P-39 Airacobra in italyan service

[Iamandi]

First, i found a picture with an P-39 (Q variant, i think) with italyan markings, above of some burning tanks. First ideea was - hey, they captured one or some planes, why not P-39? - and used against ex-propertary. After that i search some more, whising to find suplementary data. The result was - 170 P-39 were given to Italy, after the armistice. Searchin more ... all were in poor condition, and 21 of them were not flyng again - used for parts, i think. 149 were used in Balkans against germans.

Unfortunately, i found again that picture, but as a book cover.

You have some more data about this subject?

Iama




Attached Image

[Iamandi]

Acording to J. Baugher:

"The USAAF Fifteenth Air Force turned over 75 P-39Qs from the 332nd Fighter Group and 74 P-39Ns to the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. Thge Fighter Wing consisted of five squadrons of which two, Squadrons 10 and 12, flew Airacobras. The others operated Spitfires or Macchi 202 and 205 fighters. The Italians flew missions against German forces over Yugoslavia. The Italians flew their P-39s until 1950. "

Iama

[Iamandi]

"The Italian Air Force, impressed into the Allies air forces and equipped with P-39Ns, flew first anti-German combat missions on Sep 8, 1944, with top cover provided by Macchi fighters. They flew their final P-39 sorties of the war in Apr 1945, strafing and dive-bombing German positions relentlessly. At war's end, they had 83 P-39s, which remained on their active roster until 1951! "

Source: http://www.aerofiles.com/p400.html

Iama

[Ruy Aballe]

Iama,

The IBN book (whose cover you posted above) is, as far as I know, the best single reference on this little-known subject. However, another Italian publisher, La Bancarella Aeronautica started to publish a very interesting series of monographs on foreign aircraft in Italian service (Regia Aeronautica, A.N.R. and also co-belligerent A.F.). It is quite possible that they will publish a book on the Italian P-39's.
Cheers,

Ruy

This post has been edited by Ruy Aballe on January 17, 2005 04:20 pm