suez Crisis of 1956. The conflict saw the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) launch an attack in the Sinai peninsula, supported by British and French forces that simultaneously landed in Port Said, Egypt. On 3rd November 1956, the DPRK issued a statement of solidarity with Egypt and sent the symbolic figure of 60,000 DPRK’s Wons (about 5,000 USD) to support the Egyptian Army. Between 1957 and 1963 the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Arab Republic of Egypt signed some cultural and commercial agreements and opened in the capital cities of both countries.
A statue of the muzzle and bayonet of an AK-47, given to Egypt by North Korea, honors the military partnership between the two countries. (The New York Times)
During the 1960s, Egypt maintained an unclear relationship with North Korea, abstaining from some votes in favor of the DPRK during United Nations meetings until 1962, when Israel, and the Republic of Korea chose not to pursue diplomatic and trade relations.
North Korean embassy in Cairo. (The New York Times)
After the Six Days War, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sent Egypt 5,000 tons of cereals as aid. In response, Egyptian delegations supported the North Korean regime at the United Nations meetings and in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meetings.
The Non-Aligned Movement was created after a meeting in Belgrade, in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 1st September 1961. Among its founders was Egyptian president Nasser, Yugoslavian leader Tito, Indian Prime Minister, Ghanaian President and Indonesian President. This movement was created because, after the Korean War, some nations did not want to take sides against Cold War opponents and be drawn into potential conflicts. In 1975 the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea joined the movement with Egyptian support.
Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea, meets with then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, 26th July 2007. (worldpoliticsreview.com)
Egyptian MiG-21
The Arab Republic of Egypt received its first MiG-21s from the Soviets in 1963. By the end of that year, the Egyptian Air Force had in its service a total of 60 MiG-21F-13s. These were followed, until the end of the decade, by 40 or 50 MiG-21PFs.
The MiG-21F-13 was an upgraded version of the MiG-21 platform with upgraded on-board radar, new optics, a single 30 mm cannon and the possibility to load 2 Vympel K-13 short-range infrared homing Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs). In the designation, the ‘F’ refers to ‘Forsirovannyy’ (English: Uprated) and ‘13’ refers to the K-13 missiles.
The MiG-21PF was a heavily updated version of the MiG-21 bringing it to the “Second Generation” of fighters. The upgrades included new turbojet engine and rails for RS-2US Adams instead of K-13 missiles.
Two Egyptian MiG-21F13s of the 26 Squadron ‘Black Raven’ armed with R-3S missiles. (Arab MiG-19, MiG-21 Units in Combat)
The first deployment of the Egyptian MiGs was during the Six Days War where the majority of them were destroyed at their airfields by Israeli preemptive air attacks. The few brave Egyptian pilots that had the possibility to take off in these hours were quickly overwhelmed by better-trained Israeli pilots. The Israeli attack was divided in 4 different waves; in the first one, Israeli pilots claimed to have shot down 8 Egyptian planes, 7 of which were MiG-21s while Egypt had claimed 5 planes shot down by MiG-21PFs.In the second wave, Israeli pilots claimed 4 MiG-21s shot down. At the end of the attacks, Egypt had lost about 100 MiG-21s out of 110 owned by its Air Force.
The few surviving MiG-21s were used in the last days of war to try and slow down the Israeli ground forces in the Sinai peninsula. They were however, only armed with unguided 57 mm rockets. These few MiGs were manned by the surviving pilots of the different squadrons whose aircraft had been lost the previous days. Some of them were deployed for air defense in an air base near Cairo, while the rest were deployed at Inshas air base, north of Cairo, and took part in the attacks against Israeli ground force Israeli forces.
After the Six Days War, Egypt quickly restored its MiG-21 inventory, buying some second-hand MiG from the Soviet Union, and others from Algeria.
About a month after the war, on 15th July 1967, Egyptian MiGs shot down an Israeli Mirage III CJ over Sinai skies at the cost of two MiGs. By the end of 1968, the Egyptian Air Force had in service 115 MiG-21s that were extensively used against Israeli Air Force Mirages, with results still debated today. The Egyptian pilots were not as well trained as the Israeli pilots, and this often led to heavy losses when flying against the IAF.
Another MiG-21F-13 of the 26 Squadron in 1969 at the Sayah el-Sharif air base. (Arab MiG-19 MiG-21 Units in Combat)
1969 was a year full of changes for the Egyptian Air Force, in the early months of the year, the radar equipped MiG-21PFMs were equipped with GP-9 gun pods, delivered by the Soviet Union. The gun pods were a great advantage for the MiGs giving them more possibilities of success in dog-fights where the distances between the planes were less than 1,000 meters, where their R-3S missiles (AA-2 Atoll) were less useful.
In late 1969, the MiG-21Ms, with four missile rails and a new internal 23 mm GSh-23L automatic cannon arrived from the Soviet Union. On the 11th of September 1969, Egyptian MiG-21 pilots shot down 3 Israeli Mirages III, two of those manned by Israeli veterans. This battle was widely publicized in Egypt, but the Egyptian government did not mention that to shoot down the three Israeli planes, Egypt lost 5 MiGs and 3 other planes. Between February and March 1970, a total of 80 MiG-21MFs with improved radars and new engines arrived in Egypt.
According to a Soviet report, from July to December 1969, during the War of Attrition fought between the Six Days War and the Yom Kippur War, the Egyptian Air Force lost 72 war planes, 53 of them shot down by Israeli forces. The majority of them were MiG-21s. Due to the poor results of the Egyptian Air Force in the War of Attrition, Egyptian President Nasser was forced to ask the Soviet Union for more help. In March 1970, the first Soviet pilots, and Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) battery technicians, arrived in Egypt.
On the 13th of April 1970, there was the first Soviet-Israeli air battle in which two MiG-21MFs manned by Soviet pilots, attacked two Israeli F-4 Phantom II. It is not clear if the Israeli planes were shot down or not. In a similar situation, 5 days later, a Soviet MiG-21MF damaged an Israeli RF-4E recon plane. From March to August of 1970, Egypt, thanks to Soviet forces deployed in the country, shot down 8 Israeli planes with S-125 (NATO code SA-3 Goa) Surface-to-Air Missiles, and 13 other planes were shot down by MiG-21s. Egypt would only lose 5 MiG-21s.
A MiG-21MF of the Soviet 135th Air Regiment in Egypt. The plane showed off the original Soviet camouflage scheme applied at the Gorky plant in the Soviet Union where the MiG-21s were produced. (Soviet Military Archives via Arab MiG-19 MiG-21 Units in Combat)
In October 1973, the Egyptian Air Force had at its disposal 770 combat aircraft of which about 150 of these were in storage. In total they could rely on 620 aircraft and over 100 helicopters. The planes were: 220 MiG-21s, 200 MiG-17 Fighter bombers, 120 Su-7 Fighter bombers, 18 Tupolev Tu-16 Bombers, 40-50 Il-14 and An-12 Cargo planes, 10 Il-28 Bombers and 100-140 MiL Mi-1; Mi-4; Mi-6 and Mi-8 helicopters. These were integrated with a squadron of MiG-21F-13 from Algeria, another squadron of MiG-21PFs from Algeria that was mainly deployed to defend Cairo region skies, and some Pakistani Instructors that flew some Egyptian MiGs during the war.
The Soviet MiG-21 was less modern than the American F-4 air superiority fighter, although it was more maneuverable than the early models of the Phantom and was much simpler to keep running. During the air combat in the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the difference was often made by the pilot’s experience, giving an advantage to the Israeli pilots who, in some cases, had more experience than the US pilots deployed in Vietnam. The Egyptian pilots had, for the most part, deficient training and lacked experience.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was also familiar with the MiG 21, and received its first MiG-21F-13’s in late 1962, receiving more until 1965 for a total of 14 fighters. In the following years, many MiG-21PFMs arrived in the Asian country. This was a big step forward for the Korean Air Force as the MiG-21s introduced the possibility for the Korean pilots to use Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) such as the R-3S (AA-2 Atoll) infrared homing missiles. The later MiG-21PFM would give them the ability to to use both the R-3S and the RS-2U, also known as Kaliningrad K-5M (NATO Code AA-1 Alkali), beam-riding guided missile.
A North Korean MiG-21MF on a runway near P’yŏngyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. (jetphotos.net)
Korean Squadron in Egypt
After the deterioration of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, the new Egyptian president Sadat chased the Soviet advisors out of the country and stopped buying their military equipment, and this decision led to a very serious problem.
Not only were Soviet advisors deployed in the Arab Republic of Egypt, but also instructors, the technicians of Surface-to-Air Missiles batteries, and even some combat pilots.
Roughly 30% of the 400 Egyptian combat planes were manned by Soviet pilots and even the 20% of the SAM batteries were manned by Soviets that were leaving the country.
Few Egyptian pilots were well trained, and many had to finish their training very hastily due to the expatriation of Soviet trainers. The last Soviet soldiers deployed in Egypt left the country in July 1973.
Some of the Korean pilots and ground crew members of the Korean Air Force that were sent to Egypt. These were probably the Koreans that arrived after the start of the Yom Kippur War. (Egyptian Army)
The loss of Soviet expertise would force the Egyptians to look elsewhere for training and technical advisors. Between 1st to 7th March 1973 a delegation from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea led by Kang Ryang-uk, Vice President of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, visited Egypt. It was during this visit that Egyptian Military’s Chief of Staff, Saad Al Shazly, asked the Korean politician to help Egypt by sending a single squadron of pilots to give to the Egyptian pilots reliable combat training.
After solving the bureaucratic problems, starting from 6th to 13th April 1973, General Al Shazly went to the DPRK, and during his trip he met Korean leader Kim Il-sung. They finalized the plan and signed an agreement, and a few months later the Korean pilots arrived in the country. For the Korean pilots, it was not difficult to fly the Egyptian aircraft because they were also flying the same variants of the MiG-21 in Korea. Even for the Korean SAM battery technicians, it was not a problem to use the Egyptian SAM batteries because, in Korea, they operated S-75 and the HQ-2, their Chinese copy, which proved similar enough to the systems in Egyptian service.
An Egyptian S-75 captured in Sinai by the Israeli soldiers in 1967. (bukvoed.livejournal.com)
A total of 20 pilots, 8 ground crew guides, 5 translators, 3 administrative staffers, 1 political commissar, 1 military doctor, and 1 military chief left Korea, reaching Moscow dressed as foreign students, and arrived in Egypt in late June. They started their deployment in Bir Alida air base in southern Egypt in July 1973, the same month that Soviet forces abandoned the country.
These events are mentioned in an article written by analyst Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. about the DPRK’s deployment in other nations in the KPA Journal magazine. The analyst mentions the arrival of 30 pilots while other less reliable sources like newspaper articles sometimes claim 10 pilots arrived in Egypt. However, the commander of this small Korean squadron was Major General Cho Myong-rok (also transliterated as Jo Myong Rok). The numbers were also confirmed by Captain Lee Chol-su, a North Korean defector pilot who crossed the Korean Demilitarized Zone in a MiG-19 in May 1996. During some interviews, Capt. Chol-su confirmed the source of the 20 pilots.
Mayor General Cho Myong-rok. (KPA Journal Vol. 1, No. 9)
Although it may seem strange today, North Korea had well trained pilots before the fall of the Soviet Union, when their economy could support sizable training programs. Many were trained by North Korean veterans that participated in the Korean War, Soviet advisors, or even at facilities in the Soviet Union together with Soviet rookies. An unknown number of the pilots under Cho Myong-rok were veterans, who had already seen combat in Vietnam, where they flew Vietnamese planes against the United States Air Force. Some of them had more than 2,000 flight hours on the MiG-21. The news of the Korean pilots in Egypt did not remain secret for long.
On 15th August 1973, the Israeli Military Command reported that Israeli Intelligence discovered that between 10 and 20 Korean pilots were flying Egyptian fighter planes. This Israeli claim was confirmed on the same day by the US State Department that also stated that probably they were more than 20.
12 days after the war broke out, on 18th October 1973, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced officially that they would send a contingent of pilots to support the Arab Coalition air forces. The KPA Journal states that a North Korean defector, during an interrogation, said that 500 North Korean pilots were sent to Egypt and Syria to pilot their planes after the DPRK’s announcement. This seems like an exaggerated number, as before the war, Egypt had only 620 planes and a maximum of 140 helicopters, while Syria had 200 MIG-21s, 80 MIG-17s, 80 SU-7s and 36 MiL Mi-4, Mi-6 and Mi-8 helicopters. If this statement is true, the DPRK alone had sent enough pilots to fly about 30% of the Arab Coalition planes and helicopters. The number probably also included ground crews, translators, chiefs, officers, and other assorted personnel.
The Korean pilots left Egypt shortly after the war probably between late 1973 to early 1974 leaving the Arab country with a small contingent of veteran pilots for training. There is little information about Korean People’s Army Air Force pilots during the Yom Kippur war, even if some unconfirmed reports mention the deployment of Korean pilots that flew Egyptian and Syrian planes. South Korean newspaper, Kyong Hyang Shimbun, states that the Israeli Ministry of Defence declared that Korean pilots flew 8 MiG-21s during the war and shot down several Israeli F-4 Phantoms, however, this information is not confirmed.
Engagement of 6th December 1973
An Israeli McDonnell Douglas F-4 ‘Kurnass’ model with a 1973 camouflage scheme. (edokunscalemodelingpage.blogspot.com)
On 6th December 1973, two Israeli F-4E ‘Kurnass’ from the 69th Squadron, one crewed by Yiftach Shadmi and Meir Gur, while the second was piloted by Shpitzer and Ofer together, flew a mission at the Egyptian border. They were supported by another two ‘Kurnass’ of the 119 Squadron.
These four planes, took off from Ramat David Air Base and were sent on the West sector to patrol the Egyptian border. The pilots were allowed to trespass into Egypt, and after a couple of low level crosses, they entered Egyptian territory at high altitude, and then flew back over the Suez Canal and continued patrolling their side of the border.
Israeli pilots kills
Pilot’s name
Kills
Meir Gur
3
Yiftach Shadmi
3
They were sent in the area because the Israeli command wanted to patrol the southern area of Egypt, where they thought the Egyptians were preparing something.
Pilot Meir Gur reported that at some point, they received orders to search for targets in Egyptian territory. He and his wingman were flying at 20,000 – 25,000 feet while the two ‘Kurnass’ of 119 Squadron were apparently above them.The on-board radars were not working very well, and that day saw heavy overcast and fog. Gur noticed a pair of ‘blips’ on its radar display, and they closed the distance to investigate.
When the Israeli pilots found the ‘Blips’ they dropped their external fuel tanks and continued to search at high speed, but they could still see the bright spots on the radar, and the distance didn’t change. This meant that the two ‘Blips’ were flying at a similar speed to them. Meir’s radar performed a high to low search but it was very difficult to aim with the interference of the ground clutter.
Thanks to a GCI (Ground Control Intercept) station, the Israeli F-4Es of the 69th Squadron were able to track the enemy targets that were now in the range of their AIM-7 Air-to-Air missiles. However the Israeli pilots preferred to wait to engage the targets because of the bad weather, they did not know if the ‘blips’ were warplanes. Another problem was the fog that prevented the wingmen from being seen, so the Israeli pilots decided not to launch the missiles.
A few moments later, two Egyptian MiG-21s appeared in the Israeli pilot’s field of view and the two ‘Kurnass’ of the 69 Squadron immediately engaged.
One of the two MiGs escaped the skirmish while the other one remained for a 1 vs 2 air battle. From the Israeli pilots’ testimonies, the MiG-21 pilot, revealed to be a Korean some years later, was extraordinarily good with excellent reaction times and great knowledge in the maneuverability of his plane.
The Korean People’s Army Air Force pilot was probably a Vietnam War veteran, or otherwise a very well trained pilot. He tried many times to force the Israeli pilots to fight a low speed duel, where he had the advantage, but the Israeli pilots insisted on maintaining high speed.
The 119 Squadron pilots, above the 69th Squadron planes, asked by radio for their fellows to step aside, but the 69th Squadron’s F-4Es did not step aside, forcing the Korean pilot to maintain high speed, putting him at a disadvantage against the faster Israeli F-4s.
After a long chase, the MiG-21 was in range of Air-to-Air missiles and Yiftach Shadmi and Meir Gur’s F-4 launched two AIM-9Ds Air-to-Air missiles. Immediately after, Shpitzer and Ofer’s F-4 that was behind the other 69 Squadron plane, about 200 meters on a side, launched an AIM-9D too. This was a dangerous maneuver, the two Israeli planes risked shooting down each other with the missiles and, at the same time, Shpitzer and Ofer’s F-4 ‘Kurnass’ were at risk of ending up in the jet wake of the F-4 of Shadmi and Gur.
The first AIM-9D went close to the target and exploded but the MiG-21 emerged intact from the explosion and continued its flight. The second and third AIM-9Ds exploded near the target too but, for unknown reasons even in this case, the MiG-21 emerged from the fireballs intact. The Israeli pilots, now desperately low on fuel, were forced to disengage and return to base. Meir Gur was the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) of one of the two F-4Es, and looking back he saw the MiG was intact, but trailing white smoke. From Meir’s testimony, it is known that the Korean pilot turned his plane west and descended to a low altitude. Meir continued to keep an eye on it to check if it crashed on the ground but no explosions were seen.
An Egyptian MiG-21 steaming fuel. Photo taken a few seconds before his crash near the Suez Canal on the last day of war. This was probably a similar situation that Meir Gur saw on 6th December 1973. (Arab MiG-19 MiG-21 Units in Combat)
While the Israeli planes were near the Suez Canal, Gur saw something that seized his attention. Meir is said to have seen the characteristic smoke trail of a Surface-to-Air Missile launched by the Egyptians. A few tenths of seconds later a giant explosion was visible at about 20,000 feet. Copilot Gur checked on his radar, but all the four ‘Kurnass’ were leaving the Egyptian airspace. By mistake, the Egyptian Anti-Aircraft missile batteries shot down one of their own MiGs manned by the Korean pilot.
When the planes landed safely home the credit was split between the two 69 Squadron plane crews. Meir Gur reported what he saw to the command, and some time later Israeli Intelligence confirmed his story: Egyptian Air Defense forces shut down their own MiG.
Unfortunately nothing is known about the nameless Korean pilot, if he survived ejecting , or if he died by friendly fire. Only in 2019 did the Israeli Air Force and Intelligence service make public the events of that day, informing the world and the Israeli pilots involved in the affair that the MiG pilot was from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Aftermath & Conclusion
After the Yom Kippur War, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea maintained a small training squadron in Egypt and also some other training units for the SAM batteries and other tasks.
Kim Il-Sung and a Korean pilot together with some Egyptian veteran pilots in Korea after the war. All of the men in the photo (Kim Il-sung apart) had fought during the Yom Kippur War. (reddit.com _ART_TANK_)
Sadat agreed, the DPRK’s request to receive some R-17 Elbrus (NATO Code SS-1C Scud-B) tactical ballistic missiles and a MaZ TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) to start its own missile program.
In 1990s the Arab Republic of Egypt bought from Korea an unknown number of Scud-C missiles, they seem to be Hwasŏng-7 Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs). In 2008 Egyptian telecommunication company Orascom had the permission to create a 3G phone network called Koryolink in Korea.
At the same time Egypt permitted Korea, until the mid 2010s, to use Port Said as safe harbor to unload military equipment that would be sent all over the African continent.To give an example, the United Nations had declared that in 2016 a Korean merchant ship loaded with 30,000 RPGs arrived in Port Said. They were probably later delivered to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 2017 after the US slashed roughly $300 million due the Egyptian help in Korean illegal trades and due some failure to respect human rights. Afterwards, Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi, during a visit to the Republic of Korea, said that Egypt had cut all military relationships with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Illustrations
MiG-21 (5072), 1973.MiG-21, No 21 Squadron, Salihiyah, Egypt. 1973.F-4E Kurnass.
Gallery
An Egyptian S-125 Surface-to-Air missiles battery in 1973.(bukvoed.livejournal.com)MiG-21MF with a ‘Nile’ three-tone camouflage in 1971. (Arab MiG-19 MiG-21 Units in Combat)A total of 12 2P16 TELs equipped with 9M21 Luna-M during a parade in Cairo in 1974. (bukvoed.livejournal.com)
Credits
Written by Arturo G.
Edited by Henry H.
Illustrated by Godzilla
Sources
Air Operations During The 1973 Arab-Israeli War And The Implications – Global Security
The line-up of the Savoia Marchetti S.79C and the Fiat Br.20A (last two) in Istres before the start of the race on 20 August 1937. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]The Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 was a three-engine medium aircraft developed by Savoia-Marchetti, also known as the Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) later SIAI-Savoia. Initially developed as a fast passenger transport aircraft, it was later adapted for use as a racing aircraft, and later as a medium bomber. From 1936 until 1939 it broke several records, both in the civil and military spheres with the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force), also becoming the fastest medium bomber in the world at the time. It was one of the most produced aircraft by Italy during the Fascist dictatorship and was used by 12 different air forces, both civil and military and remained in service until 1951 as a bomber for the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), and until 1959 as a bomber for the Lebanese Air Force.
History of the Project
During the 1930s, the Italian Air Force was among the world’s leading air forces, with cutting-edge manufacturing and designers.
Italo Balbo, a fervent fascist and Air Marshal, managed to break several records aboard several seaplanes of the Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia (Northern Italy Seaplane Company). In 1928 he made a bold request for the time, asking SIAI for an aircraft capable of taking off from Italy and reaching any location in Libya carrying 8 to 10 passengers. All in the shortest possible time.
It must be emphasized that the Italian fascist regime tended to support domestic efforts in any field or industry in order to bolster publicity and popular support, which is why Italo Balbo required a fast plane, to be able to outcompete French and British air transports on Africa-bound routes to Libya, Somalia, and Eritrea.
In early 1933, Australian nobleman Sir Mac Pherson Robinson created a challenge to reach Melbourne from London in a single intercontinental flight. In 1933 the SIAI decided to compete for the Mac Robinson Cup, and at the same time to satisfy Balbo. Seasoned engineer Alessandro Marchetti (1884-1966) was put at the helm of the project.SIAI put so much emphasis on the project, that Marchetti’s initial blueprints for the new S.79 were dated February 21, 1933.This cutting-edge project featured low wings, retractable landing gear, Handley Page flaps and three Isotta Fraschini Asso 750 engines of 900 hp each.
Subsequently Marchetti was forced to modify the blueprints, first with three FIAT A. 59 RC engines developed by the American Pratt & Whitney R-1690, finally ending up on Piaggio P. IX R.C. 40 engines of 610 hp developed from the French Gnome-Rhône 9K ‘Mistral’.
History of the Civilian Prototype
In May 1934, the last modifications to the project, and design of the first prototype were completed. The new plane was identified as S.79P or Passeggeri ( Passenger). It received the serial number 19001 and codename I-MAGO.
Through August and September of 1934, various parts of the aircraft were produced in SIAI factories in Sesto Calende in Lombardy, and were sent to the Novara Air Base in Piedmont . After being reassembled on October 8, 1934, and with SIAI test pilot Adriano Bacula and engineer Merizzi at the controls, the 19001 prototype made its first test flight.
The first Savoia-Marchetti S. 79 prototype, the I-MAGO with Piaggio engines at Cameri in the winter of 1934. [stormomagazine.com]The aircraft proved promising during the tests. There were excellent results as the aircraft had excellent handling, was easy to fly, and had a comfortable passenger cabin. On the other hand the engines, with only 610 hp at maximum power was not enough for SIAI and Alessandro Marchetti.
Piaggio sent one of its technicians during flight tests, engineer Risaliti, to try to increase the power of the engines, but he failed, managing to bring the aircraft to only 360 km/h at an altitude of 100 meters, and 390 km/h at 3,000 meters, while carrying 3 tons of ballast.
These results were impressive for the time, the Junkers Ju 52 for example had a top speed of 290 km/h, but not enough for a modern plane like the S. 79.
These problems forced the Italian technicians to change the engines with more powerful and reliable ones.
This decision was taken also because the Piaggio P. IX R.C. 40 engines led to two different incidents. The first occurred on 28 October when they attempted a record Novara-Rome route which had to be canceled due to engine failures and the plane returned to Novara.The second accident led to the fire of the engines which fortunately was shut down before the prototype was destroyed.
SIAI therefore decided to remove the Piaggio engines in February 1935, and replaced them with the 650 hp Alfa Romeo 125 RC.35, developed from the British Bristol Pegasus.
Due to the larger diameter, the engines received a new cowling, and finally, on April 5, 1935 Bacula and Merizzi took the re-engineered prototype into the air again.
The new tests yielded very favorable results and the plane claimed several records, the first was to be the first three-engine civil transport to break 400 km/h, and the second to travel from Novara to Rome (500 km) in just 70 minutes, which they accomplished on May 10, 1935.
In Rome, Adriano Bacula had the opportunity to familiarize some Italian pilots on the S. 79. Interestingly a delegation of French aviators led by Minister of the Air Denain with the aces Mermoz and Rossi was in the Italian capital. The French pilots admired the new three-engine plane for its modern design and maximum velocity.
Among the Italian aviators who tested the aircraft there were Maggior Biseo and his colleagues, elites of the 1st Experimental Center who expressed much praise for the Chief of Staff of the Regia Aeronautica, General Valle, on the new vehicle.
Returning to Novara to receive some modifications, such as increased range, on May 26, 1935 the S. 79 was back in Rome with all the required changes including 2 new tanks in the wings for a total of 820 liters of fuel.
The aircraft was registered by the Royal Air Force MM. 260 (Matricola Militare /Military Serial Number) and assigned on June 14 to the 1st Experimental Center.
On August 1, 1936 General Valle flew from Rome to Massawa, Eritrea in just 12 hours of actual flight with a stopover in Cairo for refueling, and returned to Italy 4 days later.
On October 3, 1935 the Kingdom of Italy start the invasion of the neutral Ethiopian Empire to colonize it. The Savoia-Marchetti S. 79 prototype was deployed as liaison plane by General Valle.
The second flight was made on January 6, 1936 when the plane carried General Valle, Biseo, Tondi as well as technicians and specialists Gadda, Ghidelli and Bernazzani.
During the representative trip to Ethiopia which ended on January 18 in Grottaglie, Puglia, the plane traveled 15,000 km proving to be very fast and efficient.
The prototype, MM. 260, was assigned to the Experimental Center but was employed by the 12° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre (12th Ground Bombing Wing), and was modified to carry 6 100 kg bombs. It was tested on 20 May 1936 by Lieutenant Colonel Biseo and Captain Lippi on the Furbara shooting range.
The tests were repeated with captains Paradisi and Moscatelli of the 12° Stormo who demonstrated that the aircraft was an excellent platform for bombing.
Bomber Variant
A pair of Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79M flying in formation over Sicily during the Second World War. [Wiki]In December 1935, SIAI-Savoia proposed a military version of the S. 79 powered by the powerful Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major 14 cylinders with a output of 725 hp at 2,000 rpm, hence the name of the prototype S. 79K. However, the General Staff of the Regia Aeronautica rejected the idea of powering their bombers with foreign engines, and ordered 24 S. 79Ms (M for Militare / Military) to be equipped with Italian-made engines.
Schematic showing the differences between the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C and the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79M. [Facebook]
S.M. 79 Racing Aircraft or Medium Bomber?
From the first batch of the S.M. 79M, 5 aircraft were modified during production to be used in the civil field, and initially renamed Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 83C, and then returned to the designation Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C for Corsa (Racing).
The Savoia-Marchetti flown by pilots Tondi and Moscatelli
This variant flew without armament, the observer gondola and bomb bay also lost its characteristic hump to increase the aerodynamics of the fuselage.
The autopilot system was then enhanced, the on-board instrumentation adjusted, the door on the left side replaced by a smaller hatch above the wing, and its range was increased by adding tanks instead of the bomb bay for a total of 7,000 liters of fuel.
Other improvements concerned the compressors which, when upgraded, allowed the use of 100 octane petrol Also the transceiver system was replaced with a Telefunken model of greater power and reliability. The propellers were substituted with new variable pitch propellers produced by the French Ratier. New larger radiators were added to better cool the engines and finally, the landing gear was fitted with tires capable of withstanding the maximum weight of the plane fully loaded.
This version was created to participate in the tender organized by the French Aero Club for August 1937 which was to fly to the Istres (Southern France) – Damascus – Le Bourget (near Paris) route for a total of 2,900 km.
For the race it was planned to involve a Caproni Ca. 405 ‘Procellaria’ and two FIAT B.R. 20 but due to delays the Ca. 405 could not participate and the SIAI-Savoia produced a sixth S.M. 79C.
Flying the six aircraft were all pilots of the 205ª Squadriglia da bombardamento “Sorci Verdi” of the 12° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre, the only Italian pilots who had received a pilot’s license for this aircraft.
Apart from the eight Italian aircraft, there were four French aircraft, a Bloch M.B.160, a Farman F.223, a Caudron C-640 and a Breguet 470 Fulgur, the only English one, the De Havilland D.H.88 Comet.
All took off from 1725 hrs on 20 August 1937, the first plane to land in Damascus was the I-FILU after 6 hours and 51 minutes at an incredible speed of 426.42 km/h.
Partial ranking in Damascus
Pilots
Aircraft Name
Racing Number
Qualified
Average Speed
Biseo and Mussolini
I-BIMU
I-5
Terzo
Cupini and Paradisi
I-CUPA
I-11
Secondo
415 km/h
Fiori and Lucchini
I-FILU
I-13
Primo
426.42 km/h
Lippi and Castellani
I-LICA
I-7
Ottavo
352 km/h
Rovis and Trimboli
I-ROTR
I-12
Quinto
Tondi and Moscatelli
I-TOMO
I-6
Quarto
The partial ranking podium was all Italian, in fact in Damascus five to six of the S. 79Cs arrived before the other aircrafts, the sixth and seventh were the FIAT B.R. 20s with an average speed of 299 km/h and 382 km/h.
I-LICA had problems with the constant pitch of the right propeller forcing the drivers Lippi and Castellani to travel the Istres-Damascus route for another six hours with only two engines.
The ninth plane to arrive in Damascus was the De Havilland D.H.88 Comet with an average of 356 km/h while the first French plane landed with an average speed of 305 km/h.
During the stop, the planes refueled and fixed the propeller. Due to bad weather it was decided to change course for the return and to fly in formation, thus loading an additional 500 liters of fuel.
One of the six S. 79Cs refueled at Damascus, though unfortunately it’s impossible to determine which one it is. In the background the French four-engined Bloch M.B.160 is visible. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]During take-off, one of the two FIAT B.R. 20 experienced rudder damage while the unfortunate I-LICA ended up hitting a pothole on the runway with the left wheel, breaking the landing gear and yawing violently to the left and making take-off impossible.
One hour after departure, the I-TOMO reported that it had a deficiency of 2,000 liters of fuel, while I-ROTR reported that it had to land in Ronchi due to excessive fuel consumption.
It was therefore decided to have the three remaining SM-79s arrive in Paris in formation. The plan was about to succeed, in fact I-BIMU sighted I-FILU and the I-CUPI but due to the lightning storms masking the transmissions, they could not make radio contact.
Biseo and Bruno Mussolini then decided to overtake the other two S.M. 79 to be recognized and make the formation, but when they reached the Alps they had to climb to 6,500 meters. However in doing so, they were forced to reduce the pitch of the propeller, and during the movement the central propeller went to the minimum pitch and jammed.
The two pilots then decided to land in Cameri where there were technicians who could repair their Ratier propellers. However, after a careful examination, during which the plane was refueled, the two pilots were informed that the propeller problem could not be repaired quickly. It was therefore decided to bring the central propeller to maximum pitch and the plane that had stopped for about 30 minutes took off again towards Paris.
The I-ROTR was unable to reach Ronchi due to lack of fuel and had to land in Pula where, after refueling, it was unable to restart because the electrical circuit of the starter magnet of the central engine had been damaged by hail.
Having repaired the fault, the plane continued the next morning to Bourget and was classified in 8th and last place.
The I-TOMO was unable to reach Ronchi and, again due to bad weather, had to land at the Lido of Venice where it ran aground, as the field was reduced to a quagmire by torrential rain, but thanks to the joint efforts of the airport staff and crew, the aircraft was able to leave after refueling.
The two FIATs also had to land due to problems.
Despite the bad weather and the unsatisfactory reliability of the propellers, at Le Bourget there were three S.M. 79s in the first three positions. The I-CUPI arrived at 1547 hrs on the 21st and circled up to 1602 hrs before running out of fuel, waiting in flight for the I-BUMU as the victory of Benito Mussolini’s son would have been a great benefit for the fascist propaganda. Then it was the turn of the I-FILU which landed at 1617 hrs, and finally at 1637 hrs Biseo and Mussolini arrived who, despite the stop, took a significant third place.
Four ground crew members ran to the I-11 S. 79C piloted by Cupini and Paradisi. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]Fourth was the De Havilland D.H.88 Comet which landed at 1701 hrs; fifth the Fulgur Breguet at 1737 hrs; then came the Bloch 160, but having started much earlier than the I-TOMO which arrived at 2002 hrs it was ranked seventh, while the I-TOMO was sixth. The others were all withdrawn or unclassified.
Final ranking in Paris
Pilots
Aircraft Name
Racing Number
Qualified
Average Speed
Biseo and Mussolini
I-BIMU
I-5
Third
Cupini and Paradisi
I-CUPA
I-11
First
350 km/h
Fiori and Lucchini
I-FILU
I-13
Second
Lippi and Castellani
I-LICA
I-7
Unqualified
Rovis and Trimboli
I-ROTR
I-12
Eighth
tondi and Moscatelli
I-TOMO
I-6
Sixth
On 29 August from 1500 hrs to 1530 hrs all the Corsa type planes and the I-MAGO, which had been brought to Paris to witness the triumph of the other S.M. 79 returned to Italy at the Littorio Airport.
From Damascus, however, on 22 August, the organization of the return of the I-LICA to Italy began. The plane was disassembled and the fuselage, engines, tailings and systems were recovered and sent to Beirut, Lebanon and embarked on a merchant ship bound for Italy. The wing, not transportable by road, and other material, was sold in Damascus.
The victory was celebrated in Italy as overwhelming as both the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C and FIAT B.R. 20A were bomber aircraft adapted to racing aircraft while British and French aircraft were specially developed aircraft for air racing.
Italian pilots and ground crew members that participated in the race near the I-ROTR plane. Source: [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]Despite the victory there were, especially abroad, those who criticized the planes, claiming that the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C would not have been able to participate in the New York – Paris (race which was canceled in favor of Istres – Damascus – Paris).
The front page of the French newspaper Paris-Soir with the news of the Italian victory [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]SIAI brochure celebrating the victory of the Istres – Damascus – Le Bourget race [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]
The Decisive Test: Rome – Dakar – Rio
It was decided for various reasons to make a second record setting flight with the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C. This was mainly to disprove some articles that appeared in newspapers and magazines of the sector of foreign nations that had stated that the S.M. 79 were:
“expressly built for a vain policy of prestige and therefore unsuitable for military uses, difficult to maneuver, excessively loaded, too delicate: in short, devices unable to withstand comparisons of practical use with similar foreign ones”
The French newspapers accused the Savoia-Marchettis saying that they could never win in a Paris – New York race due to limited range.It was also decided to test the possibility of transporting passengers and letters from Italy to South America with land based planes.The 3 S.M. 79Cs, I-BIMU, I-FILU and I-CUPA were taken and modified by SIAI-Savoia technicians, Direttorato Generale Costruzioni Aeree or DGCA (General Directorate of Aeronautical Construction) and the aeronautical military engineers.
The changes concerned the replacement of the propellers with the classic SIAI-Savoia propellers, a complete overhaul of the engines, an enlargement of the fuel fillers to reduce refueling time, improved radio, navigation aids, and autopilot.
The maximum take-off weight of the new version, now renamed Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79T for Transatlantico (Transatlantic) was now nearly 14,000 kg, 3.5 tons more than the S.M. 79M.
After numerous test flights and tests carried up to December 1937, it was decided that the flight could be done.
The three aircraft were reassigned to different teams of pilots, Biseo and Paradisi took the I-BIMU now renamed I-BISE (MM. 359). Bruno Mussolini and Mancinelli took the I-FILU renamed I-BRUN (MM. 356) while Moscatelli and Castellani took the I-CUPA now named I-MONI (MM. 358).
The I-BISE during the Rome – Dakar route. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]On the morning of January 24th and at 0728 hrs, the three S.M. 79T took off from Guidonia airport for Dakar, the first leg of the Italy – Brazil.
The planes would have been in constant radio contact with Guidonia and Rio de Janeiro, periodically communicating their position.
At 0830 hrs the planes reported that they had flown over Capo Carbonara in Sardinia and at 0915 hrs they flew over Bona starting to fly over the mountains of the Saharan Atlas. At 1130 hrs the formation commander announced that he had slightly changed the planned route, turning north due to strong wind. At 1330 hrs the devices signaled strong wind with sand clouds and at 1530 hrs they communicated that they were within sight of the Atlantic at Villa Cisneros. At 1630 hrs they flew over Port Etienne and at 1745 hrs San Louis.
Landing in Dakar took place regularly at 1845 hrs Italian time. All navigation took place at an altitude ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 meters where the engines gave maximum power.
The actual distance traveled by the aircraft was over 4,500 km in 10 hours and 50 minutes, the average speed of 419 km/h.
After refueling in Dakar the I-BISE it’s ready to start the transoceanic flight. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]On the morning of January 25 at 0910 hrs (Italian time) the three planes left Dakar for Rio de Janeiro with a wing load of 220 kg due to the greater quantity of fuel and lubricant transported.
The navigation was done in close formation, which took place at an average altitude of 3,800 meters, but was disrupted in the central area of the Atlantic by thunderstorms, headwinds, lightning and sudden showers of rain that forced the pilots to instrumental flight.
The I-MONI, due to a failure of the usual propeller, was forced to continue the flight with only two engines for 2,000 km of the crossing, significantly slowing its average speed to 312 km/h.
At 1730 hrs I-BISE and I-BRUN sighted the Brazilian coast and continued towards Rio de Janeiro, arriving at 2245 hrs at Dos Afensos airport in the midst of a crowd of people who arrived to celebrate the event.
Following a direct order from the commander of the I-MONI formation it headed to Natal where it landed at 1919 hrs for the necessary repairs. It should be noted that the plane could have made it to the finish line without any problems but the crew, tired from the crossing, preferred to land and repair the plane.
I-BISE and I-BRUN had thus completed an effective route of over 5,350 km (of which 5,150 km offshore) in 13 hours and 35 minutes at an average speed of 395 km/h.
The Rome – Rio de Janeiro connection took place within 39 hours and 17 minutes with 24 hours and 22 minutes of actual flight for an average of about 406 km/h on a route of 9.800 km. The I-MONI departed from Natal at 1158 hrs on January 28, and arrived regularly in Rio de Janeiro at 1742 hrs on the same day.
This showed that the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 were not “too delicate” aircraft as foreign press had claimed, capable of reaching South America even with a failed engine.
Photos of the crew of the three S.M. 79T that had made the transoceanic flight. Compare the propeller cap with the photos of the S.M. 79Cs and you could clearly see the difference from the SIAI-Savoia propellers and the Ratier ones. [modellismoitalia.altervista.org]It should be emphasized that the crossing was not a mere move by fascist propaganda, in fact, it was specifically chosen to lengthen the journey going from Dakar to Rio de Janeiro (5,350 km) instead of Natal (3,150 km).
Another factor was the speed, an average of 406 km/h for 9,800 km had never been sustained, in a single crossing the S.M. 79T broke two records, the speed one on the Rome – Rio de Janeiro route and the highest average speed one on the 5,000 km journey.
Brazil
After the 24 January 1938 race, the three S.M. 79 Transatlantico were then presented to the Aviacao Militar Brasileira (Brazilian Military Aviation). On 27 April 1938 I-BISE, I-BRUN were bought and renumbered K-422, K-420 while I-MONI was donated by Italy and renumbered K-421.
On 9 May 1938 they were assigned to the Escola de Aviacão Militar (Military Aviation School), where Maggiore Nino Moscatelli acted as instructor on at least three flights on 28 June (serial not reported) and then 1 July 1938 with K-421 and 8 July 1938 with K-420 before to returning in Italy acting as a bomber pilot.
On 28 October 1938 K-420 (Italian military serial number MM. 356) was flown by Brazilian pilot Loyola Daher, experienced an accident during a take off but luckily was later repaired, for it was recorded as flying in September 1941. The K-420 retired from service from the Escola de Aviacão on 12 February 1943.
On 9 July 1939 an unidentified S.M. 79T flown by Major Rubens Canabarro Lucas set a speed record by flying from Porto Alegre to Rio in 2 hours and 50 minutes at an average speed of 423 km/h (263 mph).
On 29 June 1943 was the last flight of an S.M. 79T for the Brazilian Air Line made by K-422 piloted by pilot Maldonado.
The service of the S.M. 79T as a training aircraft ended on 25 October 1944 when K-421 and K-422 were officially grounded by the Escola de Aeronautica.
Civil Service
The I-TOMO, I-ROTR and the reconstructed I-LICA aircraft were modified with a cabin for 4 passengers, the rest of the plane was used for cargo transport. They were used for the Rome – Rio de Janeiro route since 1939 by the Italian civil airline Linea Aerea Transcontinentale Italiana or LATI (Eng: Italian Transcontinental Airlines) part of the Ala Littoria.
The three aircraft, whose name does not seem to be clear since some sources call them Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C, others S.M. 79T and others S.M. 79I, were used mainly for the transport of mail on the route Rome – Seville (Spain) – Lisbon (Portugal) – Villa Cisneros (Morocco) – Ilha do Sal (Cape Verde) – Recife (Brazil) – Rio de Janeiro.
At least one was diverted to the Regia Aeronautica in June 1940 when the Kingdom of Italy joined the Nazi Germany in the Second World War. The aircraft, I-ALAN was requisitioned by the Regia Aeronautica and used to transport military equipment from Italy to Abyssinia (Italian name for Ethiopia) while maintaining its civilian livery.
Unfortunately only 6 days after the beginning of the war, on the 16th of June 1940 the I-ALAN had some problems during a take-off from Benghazi in Libya and was forced to abort the departure.
During re-landing the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft crashed on the runway without causing too much damage and without casualties.
The aircraft, impossible to repair due to lack of parts, was moved to the side of the runway and probably cannibalized for spare parts to be used on other Savoia-Marchetti.
The carcass of the I-ALAN remained abandoned on the side of the runway of Benghazi for a long time and the British troops found it there in February 1941 when they conquered the Libyan city.
The I-ALAN among numerous other abandoned fuselages at Benghazi Airport in 1941. [sites.google.com/site/lgarey/benghazigraveyard]The I-ALAN when the British troops conquered the Benghazi Airport in 1941. [sites.google.com/site/lgarey/benghazigraveyard]Not much is known about the other two aircraft, but they were probably used on the Atlantic route together with the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 83 (civil version of the S.M. 79) and the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 75.
At the beginning the crossing was carried out weekly: departure on Thursday from the Italian territory and collecting the Italian mail on the way, then, landing in the two Iberian countries, the Spanish and Portuguese mail was collected, arriving in Brazil, the Brazilian mail directed to the three European countries was loaded and the return journey was made.
After June 10, 1940, with the Italian declaration of war against France and the United Kingdom, the transatlantic flight had to be reduced to only one crossing per month. They were finally stopped on December 19, 1941 as a result of the entry into war of the United States, which controlled the Atlantic airspace and especially because the US government forced Brazil to break all diplomatic relations with Fascist Italy and therefore also to block the possibility of using their airports.
Italian civil airline Ala Littoria’s Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C in 1939 in the standard blu and white livery. [Wiki]
Camouflage and Markings
The planes were painted in a very flamboyant livery: Ruby Red with green and white lines.
The rudder had the Italian tricolor with the Savoia coat of arms in the center.
The lictor beams, symbol of the Italian Fascist Party, were painted on the engine cowlings, while on the fuselage, under the cockpit was written “S.M. 79. Savoia-Marchetti”.
In the center of the fuselage, the aircraft codes were written on the sides, inside a white rectangle with black borders.
Also on the sides were painted three green mice intent on laughing at each other, this was the symbol of 205ª Squadriglia da bombardamento “Sorci Verdi”, and in fact, in Italian, “Sorci Verdi” means green mice.
This symbol will then also be painted on the S.M 79M of the squadron during the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War.
On the Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79T the livery was the same except for the codename written bigger without the white rectangle, and also because on the tail was added a small white rectangle with the codename of the aircraft during the first race.
After being delivered to the Aviacao Militar Brasileira, the aircraft were repainted green, with a yellow rudder. Brazilian serial numbers were then applied, painted in black on the sides and the “Brazilian Stars” on the wings.
The livery of S.M. 79C converted for civilian use was on an ivory white background with a blue line on the side.
Behind the cockpit was the inscription ‘ALA LITTORIA S.A. LINEE ATLANTICHE’, S.A. stands for “Società per Azioni” in English Joint-stock Company, the identification mark (in that case) I-ALAN and a Kingdom of Italy flag on the tail.
Gallery
Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 Transatlantico former I-BRUN in service with the Aviacao Militar BrasileiraSavoia-Marchetti S.M. 79C, I-ALAN converted in mail plane before June 1940.Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 Transatlantico former I-FILU piloted by Bruno Mussolini and Mancinelli during Rome – Dakar – Rio RaceSavoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 Corsa with the livery of Cupini and Paradisi plane for the Istres – Damascus – Le Bourget RaceSavoia-Marchetti S. 79 prototype, the I-MAGO
The Avia S-199 was a post Second World War fighter produced in Czechoslovakia. A total of 532 airplanes of different versions were built and used by the Czechoslovenské letectvo (Czechoslovak Air Force) from 1947 to 1955, and 25 planes were used by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) of the newly formed State of Israel between 1948 and 1949.
An Avia S-199 of the Israeli Air Force. Source: m.calcalist.co.il
After the Second World War, the fate of many European Jewish survivors of the Holocaust was bleak. Some returned to their homes across war-ravaged Europe, starting their lives from scratch. Others, who had lost entire families in the concentration camps or had lost everything for the war, decided to move to Palestine to establish the State of Israel.
Many of these, however, were blocked at the border of Palestine by the British, who were worried that the thousands of Jewish migrants could overrun the region. Others still ended up in British camps for displaced persons in Cyprus.
Some World War II veterans of different nationalities, Jewish or not, decided to take matters into their own hands. One such person was Lou Lenart ,who had lost 14 relatives in concentration camps, who wanted to retaliate and help displaced persons by joining the Haganah, an Israeli military organization, and becoming a so-called ‘Mahal’ ,Mitnadvei Hutz LaAretz’ or “volunteer from abroad”. During the Independence War, the Mahal numbered about 3,500 persons from 58 different countries. At the start of the hostilities, of the 18 fighter pilots of the Haganah, 15 were Mahal.
Czechoslovakian Necessity
After World War Two, Czechoslovakia had a shaky democracy dominated by communists, many of whom were of Jewish descent and pro-Zionist, despite discrimination and oppresion of Jewish people by the Soviets.
Czechoslovakia had found itself in possession of a large quantity of German weapons, many of which had been produced under occupation within its borders. Some types remained in production after the war ended with raw materials left in warehouses and factories or surrendered by the Anglo-Americans.
The Czechoslovakian arms stockpile would continue to grow as its soldiers returned, often with foreign supplied weapons.
Czechoslovakia was looking for a way to restore its economy, which was at an all-time low after the German occupation and the destruction caused by the war. Selling weapons was an excellent way to do this.
Mutual Aid
The Czech delegation to the UN voted for a Jewish state only a few months before a communist coup turned Czechoslovakia into a Soviet satellite state. Czechoslovakia then became one of the most important partners in helping arm the Jewish people.
Surplus German and Czech arms from World War II were purchased by the Czechoslovakian government and shipped to Palestine. Not only did they provide light weapons, but the country became a center for all forms of material aid.
While light weapons were important, the Israelis needed tanks and an air force to counter neighbouring Arab armies. All of this aid incurred a huge financial burden for the Czechs. Joseph Stalin allowed support to continue after the Czechoslovak communist coup, not so much as to support the Israelis, but to undermine the British Empire. The first contract was signed on January 14th, 1948 by Jan Masaryk, the Czech foreign minister.
The contract included 200 MG 34 machine guns, 4,500 K98 rifles, and 50,400,000 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser rounds for these rifles and machine guns.
Syria also purchased a quantity of weapons from Czechoslovakia for the Arab Liberation Army, but the shipment arrived in Israel due to the intervention of the Haganah.
After the communist coup in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, military support for the nascent state of Israel increased temporarily. However, Stalin’s brief policy of support for the state of Israel soon faded, and in the wake of the Tito-Stalin split, all Communist parties had to put their foreign policy on par with that of the Kremlin in order to prove their loyalty. In this context, the Czechoslovakian communists put an end to arms sales to Israel.
The first shipment of 200 rifles, 40 MG 34 machine guns and rounds landed secretly on the night of March 31st-April 1st 1948 at an improvised airport in Beit Daras on an American Douglas C-54 Skymaster cargo plane. The second larger shipment, covered with onions and potatoes, consisting of 450 rifles, 200 machine guns and rounds, arrived at the port of Tel Aviv aboard the merchant ship Nora on April 2nd, while a third shipment of ten thousand rifles, 1,415 machine guns and rounds reached Israel by sea on April 28th. Finally, the Haganah command had a stockpile of thousands of small arms on hand, but, as mentioned, other equipment was also needed to create an air force and armored units.
The Aircraft
In the final phase of the Second World War, it was decided that the factory of the Avia company located in Prague-Cakovice would assemble the Messerschmitt Bf109G-6, Bf109G-14 fighters and the Bf109G-12 two-seater trainer aircraft for the needs of the Luftwaffe. This production was based around components supplied by German factories.
After the war, a large stock of remaining spare parts was left and it was studied, along with the original blueprints, by the new authorities in order to begin local production of the aircraft. With the remaining spare parts, some aircraft were assembled, but there was a shortage of engines.
On 31st July 1945, at about 15:30, the ammunition depot at Krásný Březno exploded, killing 27 people and injuring several dozen more. The explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the depot, including the chemical plant buildings. The explosion was interpreted as being a result of sabotage carried out by the local Germans. In retaliation, the locals carried out the Ústí Massacre, killing about 80-100 ethnic Germans.
In addition to munitions, the warehouses that exploded also contained almost all Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines available in Czechoslovakia.
As a result, the Czechoslovak Air Force had to equip the aircraft with the Junkers Jumo 211 F-12 engine ,produced in Czechoslovakia as M-211F, of which there were several left after the war.
The Jumo 211 was not very suitable for installation on fighters, as it was originally intended only for bombers, such as the Heinkel He 111, Focke-Wulf Ta 154 and Junkers Ju 87. It was less powerful and heavier than the Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine, at 720 kg and 1,350 hp versus the DB 605AM’s 700 kg and 1,775 hp (on the Bf109G-14 variant).
Engine maintenance on a Czechoslovakian Avia S-199. The enormous propeller is clearly visible. Source: valka.cz
In addition, the Junkers engines did not provide for the installation of synchronizers, so it was necessary for the Avia engineers to modify them to synchronize the turn of the propellers with the aircraft’s guns, and create a new propeller. The first Avia S-199 fighter ,C-210, took off on April 25th, 1947 from Prague-Kakovice airport, flown by test pilot Petr Široký. After solving some mechanical problems, the series production of the machine began almost immediately.
The Avia fighter differed from the original Messerschmitt Bf.109 only in terms of propulsion and armament. Because of the new engine, the engine cowling, propeller, and spinner were modified.
The armament of the S-199 consisted of two 13 mm Mauser MG 131 machine guns with 600 rounds above the engine, and either two 7.92 mm machine guns in the wings or two 20 mm MG 151 cannons mounted under the wings in gunpods.
Because of the new engine, the Czechoslovakian aircraft was inferior to the German Bf 109 G-10. The maximum speed of the S-199 was 590 km/h compared to 690 km/h of the Messerschmitt. The maximum altitude was 9,000 m compared to 11,000 m. The worst problem was the change in the center of gravity of the aircraft, which greatly complicated takeoff and landing.
An Avia S-199 of the Czechoslovenské letectvo. Source: smartage.pl
The S-199 had another serious defect: the machine guns placed under the engine hood were not always synchronized with the propeller, which led to serious accidents.
Several plants were set up for the production and assembly of the Avia S-199, the Prague Automobile Plant, Plant No. 2 of Avia, and the plants of the Aero company where they assembled the aircraft. Rudders and ailerons were supplied by Letecké Závody in Letňany. The Letov company in Malešice produced the M-211 engines and the propellers and spinners were manufactured in Jinonice.
A total of 450 S-199 single-seaters and 82 CS-199 two-seaters were produced for training purposes, of which 24 were later converted from single-seater fighters.
First Aircrafts
The Czechoslovaks helped create the Israeli Air Force by selling the nascent Israeli state 25 Avia S-199 fighter planes in 1948.
The agreed cost was 180,000 USD (~2 million USD adjusted for inflation) per aircraft, including armament, ammunition, spare parts, pilot training and support equipment. This was a disproportionate price for what was, by now, a mediocre aircraft. At that time, an American surplus P-51D Mustang was sold second hand for only 4,000 USD (~44,000 USD adjusted for inflation).
Unfortunately, due to the embargoes imposed on Israel, it would have taken weeks or months to find other offers, time that Israel did not have given the conflict with the neighboring Arab states. A few weeks could make the difference between destruction and survival for the new state.
David Ben Gurion, the Prime Minister of Israel, did not hesitate and gave the order to buy the planes and to send the pilots to training as quickly as possible. A contract was signed for 25 Avia S-199 at a total cost of 4.5 million USD (~50 million adjusted for inflation).
Pilot Training
The first 10 Israeli pilots departed from Sde Dov on 6th May 1948 and arrived at the Czechoslovakian air base in České Budějovice on May 11th, 1948. Of the 10 pilots, 2 were US volunteers and one was South African, these last three were veteran pilots of the Second World War, having served with the US Army Air Force and Royal South African Air Force respectively. The other seven were British or Palestinian Jews, some of which were World War II veterans, while others had only completed Royal Air Force training in Rhodesia in early 1945, failing to actively participate in World War II.
The first to fly the Czechoslovakian fighter was former Marine Corps pilot Lou Lenart. As soon as he started to gain speed, due to the larger propeller, the aircraft started to yaw to the left. He was aware of this problem but he was likely unable to do anything about it.
When he returned to the runway, he managed to take off after several attempts, having to fight against the plane to avoid going off the runway. After a few minutes, he returned to the airfield and the pilot again had to fight to keep the plane straight during landing.
When all 10 pilots made their first flights, they gave their impressions of the plane. None were positive. The landing gear was narrow and made the S-199 difficult to keep straight during take off due to the huge torque of the propeller. The plane was unwieldy and very hard to handle, the cockpit was cramped and the canopy was hard to open.
The Jewish volunteers discovered that the Czech pilots called the S-199 ‘Mezec’, which means “mule,” and they quickly understood why.
The Jewish volunteers were accustomed to spacious, agile and fast Allied fighters, such as the Spitfire, P-51D Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt. The shock of flying an aircraft with completely different characteristics upset them, but the Avia was all they had and they had to make do.
IAF foreign pilots on an Avia S-199 in Israel. Some of them are US, British, Canadian and South African, Jewish and non-Jewish. Source: asisbiz.com
After only 4 days from the beginning of the training, on May 15th, the pilots of the Sherut Avir, Air Service in Hebrew, the ancestor of the Israeli Air Force, were recalled to Israel.
During training in Czechoslovakia, only five of the volunteers, those with World War II experience, had qualified to fly the Avia and none had flown it more than twice. The first S-199s were disassembled and loaded, along with other equipment, onto a Douglas C-54 Skymaster named Black-5. This plane landed on May 20th, 1948 at Be’er Tuvia, 40 km south of Tel Aviv, with the first disassembled Avia S-199, some bombs, Avia’s machine-gun rounds for the aircraft’s guns, artillery spare parts, and five fighter pilots who had “completed” their training in Czechoslovakia, American Lou Lanart, American Milton Rubenfeld (former RAF and USAF), South African Eddie Cohen (former RAF), Israeli Ezer Weizmann (former RAF) and Israeli Mordecai ‘Modi’ Alon (former RAF).
On the night between 23rd and 24th May 1948, one of the Douglas C-54 Skymasters carrying the fifth Avia for the fifth pilot crashed during landing due to poor visibility. The navigator, Moses Rosenbaum, died crushed by the fuselage of the Avia S-199 they were carrying, while the other three crew members were only injured.
Some sources report that the number of Avia S-199s that arrived in Israel was only 24. This could be a simple error or it could mean that Czechoslovakia delivered all the Avia but that the one that crashed on the night of May 23rd, perhaps because of the damage suffered, could not fly anymore and was used for spare parts.
Operational Use
The Israeli Air Force gave the Czechoslovakian fighter the nickname “סכין”, meaning “knife” in Hebrew. After being reassembled, the aircraft received the Israeli air force’s coat of arms and a number ranging from 100 to 125 for identification.
Aviator Rudy Augarten on board a Willys Jeep. In the background is the Avia S-199 D. 123 (123 .ד). Source: asisbiz.com
After the outbreak of hostilities, the war was going badly for the State of Israel, which had been invaded by anArab force composed of Egyptians, Syrians and Iraqis with the support of other nations such as Jordan and Lebanon. The Egyptian Army was advancing north along the Mediterranean coast, arriving less than 30 km from Tel Aviv.
Despite the fact that the Israeli engineers of the Givati Brigade had blown up the bridge over the Lachish river, the Egyptians continued to amass along the south bank of the river. It would take them a few hours to repair the bridge and they could arrive in Tel Aviv during the next day.
That evening, the last phases of the assembly of the first four aircraft had been completed in a hangar. An attack was being organized for the following days against the Royal Egyptian Air Force airport in El Arish, in order to take the REAF by surprise and announce in a very daring way the existence of the IAF.
Due to the proximity of the Egyptians to Tel Aviv, the Israeli pilots were ordered to take off with the only four S-199s that had arrived from Czechoslovakia. The planes had not yet been tested in flight, not all four had radios and those that had them did not work. The guns had never been tested, not even during the training of the pilots, who had flown on these fighters only twice.
Lou Lenart watches the ground crew during the final assembly of one of the four Avia S-199s, May 29th, 1948. Source: wikipedia.org
The four S-199s, piloted by Lou Lenart, Ezer Weizman, Modi Alon and Leonard Cohen, took off one hour before dark. Lenart, who commanded the unit, had never flown in Israel before, and he did not know where Ashdod, which was less than 15 km away from their airport, was located.
Anachronistically, he gestured to the other pilots the direction to go. Having clarified the direction to go, there was another problem, as the villages along the coast looked similar. Fortunately, columns of smoke were seen and, shortly afterwards, a column of Egyptian trucks and light armored vehicles was spotted stretching for more than a mile south of the Ashdod bridge. These belonged to engineering units trying to repair the bridge for the forces that were to take Tel Aviv the next day.
The pilots of the four planes attacked the column, which immediately dispersed. The Egyptians were not aware of the existence of an Israeli air force, lacked sufficient anti-aircraft weapons and, in some cases, had never seen an aircraft before.
The fighters swooped down on the Arabs, dropped the two 70 kg bombs they had and started to strafe the scattering soldiers. After a few shots, the guns jammed. In reality, the bombs and the following machine gun strafing did little damage. However, the psychological impact on the Egyptian troops was so devastating that, the next day, the order to attack Tel Aviv was cancelled. After that, the Egyptian offensive strategy became purely defensive.
During the attack, South African Leonard ‘Eddie’ Cohen’s Red Four plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Cohen was the first loss of the Israeli Air Force. During landing, Modi Alon’s Red Two aircraft went off the runway and was damaged.
At 0530 hrs on May 30th, in order to take advantage of the surprise appearance of the IAF, the two remaining S-199s, piloted by Weizman ,Red 1, and Milt Rubenfeld,Red 3, attacked the village of Tulkarm in northern Israel, which controlled by a Jordanian-Iraqi force.
In this case as well, the real damage was insignificant but the psychological effect was devastating. A bomb had hit the police station where the Arabs were hiding themselves and 4 tanks were machine-gunned.
Rubenfeld’s plane was hit, probably by two anti-aircraft cannon shots, one in the wing and one in the fuselage. Due to the damage sustained by the aircraft, he could only return to the territory controlled by the Israeli Defense Force and then bail out at low altitude into the sea. He jumped from about 370 meters, but the parachute did not open properly and he fell into the water and was injured. He swam towards the shore, andafter two hours, he realized that the water in which he was swimming was very shallow and he had reached land.
He became the target of rifle shots from a nearby kibbutz, being mistaken for an Arab pilot ,the Israeli Air Force had remained a secret until the day before. He was then rescued and, after treatment, brought back by cab to Tel Aviv and then returned to the United States.
Ezer Weizmann sitting on the wheel of the landing gear of an Avia S-199 with the 101st Squadron’s coat of arms. Weizmann would become the seventh president of Israel some year after. Source: wikipedia.org
On May 30th, the unit was officially named the 101st Squadron or First Fighter Squadron, a name that was very impressive for a unit that had two fighters, one of which was operational, and four pilots, one of which was wounded.
On June 3rd, 1948, two Douglas C-47 Dakotas, escorted by two Egyptian Supermarine Spitfires, arrived from over the sea to bomb Tel Aviv. This practice had been ongoing for a long time and had cost the lives of hundreds of civilians in the city. The Egyptian tactic was to drop bombs out the back door onto the city below.
That day, late in the afternoon, 101st Squadron was alarmed that the Egyptian bombers were again on their way to Tel Aviv. Modi Alon took the only available S-199 and took off.
Arriving in the skies over the city, he spotted the two C-47s with two Spitfires escorting them.
Modi Alon first flew west over the Mediterranean Sea, thus being able to approach with the sun behind him. The enemy aircraft would thus have a hard time seeing him, a tactic RAF instructors in Rhodesia had taught him.
Arriving behind the first C-47, he hit it with a long burst of cannons and machine guns and sent it crashing to the ground. With a very risky maneuver, he passed in front of a Supermarine Spitfire and then turned around again to attack the second C-47 head-on.
The slow and clumsy Douglas tried to turn around to get rid of the attacker while the two Spitfires tried to line up the Avia, trying to hit it to defend the bomber.
Alon’s S-199 shots hit the second C-47, which crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after. Alon then pushed the throttle to full and sped away at top speed, without the Spitfires being able to hit it.
Alon’s Avia S-199 attack on the first C-47 in Tel Aviv’s sky on 3rd June 1948. Source: fly.historicwings.com
On June 8th, 1948, during his first mission aboard an S-199, Gideon Lichtman, who had trained for only 35 minutes aboard the Avia, flew the first dogfight of the war against an Egyptian Spitfire that was strafing civilians in Tel Aviv.
Lichtman didn’t even know which trigger to fire, so he kept pressing buttons, levers and switches until he found the right one, and chasing one of the Spitfires, he opened fire, shooting it down. The U.S. pilot was forced to land without fuel because he had only 40 minutes of fuel when he intercepted the enemy plane.
Gideon Lichtman left, Modi Alone (center) and Defence Minister Ben Gurion (right) in front of an Avia S-199. Photo taken the day when Gurion visited the 101 Squadron during the Independence War. Source: pinterest.com
Exactly one month later, on July 8, (some other sources claim 18 July) Modi Alon left with other 2 Avias to attack an Egyptian reinforcement column at Bir Asluj in the Negev Desert.
After the successful attack, on their way back Alon noticed two Egyptian Spitfires Mark VCs in flight, attacked them and managed to shoot down one of them which was the one of the Wing Commander Said Afifi al-Janzuri.
Although the career of the few Israeli Avias seemed good, due to its poor handling characteristics on the ground, no more than four planes were operational together, recalled pilot Mitchell Flint, veteran of the Pacific Campaign.
On the morning of July 9 Lou Lenart was ordered to attack the Egyptian air base of El Arish with four fighters. The fuel was low and the tanks could not be filled to capacity.
During takeoff the Avia S-199 number two piloted by ex-USAF aviator Stan Andrews swerved to the left during takeoff, flipped over and blocked the runway for 15 minutes causing the other fighters to consume fuel.
An Israeli Avia D. 107 (107 .ד). overturned on an airstrip side. Source: asisbiz.com
The three remaining operational S-199s running out of fuel hit the much closer Egyptian-controlled Gaza port.
Only two S-199s returned to base while the third, piloted by former USAF Bob Vickman, had not returned. Despite efforts Vickman was never found again.
The next day there was a similar situation, a pair of S-199s attacked two Syrian bombers near the Sea of Galilee. Ex-RAF pilot Maury Mann, shot down one of the two bombers within seconds while his South African ex-RAF wingman Lionel Bloch , in aircraft 108 .ד, attacked the second one chasing it as it retreated into Syria.That was the last time Bloch was seen, neither he nor his S-199 returned to base.
The next morning Sydney ‘Syd’ Cohen, a former South African medical student, member of 101 Squadron and future leader of the squadron, took off to search for Bloch or the remains of his plane.
Syd had spent more time training in Czechoslovakia so he realized that there was something wrong with the disappearance of two planes in two days, he acted on instinct and fired a very short burst with the machine guns mounted in the engine cowling.
When he landed, everyone noticed that all three propeller blades had bullet holes in them. The synchronizer was faulty, Vickman, Bloch and some thought also Leonard Cohen had all likely shot their own propellers while firing their guns.
On October 16, 1948, Airman Rudy Augarten, a former USAF pilot who had shot down two Messerschmitt Bf.109s during World War II, was on a reconnaissance mission over El Arish Air Base, which had been attacked the previous day. As he flew south toward the coast in the distance, he saw two Spitfires flying in formation.
Augarten followed the two Egyptian planes, trying not to be detected.
Augarten lined up with one of the Spitfires and fired a burst, sending the Egyptian plane plunging toward the Israeli lines. The other Spitfire, pursued by Augarten’s wingman Leon Frankel, fled the battle.
Rudy Augarten on the doorstep of the Airbase. Note the coat of arms probably cutted from the Spitfire he shooted down. He had the possibility to visit the site where its victim landed some days after it’s victory. Source: pinterest.com
That same day Alon and Weizmann departed at 1658 hrs for a mission near Ashdod where both had done the first IAF mission. After the success of the mission Alon had returned and during the approach to the runway he reported by radio that he had a problem with the landing gear, a common problem on Avias that was never solved. One or both of the pistons that lowered the struts would not extend fully. The Israeli pilots learned the hard way that they had to pull the nose of the fighter up and down to get the landing gear fully retracted into the wing.
While Alon was working out his problem, observers on the ground noticed something more troubling. A trail of gray smoke was coming out of his fighter’s nose.
Alon was told over the radio to check the temperatures of the plane’s various gauges. “They were fine” Alon replied seconds before his fighter crashed in flames next to the runway, killing him. His daughter born 6 months later could not meet him but served in the same squadron as her father.
From that moment on, the Avia S-199 were more and more rarely used by the Israelis.
Very few of them were still operational and, starting from September 25, 1948, about fifty ex-Czech Supermarine Spitfires IX were arriving in Israel, which would have been much more reliable.
The S-199 fighters flew with the Coat of Arms of the Israeli Air Force until June 1949.
The last surviving examples of Avia S-199 in Israel in the Isaeli Air Force Museum, the 120 .ד. during a takeoff in 1948 and today. Source: m.calcalist.co.il and asisbiz.com
The aircraft maintained the Czechoslovakian sand coloration but the Israeli Air Force coat of arms (Stars of David) were applied in light blue on a white circular background on the sides of the fuselage and on the wings, top and bottom.
Two views of the Avia numbered 106 .ד. The Israeli letter was written behind the David’s Star. Sources: asisbiz.com
During the first missions the Stars of David were painted without paying attention to size, but later they were painted in standard size. Behind the David’s Star there were three bends white-light blue-white and the Israeli identification number, from 100 .ד to 125 .ד.
The Avia S-199 numbered 107 .ד with a non standard dimensions David’s Star in the first weeks of war. Note that the star was painted between the number and the Hebrew letter ד. Source: asisbiz.com
In front of the propeller nosepiece (which was painted red or blue in some cases) was painted the 101 Squadron coat of arms, a skull with wings inscribed in a red circle.
From September 1948 the rudders were painted with red and white oblique lines but photographic evidence shows that not all aircraft received them, at least until December 1948.
At least one aircraft, towards the end of the war, was painted in two-tone camouflage, dark brown and sand yellow with the underside of the aircraft in Mediterranean blue.
The 123 .ד at the Tel Mid airfield. Note the two tone camouflage and the identification number now painted bigger and in white. Source: asisbiz.com
Conclusion
The Avia S-199, although an extremely unreliable aircraft, was the first aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, the only one that at that time they could acquire due to UN embargoes.
During the 13 months of IAF service the Israeli pilots shot down a total of 8 Arab aircraft without losing a single Avia to Arab aircraft.
The major losses were due to mechanical problems of the aircraft leading to the conclusion that the Avia S-199s were more dangerous for the Israeli pilots than for the Arab pilots.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 272ª Squadriglia of the 153° Gruppo Autonomo ‘Asso di Bastoni’. This aircraft was part of the middle production run of the SAI Ambrosini plant. Soure: pinterest.com
The Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’ (Lightning) was a fighter aircraft developed by Aeronautica Macchi (AerMacchi) of Italy around the mid-1930s, resulting in one of the most produced and used aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) during the Second World War. It yielded good results on all fronts where the Italian forces operated, from the hot and dusty desert of North Africa, to the cold and snowy Russian steppes.
After 8th September 1943, both the Luftwaffe and Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (Eng: Italian National Air Force) on the Axis side, and the Aeronautica Cobaelligerante Italiana (Eng: Italian Co-belligerent Air Force) on the Allied side used the surviving aircraft.
After the war, the Aeronautica Militare (Eng: Italian Military Air Force) used the few Macchi 200 that were still functioning for another two years, until 1947, for training tasks.
Development
Before the Macchi 200, the Regia Aeronautica was equipped with fighter biplanes, such as the FIAT C.R. 30 and C.R. 32, which were considered among the best biplanes produced in Europe at the time.
During the early 1930s the Regia Aeronautica had in service some of the best biplanes of the world, not for nothing it was considered one of the best air forces in the world, with records in both civilian and military spheres.
In the mid-30s it became clear to the Italians that the biplane configuration was more than outdated and they needed new, state-of-the-art, low-wing, all-metal monoplane aircraft, and, only one year after the biplane FIAT C.R. 32 appeared in 1935, the leaders of the Royal Air Force issued a request for a new aircraft.
On 10th February 1936, the Direzione Generale Costruzioni Aeronautiche or DGCA ( General Directorate of Aeronautical Construction) requested the development of a low-wing monoplane ground interceptor fighter with retractable landing gear. The maximum speed was to be 500 km/h (310 mph), with a range of 2 hours, and a climb rate of 6,000 meters (19,685 ft) in 5 minutes. The requested armament was to be composed of one or two 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns, the engine had to be the FIAT A.74 radial with an entirely metal fuselage.
The largest aeronautical companies in Italy responded to this order. Aeronautica Macchi presented the Macchi M.C. 200, FIAT Aeronautica, a subsidiary of FIAT, had the FIAT G.50, Aeronautica Umbra S.A. (AUSA) had the AUSA AUT 18, Caproni the Caproni Vizzola F.5 and Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM) had the IMAM Ro. 51.
In 1938, Officine Meccaniche Reggiane also responded to the request by presenting the Reggiane Re. 2000 which did not see great success, however it was used to develop the more powerful Re. 2001 and Re. 2002.
The FIAT G. 50 prototype. Photo taken prior to its first test flight. Source: warfly.ru
Two winning projects were chosen. The Macchi M.C. 200 was found to have excellent flying characteristics, meeting most requirements that were stipulated in the original request. The FIAT G.50 was not as highly praised, but still accepted into service. The prototypes of both aircraft first flew in 1937, and both would enter service in 1939.
The Macchi MC 200 was designed by a team of engineers led by Mario Castoldi (1888-1968), a successful designer who had already worked on the Macchi M. 39 and M.C. 72, the latter still holding the speed record for a seaplane powered by a non-standard engine.
The initials M.C. stood for Macchi-Castoldi to emphasize the prestige that the company gave to its chief engineer.
Prototypes
Hastily produced, the prototype, with serial number MM. 336 (Matricola Militare; Military Serial Number), flew for the first time on 24th December 1937 from the Lonate Pozzolo runway, piloted by test pilot Giuseppe Burei that I judge the driving of the aircraft positively. Due to Burei’s untimely death during a flight test of the seaplane Macchi M.C.94, the subsequent test flights of the first prototype were conducted by Ambrogio Colombo.
First prototype during assembly in the Varese plant. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
On March 1st, 1938, Colombo was asked to impress the ministerial commission composed of General Ferdinando Raffaelli, Lieutenant Colonel Torre and Major Lippi. The reason for this request was simple. Macchi was late with developing the aircraft. FIAT and IMAM had already completed test flights months before, and there was a risk that the Macchi fighter would not be taken into consideration by the Regia Aeronautica.
During the exhibition flight for the commission, Ambrogio Colombo performed 38 exercises with the prototype fully loaded and at an altitude of 3,300 meters (10,827 ft).
There were no major differences between the first and second prototypes apart from a few small details, such as a one-piece rear canopy, anti-rollover structure and shorter exhaust pipes.
The second prototype, serial number MM. 337, during its first flight test. Note the full size landing gear gear cover. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
On 11th June 1938, during the test flights at the Guidonia runway with the 1° Centro Sperimentale Aviazione (1st Experimental Aviation Center), the body responsible for evaluating aircraft for the Regia Aeronautica, it was found that the aircraft tended to flipping if turns were too tight, with consequent loss of control (in 1940, two pilots of the 1st Wing, Lieutenant Tinti and Sergeant Major De Bernardinis, were killed during training on 1st March and in May due to this problem).
Mario Castoldi immediately began to design new wings to solve the problem (which was common to all the monoplanes presented for the competition), a solution that would take an excessive amount of time to design and implement.
Engineer Sergio Stefanutti of the Società Aeronautica Italiana Ambrosini (another Italian aeronautical company), was commissioned by the Experimental Aviation Center to find the cause of the Macchi’s control problems, solved the problem more simply, by gluing layers of balsa wood on the center and ends of the wings. Castoldi did not waste time, and the new wings were then mounted on the successor of the ‘Saetta’, the Macchi M.C. 202.
Around 1941, some Seattas of the 1st Fighter Wing, belonging to the first production series, were withdrawn from first line service due to the problems with the defective wing profile.
Engineer Mario Castoldi with MM. 337 piloted by Giuseppe Burei. Photo taken during the first test flight of the second prototype: Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
With this problem corrected, the Macchi M.C. 200 proved to be a reliable, manageable aircraft. Despite the radial engine, it still had enough speed to compete with the Hawker Hurricane, which it bested in combat maneuverability, but was outmatched in firepower. As the war went on, the Saetta’s maneuverability, sturdy construction, and the reliability of the radial engine were the fighter’s only remaining strengths.. Primarily thanks to the experience of the pilots did the type manage to obtain some aerial victories.
The prototype serial number MM 336 remained in the Breda factory for a period of time, and was then returned to Macchi on 23rd August 1940, where it was left in disrepair. Due to the lack of engines caused by the war, at an unknown date, the MM 336’s engine was disassembled and mounted on the Macchi M.C. 200 serial number MM 8836. The prototype, without the engine, returned to Varese in September 1942 and from there, nothing more is known about it.
The second prototype was used for camouflage tests after the conclusion of flight tests, before being overhauled and sent to Rimini.
Structure
The structure of the MC 200 was entirely metal, a big step forward for the Italian aircraft industry at the time. The only other Italian aircraft with an all-metal structure before the MC 200 was the Breda Ba. 27, of which only 14 units were produced and otherwise remained at the prototype stage, along with the competing FIAT G. 50.
Structure of the Macchi MC 200’s fuselage. Source: cmpr.it
The new fuselage turned out to be quite robust, but was heavier, and let to longer production times It was made of molded duralumin and was covered with super avional plates (a special duralumin alloy) riveted with countersunk-head rivets, reducing aerodynamic drag.
Structure of the Macchi MC 200 seen from inside. Source: cmpr.it
Like the fuselage, the wings, mounted on the lower part of the fuselage, were also a single structure consisting of two spars with ailerons and ventral flaps. The whole wing structure was made of duralumin, apart from the ailerons, which retained the doped and painted canvas.
The prototype Macchi prototypes were equipped with a constant airfoil that increased the speed by a few kilometers per hour but caused autorotation problems which risked making the aircraft impossible to maneuver with the risk that the pilot could not even parachute out. On the production models, this was replaced by a variable airfoil.
The wing structure. Source: cmpr.it
Cockpit
The Macchi M.C. 200 cockpit. Source: cmpr.it
The cockpit had a single hand-control column. On the left side was the throttle, along with the controls for take-off and the flaps controls. The instrument panel had a gyroscope, speedometer, altimeter and other basic instruments for flight and an onboard ammunition gauge that ran up to 650 rounds per weapon. In the center of the instrument panel was the compass with a San Giorgio collimator located just above, for aiming the onboard armament.
On the first series of the Macchi MC 200, the windshield was a 5 centimeter (1.96 in) thick piece of glass, and the steel pilot’s seat had a thickness of about 3 centimeters (1.18 in) to protect the pilot. Behind the seat were oxygen cylinders, and those of the fire extinguishing system. The ARC 1 radio system and its batteries were located in front of the cockpit.
From the 26th Macchi MC 200 produced onward, a new tubular roll bar was introduced behind the armored seat. This was meant to protect the pilot if the plane landed inverted. It is not clear whether this was introduced after an accident or as a precaution. However, from the 3rd Series onward, this feature was again eliminated, the cockpit was open and unpressurized, and the rear canopy, no longer made of glass, was reinforced to act as the anti-roll structure.
The semi enclosed cockpit was introduced in August 1941, starting from the 12th aircraft of the 5th production series of Macchi and starting from the 65th aircraft of the 1st production series of Breda.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 2nd Series. The anti-roll structure behind the pilot and the retractable tail wheel are visible. This aircraft was part of the 371ª Squadriglia of the 22º Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre during the Greek Campaign. Source: Macchi MC 200 Saetta
In the late production versions, an antenna fixed to the back of the canopy was added. This reduced the reception problems of the onboard radio.
Landing Gear
The landing gear with the third type of wheel covers. Source: cmpr.it
There were several types of landing gear covers used on the Macchi MC 200. On the first prototypes, the landing gear door completely covered the strut and the wheel. During landing, the lowest part was raised to avoid hitting the ground. This version was very complex to manage, and in case of malfunction the landing gear would break. Often the planes were forced to take off on makeshift runways on lawns, in case of malfunction the cover, due to the speed, would be stuck in the ground causing the breakage of the strut or worse, that the plane would fall on one side leading to the total destruction of the fuselage and wings.
The outer landing gear cover of the prototype. The lowest part is raised in the photo. Source: Macchi MC 200 Saetta
The models of the first series adopted a different type of outer landing gear doors, with a small inner gear door at the wing attachment points.
The 1st series Macchi MC 200 with the 2nd type of running gear cover. Source: Source: pinterest.comThe standard Macchi M.C. 200 outer running gear cover with the 372ª Squadriglia. Source: pinterest.com
The rear wheel on the first 146 examples was retractable, which slightly increased top speed but slowed production. In addition, during firefights, enemy fire could damage the mechanism that lowered and raised the wheel, leading to the risk that it would not come out during landing.
The rear retractable wheel of the landing gear of the Macchi M.C. 200. Source: cmpr.it
The tires were of the FAST type, produced by Pirelli of Milan. The dimensions of the front ones were 236 x 85 x 79 inches, while the rear wheel model had the Spiga type, also made by Pirelli, which was 82 x 31 inches.
Engine
The M.C.200 engine was the radial two-row FIAT Aeronautica 74 RC 38 ‘Ciclone’ ( Cyclone). It had 14 cylinders and was air-cooled, with a displacement of 31.25 liters (1,907 in³).
It had been developed by Engineer Tranquillo Zerbi and Professor Antonio Fessia based on the American Pratt & Whitney R-1535. The 600 kg (1,322 lbs) engine delivered a take-off power of 870 hp at 2,500 rpm, 840 hp at 2,400 rpm at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 ft), and a maximum power of 960 hp at 3,000 rpm, which could only be maintained for short periods.
Photo of the FIAT A.74 RC 38 ‘Ciclone’. Source: Centro Storico FIAT
This engine guaranteed a maximum speed of 503 km/h (313 m/h) at 4,500 meters (14,763 ft). Its low fuel consumption also guaranteed a range of 570 km (354 miles) with two fuel tanks, one in the wings and the other under the cockpit, and a third auxiliary tank behind the pilot’s seat. In total, there were 313 liters (82.6 US gallons) of fuel. This could be extended to 870 km (540 miles) with an external tank of 450 liters (118 US gallon), at an average speed of 465 km/h (288 m/h) at an average height of 6,000 meters (16,685 ft) . Its climb rate was 6,000 meters in 7 minutes and 33 seconds.
FIAT A.74 RC 38 schematic. Source: svppbellum.blogspot.com
This engine, despite being outdated in performance and power compared to the most contemporary modern in-line engines of the war, was appreciated by pilots and technicians for its simplicity, ease of maintenance and ease of operation. This was true even in unsuitable climates, such as the deserts of North Africa and the freezing Russian steppes. However, there were problems with the carburetors that had quality issues in addition to not being suitable for such extreme climates.
A FIAT A.74 Engine mounted on a FIAT C.R. 42 biplane during maintenance. Source: stormomagazine.com
The engine cowling featured “bubbles” that protected the rocker arms of the cylinders.
This allowed a decrease of the diameter of the cowling, increasing visibility compared to the G. 50, which was equipped with the same engine.
In June 1940, all Fiat A.74 engines, produced under license by Reggiane, were replaced due to failures that brought oil temperatures to dangerous levels after an inspection by a captain of the Aeronautical Engineers and an engineer of the company.
In the first series, the cockpit was equipped with a fully enclosed canopy, which was prone to several problems. Over time, the glass became opaque which affected visibility, and it was also difficult to open above a certain airspeed, so it was opted to go for an open cockpit with only frontal protection.
The new fighters were required to have variable pitch propellers. On the two prototypes, and on the first 25 specimens produced, the propeller was the three-blade FIAT-Hamilton 34D-1. The first 25 production planes were equipped with an aerodynamic spinner to protect the propeller hub but. From the 26th plane onwards, the Piaggio P. 1001 propeller, designed by Castoldi himself, was mounted with the spinner removed. In both cases, the propellers had a diameter of 3.05 meters.
One of the first 25 planes produced with the FIAT-Hamilton 34D-1 propeller with a cap. pinterest.com
Armament
The machine guns are visible through the open inspection doors. Source: cmpr.itThe Breda-SAFAT machine guns without flash hiders. Source: cmpr.it
The armament consisted of two 12.7 mm (.50 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns positioned on the engine cowling and synchronized with the propeller. They weighed 29 kg (64 lbs) each and were fed with two 370-round 12.7 x 81 mm SR Breda belts. This ammunition developed from British Vickers .5 V/565 Semi-Rimmed round.
There were various types of bullets produced by the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche and by the Società Anonima Fabbrica Armi Torino (SAFAT). In addition to the classic full metal jacket bullet, the weapon could fire ammunition produced in Italy of the following types: tracer, perforating, explosive-incendiary, and explosive-incendiary-tracer (or multi-effect).
On average, these bullets weighed 34 grams each, for a total of 25.160 kilograms (55.46 lbs) of ammunition. The machine-gun firing rate was 700 rpm, but this was decreased to 574 rpm when synchronized with the propeller.
Ammunition resupply of a Macchi MC 200 of the 160ª Squadriglia of the Regia Aeronautica. Source: kitshow.net
Although quite powerful, these machine guns proved insufficient to deal with enemy threats as the war continued. Another big problem encountered was the small number of rounds on board. Only 740 rounds guaranteed just over a minute of continuous fire.
After the 25th plane, the machine guns were equipped with a flash hider so as to not blind the pilot when firing. The ammunition reserve was also increased to 740 rounds, as it consisted of only 600 rounds in total on the first planes. The spent cartridges, after being shot, were not ejected from the plane but stored onboard, so that they could be reused.
In 1937, engineer Castoldi proposed the adoption of two 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the wings to the Regia Aeronautica. This required a consequent strengthening of the wing structure, and subsequent loss of speed, but the proposal was ignored.
On the Macchi MC 200CB, or Cacciabombardiere (fighter-bomber), version, the aircraft was equipped with two 3 kg (1.86 lbs) underwing pylons, capable of carrying bombs weighing up to 160 kg (353 lbs) each.
The bombs were used for infantry support missions. Although the maximum load was 320 kg (705 lbs), four 15 kg bombs (33 lbs) per pylon were commonly carried .
The aircraft could also carry two bombs up to a maximum of 160 kg (353 lbs) each or two 150-liter (40 US gallons) auxiliary tanks, increasing the range. The two 150-liter tanks could also be equipped together with the 450-liter centerline tank, effectively doubling the aircraft’s maximum range.
Schematic representation of the Italian aeronautical bombs used during the Second World War. The 50, 100 and 160 kg ones were the used on the Macchi MC 200CB. Source: talpo.it
In Italy
The first M.C. 200s were ready in the spring of 1939 and were delivered to the Regia Aeronautica during the same year. As of September 1st, 1939, 29 Macchi M.C. 200s had been delivered, of which 25 were allocated to front-line units, with the others given to flight training schools. In comparison, the Regia Aeronautica had 19 FIAT G. 50s and 143 FIAT C.R. 42s.
At the time of the Kingdom of Italy’s entry into the war on the 10th of June 1940, the number of M.C.200s in the Regia Aeronautica was 156. Of these, only 103 were in the front-line units and not all were combat ready. Similarly, there was in increase in other fighters on hand with 118 FIAT G. 50s and 300 FIAT CR 42s.
A Macchi M.C. 200 of the 81ª Squadriglia, 6º Gruppo of the 1º Stormo in Sicily. This aircraft belonged to the 1st SAI Ambrosini series. It had a fixed rear landing wheel but an enclosed cockpit. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
These 156 aircraft were split between different units, such as the 16º Gruppo Autonomo da Caccia Terrestre (16th Autonomous Land Fighter Group) of the XVI° Gruppo (16th Group) and the 181ª Squadriglia (181st Squadron) of the 6° Gruppo Caccia (6th Fighter Group) of the 1º Stormo Caccia Terrestre (1st Ground Fighter Wing), based at an unknown airport in Sicily.
7 Saetta had gone to the 369ª Squadriglia, 6 to the 370ª Squadriglia and 6 to the 371ª Squadriglia of the 152º Gruppo commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Melotti, based at Vergiate airport in Lombardy. Another 7 Macchi MC 200 were in service with the 372ª Squadriglia, 6 with the 373ª Squadriglia and 6 with the 374ª Squadriglia of the 153º Gruppo of Captain Alberto Benefonti at the Caselle airport. The 152º Gruppo and 153º Gruppo were under the command of the 54º Stormo of Colonel Enrico Guglielmotti, with headquarters in Airasca.
The very first Macchi aircraft were delivered to the 91ª Squadriglia of the 10º Gruppo of the 4º Stormo, which was considered an elite unit. The 4th Wing received the MC 200 shortly before entering the war, but preferred to go to battle in Libya with the old FIAT CR 42 biplanes in late June 1940.
The reason for this downgrade was that the pilots of the 4° Stormo were all veterans of the Spanish Civil War, or possessed years of experience in aerobatic performances around the world, and were far more accustomed to their FIAT C.R. 32 and C.R. 42 biplanes. While they received the latest generation monoplane fighters, they did not have enough time to properly train on them, and subsequently turned down the opportunity to fly the Macchi M.C. 200.
It should also be emphasized that the pilots of the 4th Wing were the only ones not to appreciate the Macchi initially. On October 23rd, 1939, a few weeks after delivery, General Velardi, commander of another air unit, wrote to the General Staff of the Italian Royal Army that his pilots were more than satisfied with the new plane, and that within a few weeks of training they could use the new Macchi for aerobatic performances.
A Macchi M.C. 200 of the 54° Stormo with Italian pilots finishing a pre-mission briefing. Source: pinterest.com
The first victim of the new Macchi MC 200 was a British Short S.25 Sunderland four-engined seaplane on a reconnaissance mission on 1st November 1940, near Augusta in Sicily.
In the last weeks of December 1940, the pilots of the 181st Squadron of the 6th Fighter Group of the 1st Ground Fighter Wing had the task of escorting the Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ dive bombers of the I/StG.1 and II/StG.2 of the X Fliegerkorps. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 of 7./JG 26, which were supposed to escort the Stukas on their missions to Malta, had not yet arrived in Sicily.
During this mission, the Saettas proved effective and without any particular defects in dogfighting against the Hawker Hurricane. They were able to outclass the old Gloster Gladiator biplanes without much difficulty.
A Macchi M.C. 200AS produced by SAI Ambrosini takes off from a runway in Sicily. Source: pinterest.com
In Sicily, two Saettas of the 70th Squadron of the 23rd Autonomous Fighter Group based at Boccadifalco airport were used for night missions. Lieutenant Colonel Tito Falconi, commander of the group and Captain Claudio Solaro, commander of the squadron, were, according to documents, the only ones to fly the two Macchi at night.
According to the documents, between September and December 1941, these two fighters flew dozens of missions over Palermo, also participating in several engagements against British aircraft, but without managing to shoot any down. By the end of the year, the 23rd Group was sent back to the Turin Mirafiori airport to be reorganized.
After the North African Campaign, in July 1943, Allied troops invaded Sicily. At that time, the Regia Aeronautica had 81 Macchi M.C. 200, 41 with the 2nd Wing, 3 in the 22nd Group, 13 in the 157th Group, 4 in the 161st Group and 20 aircraft in the 82nd and 392nd Squadrons.
A Macchi M.C. 200 produced by Macchi with the 73ª Squadriglia in Sicily. Source: pinterest.com
One of the last battles occurred a few days before the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943. On 2nd September 1943, while on patrol around the naval base at the port of La Spezia, Lieutenant Petrosellini of the 92nd Squadron of the 8th Group intercepted a group of 24 American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses that were approaching to bomb the port facilities and industrial areas of the city. Petrosellini carried out two attacks on the behemoth US bombers alone, managing to shoot down one and damage a second. He then performed an emergency landing on Sarzana airport due to damage sustained from heavy defensive fire.
As of the 8th of September 1943, 33 Macchi M.C. 200 were in the ranks of the Regia Aeronautica.
Until September 1943, the ‘Saetta’ was the most widely used Italian fighter on all fronts. The first examples of its successor, the Macchi M.C. 202, entered front-line service in late September 1941, with the first examples of Macchi M.C. 205V appearing in February 1943.
Malta
Malta, or “L’Isola Maledetta” (The Damned Island), a British stronghold in the Mediterranean, was the setting for dozens of air battles in which the Macchi M.C. 200 took part.
Just above the Island of Malta, the first loss of an M.C. 200, a casualty of the Royal Air Force, was recorded on 23rd June, 1940. Nine Macchi M.C. 200s of the 79th Squadron, eight of the 88th Squadron, and one of the 81st Squadron, all belonging to the 6th Group, escorted ten Savoia Marchetti SM.79s of the 11th Bomber Wing to the island.
Immediately, the British launched two Gloster Gladiators to intercept them. Sergeant Major Molinelli of the 71st Squadron attacked one of the two British planes that were, in turn, attacking a bomber off Sliema. The ‘Saetta’ was hit and fell into the sea. It is not clear whether Major Molinelli survived.
Franco Lucchini, an Italian ace of the 90th Squadron of the 10th Fighter Group of the 4th Wing with 26 kills, took off on 27th June 1941 from Trapani Airport in Sicily. He was on an attack mission during which he shot down a Hawker Hurricane. Afterward, he shared many other victories with his companions of the 4th Wing.
Another loss recorded occurred on the morning of 25th July 1941, when about 40 Macchi M.C. 200s of the 54th Wing and were tasked with escorting a CANT Z.1007bis of the 30th Wing for photographic reconnaissance on Valletta. The mission was meant to photograph an English naval convoy that had been attacked the day before by torpedo bombers.
Above the island, about 30 Hurricanes descended upon the formation, causing the CANT Z. 1007 bis to fall into flames. The Saetta of second Lieutenant Liberti was shot down, with the loss of the pilot, as was that of Lieutenant De Giorgi, whose fate is unknown. The Italian fighter pilots declared the downing of four Hurricanes, two by Sergeant Major Magnaghi, one by Captain Gostini and one by Sergeant Omiccioli of the 98th Squadron.
On 27th of October 1940, Carlo Poggio Suasa of the 81st Squadron, 6th Group, assigned to the 1st Terrestrial Fighter Wing stationed at Catania-Fontanarossa airport, shot down a Hawker Hurricane over Malta.
On July 11th, 1941, during an attack on the Maltese airbase of Micabba, three Italian Aces, belonging to the 10th Group of the 4th Wing were engaged by seven or eight enemy Hurricanes. They were Leonardo Ferrulli (with 21 kills between the war), Carlo Romagnoli (11 kills and 6 probable) and Franco Lucchini (22 kills). After a grueling dog fight, the three MC 200s managed to disengage and were pursued for 40 km before the British gave up the chase and, with their aircraft damaged but still able to fly, they were able to return to Sicily safely.
On June 27th, 1941, the same units of the 10th Group, 4th Wing, commanded by Ace Carlo Romagnoli, took off from Catania-Fontanarossa airport in Sicily to escort a Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 on a reconnaissance mission.
Arriving at Malta, they were immediately intercepted by a group of Hawker Hurricane Mark I of RAF No. 46 Squadron that forced them to abort the mission and return to Sicily.
On September 4th, Romagnoli led a reconnaissance mission over Malta with a formation of 17 M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’. Their goal was to confirm the sinking of a merchant ship that had been hit that night by a Junkers Ju.87B Picchiatello of the 101st Autonomous Dive Bombardment Group piloted by Sergeant Major Valentino Zagnoli, in the vicinity of Kalafrana.
Once in Valletta, the Macchi carried out a reconnaissance of the port at 6,000 meters and, having found nothing, returned to Sicily. At this point, 21 Hawker Hurricane Mark II fighters of No.126 and No.185 Squadrons were waiting for them (thanks to Maltese radars) at about 7,500 meters. After the furious battle that followed, Second Lieutenant Andrea Della Pasqua of the 91st Squadron was missing after being seen bailing out with a parachute. He was never found.
The 76th Squadron of the 7th Group of the 5th Terrestrial Fighter Wing took part in the Battle of Pantelleria between 12th and 15th June 1942. There, the Axis forces, with 92 aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica and 48 of the Luftwaffe, destroyed two, and damaged four merchant ships at the cost of 29 lost aircraft and 12 dead pilots.
Due to the three-engined reconnaissance aircraft flying over Malta being easy targets, some mechanics modified about ten Macchi MC 200 with an Avia RB 20/75/30 camera positioned behind the pilot’s seat. This strategy decreased the fighter’s maximum speed, but made the reconnaissance aircraft unrecognizable to the enemy, as well as being far more agile and faster than the three-engined aircraft they replaced.
Greece
For air combat during the Greek Campaign, which started on October 28th, 1940, the 54th Wing was employed. Its 372nd Squadron had 12 Macchi MC 200, based at the Brindisi-Casale Airport in southern Italy.
Between November and December, the 373rd Squadron, with 11 MC 200s, also arrived at the Bari-Palese Airport, the 374th Squadron with 12 MC 200s at the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport and the 370th, with 8 MC 200, at Foggia Airport, all in Southern Italy.
These squadrons mainly carried out escort missions for Italian FIAT B.R. 20 and Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 bombers used against Greek strategic targets.
Sergeant Luigi Gorrini of the 85th Squadron of the 18th Fighter Group of the 3rd Ground Fighter Wing, an Italian ace with 19 confirmed and 9 presumed kills, took training courses to learn how to fly the Macchi M.C. 200 and FIAT G. 50 held at Caselle Torinese and Torino Mirafiori airports between August 29th and December 10th, 1940. After this, he and his squadron were transferred to Araxos airport in Greece, where he flew escort flights for naval convoys and aircraft from Italy to Greece and vice versa.
On December 17th, 1940 during a patrol over the island of Cephalonia, Gorrini spotted two Bristol Blenheims, hitting one of them (which he considered probably shot down) and damaging the second.
In March 1941, the 22nd Autonomous Land Fighter Group was sent to Greece. Its 371st Squadron went to Vlora, while the rest of the group, with 36 Macchi MC 200s and an unknown number of FIAT CR42s, moved to the airport of Tirana, both cities of occupied Albania. During their first fights, they went up against the Hawker Hurricanes and Gloster Gladiators of the RAF.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 372ª Squadriglia. These planes were produced by Breda. The 153° Gruppo coat of arms is visible. Source: asisbiz.com
Thanks to reinforcements that arrived in Albania in April, the 18th Group was sent back to Italy to train on the Macchi MC 200CB. The training lasted until mid-July, by which time the Greek Campaign was over. The Group was subsequently transferred to North Africa.
During the Greek campaign, which lasted until April 1941, Royal Italian Air Force fighters claimed to have shot down 77 Hellenic Air Force (HAF) aircraft (plus another 24 presumed), of which 52 were shot down and 25 destroyed on the ground, at a loss of 64 Italian aircraft. During engagements against the RAF, the British claimed to have destroyed 93 Italian aircraft (and another 26 probable) for just 10 aircraft lost. However, at the end of the campaign, the British losses amounted to 150 pilots (dead or prisoners) and 209 aircraft lost, 72 shot down by Italian fighters, 55 destroyed on the ground and 82 destroyed or abandoned during the evacuation.
Yugoslavia
At the outbreak of hostilities against Yugoslavia, the only air units assigned to the sector were the 4th Wing, equipped with 96 Macchi MC 200, the 7th Group in Treviso, and the 16th Group in Ravenna, which had 22 each, the 9th Group in Gorizia and the 10th Group in Altura di Pola, which had 23 each, and, finally, 6 that were in service with the 256th Squadron in Bari.
At dawn on April 6th, 1941, before the Declaration of War, four M.C.200s of the 73rd Squadron took off without an exact mission, flew over the port of Pula and then arrived at the island of Cres, attacking a tanker and setting it on fire.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 73ª Squadriglia after a landing accident. The pilot, Sub Lieutenant Albano Carraro, came out unscathed. The plane was repaired and put back into service. Source: asso4stormo.it
There were no noteworthy actions for the rest of the brief Yugoslavian campaign. The Macchi of the 4th Wing flew against Yugoslavia for the last time on April 14th, when 20 Saetta of the 10th Group patrolled the airspace 100 km south of Karlovac, but without encountering enemy aircraft.
In March 1941, in order to counter the new British Hawker Hurricanes, the Regia Aeronautica was forced to withdraw the FIAT CR 42 of the 150th Group from Albania, replacing them with 36 Macchi MC 200s of the 22nd Group based at Tirana airport and the 371st Squadron, which moved from the Rome-Ciampino Airport to Valona.
Despite its lower top speed compared to the Hurricane, in the hands of experienced Italian pilots who were well trained in aerobatic flight, the Macchi MC 200 proved to be a tough adversary for the British pilots.
Ground operations on the Yugoslav front ended on April 17th. According to the official report of the 4th Wing, in eleven days there were no losses, 4 enemy aircraft were shot down and 45 Yugoslav aircraft were destroyed on the ground, damaging another ten.
Other victories were achieved by destroying an oil tanker, a tanker truck and an unspecified number of mechanized vehicles, as well as destroying airport facilities.
Another 5 Yugoslav aircraft, Dornier Do 17Ks, were destroyed on the ground at a Greek airport where they had taken refuge during an Italian attack.
North Africa
The North African desert was the most important theater of operations for the Italian pilots and their Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’.
At the end of the operations in Yugoslavia, the 153rd Group returned to Italy. It was based at Grottaglie airport, in southern Italy, with the task of defending the Port of Taranto against RAF attacks.
One of its squadrons, however, was ordered to go to North Africa to support Rommel’s offensive in Cyrenaica.
The first eleven M.C.200s of the 374th Squadron, under Captain Andrea Favini (later to become Wing Chief), arrived on April 19th, 1941 at Castel Benito airfield, 35 km south of Tripoli. Until the end of June 9th, the Macchi aircraft remained under Favini’s command. During the period of activity, the squadron never reached more than 7 operable Macchi at the same time.
An interesting fact is that Captain Andrea Favini was still using a pre-production Macchi MC 200 with a FIAT-Hamilton 34D-1 spinner and propellers. This is very strange, as all the pre-production aircraft and the very first production series should have been modified by that point.
Given the continuation of operations, on July 2nd, 1941, Macchi M.C. 200 of the 372nd Squadron of the famous 153º Gruppo ‘Asso di Bastoni’ (Eng: 153rd Group ‘Ace of Wands’) arrived in North Africa. Later, the 373rd Squadron from Greece, together with the 157th Group, also arrived.
The 76th Squadron of the 7° Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre, commanded by Major Marcello Fossetta, also arrived with 22 Macchi M.C. 200. However, they lost almost all of their fighters during a British air attack on the Benina base 19 km east of Benghazi, where the unit was stationed.
The data of both Italian and British units report some skirmishes between Macchi and British aircraft.
On December 8th, 1941, a Macchi MC.200 of the 153rd Group clashed with Hawker Hurricanes of the British 974th Squadron. During a fight, a Macchi engaged a Hurricane. After a succession of very tight turns, the Macchi struck the Hawker’s cockpit, which then flipped over and plummeted in a dive, killing New Zealand RAF Flight Lieutenant Owen Vincent Tracey, who had 6 kills credited to his name.
The 153rd Group, in its July-December report, claimed to have flown 359 missions for a total of 4,686 flight hours by its pilots, and 19 enemy aircraft destroyed in flight, plus 12 probable, in addition to 35 aircraft destroyed on the ground.
In December 1941, the Macchi M.C. 200 began to be accompanied by Macchi M.C. 202 of the 8th and 150th Groups based at El-Nofilia airport.
In the early months of 1942, the 8th, 13th and 150th Groups were mainly used on escort missions for FIAT CR 42s in the ground attack configuration.
On July 20th, 1942 the 18th Group of the 3rd Wing arrived in Tripoli with the 83rd, 85th and 95th squadrons, with a total of about 40 MC 200s, of which 21 in the M.C. 200CB configuration. These new arrivals, which were positioned at the Abu-Aggag airbase, 370 km from Cairo, meaning that the Macchi 200 was still the most numerous Italian fighter in North Africa, with 76 units (of which about three quarters were operational), 37 of which were in the 2nd Wing.
The Macchi M.C. 200CB of the 18th Group carried out dozens of ground attack missions. One of the most famous was stopping the British attempt to recapture Tobruk by sea in July 1942, sinking the destroyer Zulu and seriously damaging two troop carrier ships.
On April 18th 1942, between 1725 hrs and 1830 hrs, five Macchi M.C. 200CBs attacked a column of tanks of the 1st Armored Division of the British 8th Army at Sidi Bou Ali, in the governorate of Susa, in Tunisia. 22 M.C. 202s of the 54th Wing escorting the ‘Saetta’ clashed with a formation of P-40s and Spitfires that had arrived to support the armored units. Captain Sergio Maurer, Lieutenant Giuseppe Robetto and Sergeant Mauri each shot down a Spitfire, while Sergeant Rodoz brought down a P-40.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 373ª Squadriglia of the 153º Gruppo ‘Asso di Bastoni’ (with the playing card symbol on the frame) on an airstrip in North Africa. Source: pinterest.com
Despite the Regia Aeronautica’s gradual transition to the Macchi MC 202, the ‘Saetta’ remained the most widely used fighter aircraft. It was widely used as a secondary fighter by pilots when their MC 202s were undergoing repairs.
The 364th Squadron of the 150th Fighter Group, 52nd Wing, equipped with the Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’, operating from the airports of El Agheila, Benghazi and Martuba, participated intensively in intercept operations, surveillance flights, strafing ground targets, and escorting bombers.
The Macchi MC 200s were also able to successfully deal with Allied four-engined aircraft, despite their armament. On 14th August, Lieutenant Vallauri of the 2nd Wing intercepted four Consolidated B-24 Liberators during a reconnaissance mission in the skies above Tobruk. Instead of waiting for support from other fighters, he attacked them alone, managing to shoot down one of them.
A few days later, on 23rd August 1942, three M.C.200s intercepted and attacked a group of B-24 Liberators en route to Tobruk. Sergeant Zanarini and Second Lieutenant Zuccarini shot down one Liberator while the third pilot damaged another. The entirety of the 2nd Wing was 198 aircraft in August 1942 (including Macchi M.C. 200 and M.C. 202,) which flew an unspecified number of missions that lasted a total of 394 hours of missions over Tobruk and 1,482 hours escorting 77 Axis convoys from Southern Italy to the North African coast.
The Allied air superiority was becoming more and more overwhelming. Unfortunately, precise data for the actions of the following months is not available. In October, ten Macchi 200 were lost by the 2nd Wing.
Macchi M.C. 200 of the 372ª Squadriglia while refueling before take-off. The pilots discuss the mission. Source: pinterest.com
At the beginning of November 1942, there were only 15 ‘Saetta’ on the front line in the 2nd and 3rd Wings (there is no data on the losses of the 54th Wing during the period). This was a very limited number. In July, there had been 76, meaning an average loss rate of about 12 aircraft per month.
The M.C. 200s were now outclassed in speed and armament by the latest versions of the Hawker Hurricane, Curtiss P-40s, and the more powerful Supermarine Spitfires. Despite this, the Macchi still managed to score a few victories.
In November, Lieutenant Savoia and Sergeant Major Baldi shot down two Bristol Beaufighters, while Sergeant Turchetti managed to shoot down two aircraft.
During the same month, some replacements arrived but they were not enough. On the 1st of December, the 2nd Wing had only 42 ‘Saetta’, of which 19 were in flying condition, while the others were under repair.
A Macchi abandoned on the side of a runway after a botched landing. Source: pinterest.com
After the Battle of El Alamein, the Macchi were used to cover the retreat of the Italian-German troops. However, the lack of spare parts, fuel and the overwhelming technological and numerical Allied superiority meant that many aircraft were lost.
In October 1942, the 18th Group received the Macchi MC 202 of the 4th Wing, which, after months of actions, had been repatriated for reorganization.
On 11 January 1943, units of the 3rd Wing were used in the attack against some British airbases in the Wadi Tamet area.
The Macchi MC 202 escorted the Macchi MC 200CB fighter-bombers in bombing operations. Luigi Gorrini managed to shoot down the Spitfire Mark V of Flying Officer Neville Duke of the 92nd Squadron, as reported by the British pilot himself in one of his books.
In January 1943, all non-operational units were repatriated, with very few Macchi MC 200s remaining in North Africa as part of the 384th Squadron in Tunis and the 13th and 18th Groups in El Hamma.
The last group to be equipped with MC 200s was the 18th Group of Major Mario Becich, which fought with the ‘Saetta’ until the end of the campaign. The last major air battle of the Macchi MC 200 in North Africa was on 29th March 1943. Then, in the Gabès sector, 15 M.C.200s of various units intercepted an unknown number of P-40s and Spitfires, shooting down 4 enemy aircraft at the cost of one damaged aircraft forced to land on the way back.
The remains of three Macchi M.C. 200 and a FIAT C.R. 42 abandoned at the Castel Benito airport in late 1942. Source: pinterest.com
Soviet Union
A contingent of Macchi M.C. 200s was sent to the front in the Soviet Union, despite the fact that they had an open cockpit.
The Comando Aviazione del Corpo di spedizione italiano in Russia (Aviation Command of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia) was officially constituted on July 29th, 1941 at the Tudora airport. Major Giovanni Borzoni Group landed at this airport on 12th August with the 359th Squadron of Captain Vittorio Minguzzi, which had 11 other pilots, including Captain Carlo Miani and Lieutenant Giovanni Bonet. The 362nd Squadron of Captain Germano La Ferla also arrived with 11 other pilots. The 369th Squadron, commanded by Captain Giorgio Jannicelli, which had 13 pilots, and, finally, the 371st Squadron of Captain Enrico Meille, which had 11 pilots, completed the setup, all belonging to the 22nd Autonomous Land Fighter Group.
On August 16th, the 61st Aerial Observation Group arrived with 32 Caproni Ca.311 (34th, 119th, and 128th Squadrons) and a Savoia-Marchetti S.M.82 for support.
Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’ of the 22º Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre, 359ª Squadriglia in Krivoi Rog, Soviet Union, 1941. Note the tarpaulins covering the cockpits to prevent rain or dirt intrusion. Source: asisbiz.com
The 22nd Autonomous Land Fighter Group had a total of 51 MC 200s, two Savoia Marchetti S.M. 81 and three Caproni Ca. 133s. It was sent to the Eastern front from the Tirana Airport ( where they were located after March 1941). For its first missions, starting from August 27th, 1941, it was stationed at the Krivoi Rog airport.
On the same day, some aircraft of the 22nd Autonomous Group and some others of the 6th Group assigned to the 1st Ground Fighter Wing arrived in the Soviet Union. In total, eight Soviet aircraft, two Poliakov I-16s and six Tupolev SB-2s. were shot down.
Carlo Poggio Suasa, of the 81st Squadron of the 6th Group, shot down two Poliakov I-16s in a single day.
Due to the lightning advance of Axis troops in the Soviet Union, at the end of August, the unit had to move to the Kryvyi Rih airport and to Zaporižžja by the end of September. On 9th November, the 371st Squadron moved to the Donetsk sector, breaking away from the rest of the group.
Between August and the beginning of December, the 22nd Autonomous Fighter Group shot down another 8 Soviet fighters and bombers, apparently without suffering any losses. 4 more Soviets were downed in December.
Macchi M.C.200 of the 53° Stormo, 22° Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestri, 362ª Squadriglia near a Bf 109 in Novo Orlovka, Soviet Union, 1941. Source: pinterest.com
During the Soviet Christmas ground offensive against Italian troops at Novo Orlovka, Italian pilots attacked Soviet troops in the Burlova sector. During these actions, they also shot down five Soviet fighters without any losses.
During one of these missions on December 28th, the ‘Saetta’ of the 359th Squadron shot down nine Soviet aircraft in the Timofeyevka and Polskaya areas, including six Polikarpov I-16 fighters and three bombers, without suffering losses.
On December 29th, 1941 the 369th Squadron lost its commander, Captain Giorgio Jannicelli. During a solo reconnaissance mission, he was intercepted by more than ten I-16 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighters and, after a grueling air battle, he was shot down. For his bravery, he was awarded the posthumous Gold Medal.
The Italian Macchis in the Soviet Union were unable to carry out any missions throughout January, and the first few days of February 1942 due to bad weather. On February 4th and 5th, the Regia Aeronautica launched an operation to destroy Soviet air bases. The first was at Kranyi Liman, where the MC 200 destroyed 21 Soviet aircraft on the ground and another 5 fighters were shot down during dogfights over the airport.
Between March and April, the airports of Luskotova and Leninsklij Bomdardir were also attacked.
By the end of March 1942, the 22nd Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre had scored a further 21 aerial victories against the Soviet Air Force.
On May 4th, 1942, the 22nd Autonomous Land Fighter Group, which still had a few operational aircraft, was replaced by the 21st Autonomous Land Fighter Group, consisting of the 356th, 382nd, 361st and 386th Squadrons. The 21st Group, commanded by Major Ettore Foschini, brought with it 12 new Macchi M.C. 202 fighters and 18 new Macchi M.C. 200s, probably the fighter-bomber version.
During the second battle of Kharkov, fought between May 12th to 30th 1942, Italian pilots carried out escort missions for German scouts and bombers. They earned the admiration of the commander of the German 17th Army, in particular for their daring and effective attacks in the Slavyansk area on Soviet fighters trying to shoot down German bombers.
In the summer of 1942, following the German advance, the 21st Group moved first to the Makeyevka airfield, and, later, to those of Tazinskaya, Voroshilovgrad and Oblivskaya.
The group shoots down 5 enemy aircraft in May, 5 in June and 11 in July.
Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’ of the 369ª Squadriglia, Soviet Union, 1942. Source: ww2aircraft.net
Increasingly, Italian pilots were asked to escort German planes, but the Macchi aircraft wore out very quickly because of the lack of spare parts. On July 25th and 26th, five M.C.200s were shot down during aerial combat with the Soviets.
In the summer, 17 Macchi 202 ‘Folgore’ arrived from Italy to reinforce the line-up of ‘Saette’, by then worn out by incessant use. At the beginning of December, the Macchi MC 200s still on the line numbered 32 plus 11 Macchi MC 202s. The losses suffered became more and more consistent due to the technological advancement of the Soviet aircraft.
On 6th August 1942, some MC 200CBs carried out a bombing mission east of the Don, hitting Soviet artillery and infantry with their 50 kg bombs.
In December, only 32 Macchi M.C. 200s and 11 Macchi M.C. 202s were available. The Soviet Air Force, which was starting to become better combat trained, as well as the increasing prevalence of anti-aircraft fire also caused additional losses. In fact, over half of the missions that the Macchi were requested to carry out were ground attacks against Soviet tanks and infantry.
The last Italian action that employed a large number of aircraft was on 17th January 1943, when 25 Macchi MC 200 and MC 202 machine-gunned troops on the ground in the Millerovo sector.
Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’ of the 21 Gruppo. Pilot Elis Bartoli shows the damage that resulted from Soviet anti-aircraft fire. Source: asisbiz.com
On January 18th, 1943, commander Ettore Foschini received the order to withdraw, first to the airport of Stalino in Donetsk, and from there to Zaporižžja. On February 20th, 1943, the Group was at Odessa airbase, waiting to return to Italy. On 15th April, the Group left Odessa and, after four stops, arrived at the Florentine airport of Peretola at the end of the month.
Thirty Macchi M.C. 200s and nine M.C. 202s returned to Italy, while 15 damaged aircraft were dismantled and used for spare parts, abandoning them at airfields during the retreat.
A total of 66 Italian fighter planes had been lost on the Eastern Front for various reasons, but they managed to shoot down 88 enemy aircraft during 17 months of operation in the theater of war.
In a postwar document written in Italy, it is stated that, in 17 months, the fighters of the Regia Aeronautica on the Eastern Front carried out 3,759 actions against the Soviets, 511 in support of the infantry by dropping bombs, 1,310 machine-gun attacks on ground targets, 1,938 escorts to bombers or scouts. 88 enemy planes were destroyed at the expense of the loss of 15 Macchi M.C. 200 lost in combat. The best Italian unit in the Soviet Union was Captain Germano La Ferla’s 362nd Squadron, which destroyed 13 Soviet aircraft on the ground and shot down 30 fighters and bombers in air engagements.
Luftwaffe
After the armistice of September 8th, 1943, the German Army managed to recover a small number of Macchi M.C. 200s from Italian airports and put them in service with the Luftwaffe, mostly as training aircraft.
As far as known, these never took part in actions against Allied targets.
A destroyed Macchi M.C. 200 which was in service with the Luftwaffe. Source: british-eevee.tumblr.com
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
After the Armistice of 1943, of the 33 Macchi MC 200s operational at the time, 10 remained in the German-occupied territories. Not much is known about these 10 units, but it can be assumed that almost all of them were confiscated by the Luftwaffe.
Several Macchi M.C. 200s remained in service with the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (Eng: National Republican Air Force) for training purposes. Some of these vehicles had probably been recovered from depots or hangars and returned to service after an overhaul period.
Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana
Macchi M.C. 200AS with sand filters and Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana coats of arms and the Savoia cross on the vertical stabilizer. The registration number looks like MM 4337. Source: pinterest.com
As many as 23 Macchi MC 200s managed to reach the south of Italy after the Armistice of September 8th, 1943. Almost all of these belonged to the 8th Group, which had escorted the Regia Marina fleet (Eng: Italian Royal Navy) from La Spezia to Malta. In the summer of 1944, the 23 Macchi were assigned to the Fighter School of Leverano, where they were used for training until they could no longer be maintained.
Two Macchi M.C. 200 of the Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana in South Italy. The one in the foreground was equipped with wing pylons and a sand filter. The registration number was removed. Source: pinterest.com
Aeronautica Militare
Unfortunately, not much is known about the Macchi M.C. 200 in service with the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) after the war. A number of these, probably the surviving aircraft from the 23 Saettas used by the Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana, were kept in service using spare parts found all over the Italian peninsula, some with new parts that were produced after the war. They were used until 1947.
Being obsolete by the war’s end, the Macchi MC 200s were used in the 2ª Squadriglia of the Scuola Caccia (Fighter School) of Lecce for the training of a new generation of Italian fighter pilots.
Others
The MM337 prototype was presented at the Yugoslavian Belgrade Air Show in June 1938 and immediately attracted worldwide interest.
The MM. 337 exhibited at the Belgrade Air Show in June 1938. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
Spain, Finland, Sweden and Romania asked to evaluate the aircraft but, due to political problems and the Italian government’s ban on exports, these negotiations did not move forward.
Only the request of the Royal Danish Navy for 12 Macchi M.C. 200 to replace their old Hawker Nimrods was accepted. However, when Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, the delivery was canceled and the aircraft remained in Italy.
Switzerland also requested 36 examples. Italy responded by offering the first batch of 24 and the second one of 12. All examples would have been without radios and would have cost 58,000 USD (equivalent to about 1.1 million USD today) each without ammunition. Due to the imminent entry into the war, the General Staff of the Royal Army blocked the negotiations before Switzerland allocated the funds.
The USAAF 86th Fighter Squadron of the 79th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force Division came into possession of a Macchi MC 200 at Grottaglie. This one had belonged to the 357th Squadron, from where it was later transferred to Gerbini in Sicily. It was piloted by Captain Jack H. Kauffman, who used it to train his fellow soldiers to fight against Italian aircraft.
The Macchi M.C. 200 of the 357ª Squadriglia used by USAAF pilots. Source: pinterest.com
British Evaluation on the Macchi M.C. 200
Former Squadron Leader D. H. Clarke wrote in 1955 in one of his books that, in Sorman, North Africa, he came into possession of a Macchi M.C. 200, serial no. MM 5285. After three days of overhaul, the British officer boarded the Macchi and took it to their base at El Assa.
Clarke stated that the Macchi had excellent visibility, a spacious cockpit with an open cabin (which he regarded very positively), was rustic but simple and had comfortable controls. The engine was quiet and easy to maintain and the vehicle was very maneuverable.
During simulated combat against a Hawker Hurricane II, a Curtiss P-40 and a Spitfire V, it could outturn all three. The downsides that Clarke pointed out were the poor armament (although he considered the ammunition reserve adequate) and the flipping problem.
The RAF captured more aircraft during the war. Another one was captured in North Africa and was shipped to the USA, while other aircraft were captured intact in Sicily and used for training British pilots, to familiarize them with enemy aircraft.
A Macchi MC 200AS captured by British troops with RAF coats of arms at an airport in Sicily. The identification number was MM. 5815. Behind it is a Savoia Marchetti SM 79. Source: pinterest.com
Camouflages and Coat of Arms
Being one of the most long-lived and most produced aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica during the Second World War, it is easy to understand that the Macchi M.C. 200 had many camouflage schemes during its operational life on the various fronts on which it operated.
The prototypes, at the time of their test flights and their presentation to the Army Staff in Guidonia, had no camouflage or paint applied, with the natural aluminum being exposed. On the rudder, there was the Italian Tricolour with the Savoia symbol in the middle. This was the flag of the Kingdom of Italy until 1947. On the side of the cockpit, there was the Fascio Littorio painted inside a round frame with a blue background.
The Fascio Littorio was the symbol of the Partito Fascista Italiano (Eng: Italian Fascist Party) which, after Benito Mussolini’s rise to power, became the symbol of the dictatorship, like the swastika for Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party.
On both sides of the wings, there were also the “Fasci Littori Alari” (Eng: Wing Fasci Littori), circular rosettes 96 cm in diameter with a black outline and white background inside which were painted 3 stylized Fasci Littori. As the war progressed, the Fasci Littori Alari were slightly modified. The ones on the underside were painted white, with a black background.
Various italian coat of arms, 1 is the Fasci Littori Alari, 2 the Fascio Littorio painted on the fuselage, 3 the Croce di Savoia and 4 the Cockade of the Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana. Source: wikipedia.it and author collage
The first examples produced by Macchi and then used in Italy and those used in the Soviet Union were painted in dark green (Verde Mimetico 2; Eng: Green Camouflage 2) with dark brown spots (Bruno Mimetico; Eng: Brown Camouflage) with yellow outlines (Giallo Mimetico 4; Eng: Yellow Camouflage 4).
Some variations existed.. For example, the brown spots could be covered by small yellow mottling or, as in the case of the 79th Squadron of the 6th Group of the 1st Wing, the dark green background was covered with yellow spots and brown spots.
Starting from June 1940, the planes of the Regia Aeronautica received a new feature. In order to avoid incidents of friendly fire, the Italian Tricolor, which could be confused with the tricolor of French planes, was replaced by the Croce di Savoia (the Italian Savoia royal family symbol), a white cross by ministerial order.
However, the dispatch did not specify the exact dimensions of the cross and the units painted different types before a standard model of the Croce di Savoia was chosen.
Also, the Macchi, Breda and, later, SIA Ambrosini production plants painted the crosses differently. Macchi painted a cross with longer vertical arms, while Breda painted a Greek cross (all arms of equal length) and SIA Ambrosini painted the cross on the whole height of the rudder.
The white band on the fuselage was introduced at the beginning of 1941 with the same purpose.
The Croce di Savoia of different origins, the 1st is from Macchi, the 2nd from Breda, the 3rd is from SAI Ambrosini and finally, the 4th is an example made by a unit. Source: Macchi MC 200 Saetta and author collage
Between the spring and summer of 1941, a rule issued by the Ministry of War ordered that all Regia Aeronautica fighters be painted with a yellow nose to avoid incidents of friendly fire.
The order lasted only a few months, but many pictures show Italian aircraft with a characteristic yellow nose.
Also, in this case, the dispatch was misunderstood and some units (especially in the Soviet Union) painted the fuselage line and the wingtips in yellow.
The two planes of the 70th Squadron of the 23rd Autonomous Group were repainted by the unit completely in pitch black. They also covered all the markings.
SIA Ambrosini painted its M.C. 200 in dark green (Verde Oliva 2; Eng: Olive Green 2) and only in rare cases did the units repaint them. In North Africa, there were many camouflages, all on a khaki base (Nocciola Chiaro 4; Eng: Light Hazelnut 4 or Giallo Mimetico 4; Eng: Yellow Camouflage 4) with dark green spots (Verde Mimetico 2; Eng: Camouflage Green 2).
Three examples of camouflage used in North Africa. The first is a Macchi M.C. 200AS produced by SAI Ambrosini. It belonged to the Brigadier General, aircraft number 9 of the 373ª Squadriglia of the 153° Gruppo Autonomo. The second was a Macchi M.C. 200AS produced by Macchi. The third Macchi M.C. 200AS was the 2nd aircraft of the 363ª Squadriglia of the 150° Gruppo of the 53° Stormo Caccia Terrestre produced by Breda. Source: pinterest.com with author’s collage
After the fall of Fascism in Italy, on July 25th, 1943, pilots were ordered to obscure the Fascio Littorio, which were covered with the paint the units had available.
After the Armistice of 8th September, a number of Macchi MC 200s remained in the hands of Italian pilots who fought for the Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana. They were ordered to cover the tricolor coat of arms on the wings and on the fuselage, and to obscure all previous insignia, such as the white band on the fuselage, the coat of arms of the unit and the Croce di Savoia (although some were retained). The Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana used Macchi MC 200 with both dark green monochrome camouflage and that used in North Africa, khaki with dark green irregular spots.
After the war, the few surviving examples were used in aluminum color with tricolor cockades on the fuselage and wings.
The specimens captured by the British and the Americans had Allied coat of arms to cover the Italian ones. For example, the US specimen retained squadron identification numbers, but all other symbols were obscured or covered with US symbols.
The upper right wing and lower left wing beams were covered with paint while the upper left and lower right wing were covered with the United States Army Air Forces insignia.
The fuselage fascia was repainted yellow and received another USAAF insignia and the tail received a British tricolor.
Production
A Macchi M.C. 200, serial number MM. 5192, at the Bresso plant of the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche. Source: pinterest.com
In total, 1,153 examples of Macchi M.C. 200 ‘Saetta’ were produced between May 1939 and October 1942 ,including the two prototypes and 12 different production series.
It is difficult to classify the production of MC 200 fighters based on “series” because the plane was produced by 3 different companies. Different “series” have to be defined per company.
With the slow rate of production, some updates were initiated by one company in one production series, and by another company in another production series. Some series had substantial differences, others only small changes to speed up production or to try to keep the aircraft up to date with the most modern Allied fighters.
The companies that produced them were Aeronautica Macchi, which produced 395 planes plus the two prototypes starting from May 1939 in the Varese plant, the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche, which produced 556 planes, and the Società Aeronautica Italiana Ambrosini, which produced a total of 200 planes.
In late 1939, it was proposed thay FIAT should produce the Macchi M.C. 200 in their factories in Turin. Needless to say, FIAT refused, criticizing the Macchi as too complex to produce.
Production line of Macchi M.C. 200 at the Bresso Plant of Breda. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
In 1939, 62 Macchi 200 were produced, 10 between May and July, 26 between August and October and another 26 between November and December. An interesting fact is that these aircraft were ‘produced’ but not ‘tested’ or ‘delivered’ to the Regia Aeronautica.
In fact, as in many other cases with the Italian war industry of that period, small components were missing that forced the aircraft to be kept in depots for weeks. There were also problems with a lack of test pilots or, even worse, a lack of air force pilots to deliver the new aircraft.
Finished Macchi M.C. 200 at the Bresso Plant of Breda, ready for the delivery to the units. Source: Aer.Macchi C. 200
Variants
Macchi M.C. 200 prototype – With fully retractable landing gear and closed cabin, 2 planes were produced by Macchi. Their first flight was on 24th December 1937.
Macchi M.C. 200 Pre-series – Serial numbers MM. 4495 to MM. 4520. Like the prototypes, it had retractable landing gear and a closed cabin, solved the overturning problems, and had a FIAT-Hamilton 34D-1 propeller with a hub cap.
Macchi M.C. 200 – Serial numbers MM. 4520 to MM. 4641. After the 146th model, the rear wheel of the landing gear was fixed.
Macchi M.C. 200 – Serial numbers from MM. 4641 to MM. 4736. After the 241st model, the cabin was left open.
Macchi M.C. 200 A2 – Equipped with wings and retractable landing gear taken from the successor, Macchi M.C. 202. The wings, redesigned by Mario Castoldi, no longer needed to be ballasted and solved the problem of overturning.
Standardized in 1942 to speed up production at Breda and SIAI, which were producing the Macchi M.C. 202 simultaneously. It also simplified the logistic line of front-line units.
Macchi M.C. 200 B2 – This version received only the wing attachment of the M.C. 202, the rest of the wing was of the Macchi MC 200. Like the A2 version, it was produced to speed up production and simplify the logistic line.
Macchi M.C. 200 AS – AS stands for Africa Settentrionale (Eng: North Africa). It was equipped with a sand filter for the carburetor.
Macchi M.C. 200CB – CacciaBombardiere or CB (Eng: Fighter-Bomber). With two wing pilons for bombs up to 160 kg or 150-liter auxiliary tanks.
Proposal
Better armed Macchi M.C. 200 – Proposal by engineer Castoldi to equip the M.C. 200 with two 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the wings.
The idea was not approved by the Regia Aeronautica.
Macchi M.C. 200 Bis
Designation of a prototype produced by Breda (MM. 8191) with a 14-cylinder Piaggio P. XIX engine delivering a maximum power of 1,175 hp. It was derived from the Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major and used on the Reggiane Re. 2002. It was tested during April-May 1942 by test pilot Acerbi. Castoldi was very annoyed because he did not approve the project.
The Macchi M.C. 200 Bis. Source: pinterest.com
Macchi M.C. 201
Two prototypes were built, with serial numbers MM 437 and MM 438. Given the availability of other, more powerful engines, Castoldi and Macchi spent very few resources on this project.
It was planned to equip the aircraft with the 1,000 hp FIAT A.76 RC.40 14-cylinder radial engine and some aerodynamic improvements, such as a more streamlined fuselage and a pressurized cabin.
Since the engine was not yet available, the prototypes were equipped with the 840 hp FIAT A.74 RC.38. The first prototype was flown for the first time on August 25th, 1941, by test pilot Guido Carestiato. It reached a speed of 512 km/h, while the second prototype was flown in September of the same year.
The two homologated vehicles, MM 8616 and MM 8617, were flown to Guidonia by Marshal Gori and Sergeant Staube on June 28th, 1942. The aircraft was not pursued because the expected engine was not available until 1943, by which time Italy had already started producing German inline engines under license for more than a year.
The Macchi M.C. 201. Source: wikipedia.com
Surviving Macchi M.C. 200
Given the large production numbers, there are still three MC 200s exhibited in museums.
A destroyed fuselage and radial engine are exhibited at the Museo dell’Aeronautica Gianni Caproni in Trento, North-East Italy. Serial number unknown.
An example is exhibited at the Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare in Vigna di Valle near Rome. Original serial number MM.8307, serial number exhibited MM.7707.
The last surviving example is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Riverside, Ohio. This aircraft belonged to the 372ª Squadriglia of the Regia Aeronautica. In order to replace losses, the plane was transferred in November 1942 to the 165ª Squadriglia in North Africa.
Due to the Battle of El Alamein and the hasty retreat from the Benghazi airport, the plane was abandoned with the coat of arms of the 372nd Squadron and did not receive the 165th Squadron coat of arms. It was captured by British troops and was subsequently shipped to the United States, where it was displayed around the country to sell war bonds.
It was later sold to the New England Air Museum, where it remained on display until 1989, when it was purchased by a private owner who had it restored in Italy by a team from Aermacchi (the new name of the company) and then sold to the US museum. Fortunately, the aircraft is displayed with the original coat of arms of the 372nd Squadron of the Regia Aeronautica and MM. 8146 serial number.
Conclusion
The Macchi M.C. 200 was one of the most produced fighters in Italy during the Second World War. It proved to be a reliable fighter, easy to produce and fly, with adequate power and speed and served on all fronts where the Regia Aeronautica was employed.
As the war progressed, it became increasingly obsolete against newer, more powerful types, but still saw service until the end of the war and even after.
Climb speed: Climb to 6,000 m in 7 minutes and 33 seconds
Crew: One pilot
Armament: 2 Breda-SAFAT 12,7 mm with 370 rounds each
Gallery
Illustrations by Carpaticus
Macchi M.C. 200 Serial Number M.M. 336, December 24, 1937Macci M.C. 200 1st Series 91st Squadron, 10th Squadron. Gorizia 1939Macchi M.C. 200 1st Series of the 88th Squadron, 6th Group. Catania, winter 1940Macchi M.C. 200 23th Series of the 362th Squadron, 22th Autonomus group. August 1941, Krigoriov, Soviet UnionMacchi M.C. 200AS of the 373th Squadron, 153th Autonomus Group, North Africa, Summer 1941Macchi M.C. 200 of the first series produced by Breda in Milan before its delivery to unitsMacchi MC 200AS captured by British troops in Sicily, September 1943Macchi M.C. 200AS of the 93th Squadron, 8th Autonomus Group piloted by Marshal Bruno Batazzi of the Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana in Gerbini, October 1, 1943Macchi M.C. 200 of the Italian Air Force of the 2nd Fighter Squadron of the Fighter School in Lecce, 1946
Credits
Written by Arturo Giusti
Edited by Ed J. & Stan L.
Illustrations by Carpaticus
Aermacchi C.200 – La Bancarella Aeronautica Torino, Gianni Cattaneo
Macchi MC 200 Saetta – Maurizio Di Terlizzi
Macchi MC. 200/FIAT CR. 32 – Italo De Marchi and Pietro Tonizzo
Macchi MC 200 Saetta, pt. 1 (Aviolibri Special 5) – Maurizio Di Terlizzi
Macchi MC 200 Saetta, pt. 2 (Aviolibri Special 9) – Maurizio Di Terlizzi
Aermacchi, Bagliori di guerra (Macchi MC.200 – MC.202 – MC.205/V) – Nicola Malizia
The Macchi-Castoldi Series, Famous Fighters of the Second World War-2 – William Green
I brutti Anatroccoli della Regia – Daniele Lembo
The Macchi MC.200 (Aircraft in Profile number 64) – Gianni Cattaneo
Italy (1936-1943)
Israel (1948-1949)
