In between World Wars I and II, Italy established a reputation as an air
faring nation.
The Royal Italian Air Force – The Regia Aeronautica — was considered one of the
most advanced in the world. The Royal Italian Air Force (hereafter RIAF) won a
stunning 96 international aviation awards during this period. Italian airplanes
were renowned worldwide. In 1939, before Italy entered the war, it also had the
third largest civilian commercial air system, just behind Germany and the UK
respectively.
The RIAF also had the most actual combat experience between the great wars of
any European nation; only Japan would have had more combat flight hours by World
War II. Italy airplanes flew over conflicts in Libya, Ethiopia and Spain. Italy
contributed more aircraft to the Nationalist side of the Spanish Civil War than
did Germany. In all three theatres, Italian losses totalled more than 1,500
aircraft. Another 925 planes were exported. Theses figures, among other factors
led to Italy’s surprisingly poor showing when it entered the in June of 1940.
The RIAF was the most Fascist of the three military branches, and was known to
be the favourite of dictator Benito Mussolini. Despite this favour and renown,
the Italian air force could not stand up amongst its allies and competitors. The
RIAF had enough planes: roughly 1,000 front-line aircraft and about 2,000 second
and third-string planes. The problem was that only a small percentage of these
planes were of the pedigree that won so many aviation awards. The rest of the
air force was full of aging and obsolete aircraft.
Organization was also a problem for the RIAF. The country was divided into three
separate air zones, each with a few regional commands, some army-air co-op units
and some navy reconnaissance squadrons. The RIAF maintained command of all
pilots but the various competing commands and poor co-operation between the
three military branches led to the blunting of what should have been a more
precise instrument. To add to these troubles the RIAF did not have a modern
air-combat philosophy or a proper manufacturing and re-supply program. |
