Fiat CR.42

The Falcos proved to be able to shot down not only the Gladiators but even Hurricanes and Spitfires.

On 31 October 1940, the Falcos scored their first confirmed air victories in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] against the Hawker monoplanes.

During the air battle over [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Sergente Maggiore Davide Colauzzi and Sergente Mario Turchi from 368a Squadriglia, while escorting SM. 79 bombers, shot down the Hurricanes of 33 Squadron that were flown by 26-year-old Canadian Flying Officer Edmond Kidder Leveille (RAF no. 40837) - who was forced to bale out but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy completely - and Flying Officer Perry St Quintin (Hurricane P3724), who was forced to make a forced landing at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] with a holed fuel tank.

In April 1941, with delivery of the first 14 CR.42 Bombe Alari (Wing Bombs), the Italians began to use the CR.42 mainly as a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], performing well due to its strong construction and radial engine.

On 19 June 1942, the last 82 CR.42s came back to Italy.

When production was stopped in 1942, a total of 1,784 CR.42s had been built.

By 8 September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies, only around 60 of the aircraft were in flying condition.

Balkans and Aegean


During the last months of 1940 and throughout 1941, the Falco was a front-line combat aircraft, deployed as an escort fighter and interceptor, in Greece, in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], and over the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

"The Falco fought well in the sky of Greece, where it tackled its equivalent, the Gladiator, which the Fiat could dominate in speed and armament."

In spite of its superior maneuverability, the Falco suffered numerous defeats.

During the early stages of the invasion of Greece, Capitano Giorgio Graffer - the first Regia Aeronautica pilot to perform a night interception - shot down four aircraft, but on 28 November 1940, was in turn killed in action over [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], in a dogfight with Gladiators of No. 80 Squadron flown by the aces [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and Flight Lieutenant Richard Nigel "Ape" Cullen, DFC. Graffer was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal
for Military Valour in recognition of his heroism.

In early 1941 the arrival of Hurricanes caused heavy Fiat losses, but RAF air victories were in someway overclaimed.

"During the whole Greek Campaign", recalled Capitano Corrado Ricci, "the Regia Aeronautica lost exactly 50 aircraft in combat with enemy fighters; [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in Greece, J.H. d'Albiac, in his official report, wrote that on 28 February a Hurricane unit shot down 27 Italian aircraft without losses.

But that day we lost only a CR.42, while our pilots claimed four Glosters and a Hurricane."

Italian losses were stemmed when the more advanced [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and Messerschmitt
Bf 110 of Luftflotte 4, arrived in April 1941.

Royal Hungarian Air Force


The first foreign customer for the Fiat CR.42 was [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (MKHL; the Royal Hungarian Air Force), which placed orders for 52 aircraft during mid-1938.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien],while aware that the CR.42 was conceptually outdated, considered the rapid re-equipment of their fighter component vital, the Italian government having expressed its willingness to forgo CR.42 delivery positions in order to expedite the re-equipment of Hungarian units.

By the end of 1939, 17 CR.42s had reached Hungary, issued to 1. Vadász Ezred (1st Fighter Wing) which began conversion from the CR.32.

Its two groups of two squadrons, 1./I Vadász Osztály (Fighter Group) at Szolnok and the 1./II Vadász Osztály at Mátyásföld, Budapest, received their full complement of fighters in mid-1940.

Some CR.42s in Hungarian service were fitted with 12.7 mm (.5 in) [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (Gebauer Kenyszermeghajtasu Motorgeppuska, or "Gebauer Positive-Driven Motor-Machine Gun"); these were fixed twin-barrel guns driven from the aircraft engine's crankshaft.

In total, MKHL ordered 70 CR.42s but through a barter which included a captured [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], they received two additional CR.42s in 1941.

The Hungarian aircraft were used in the ground attack role against [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] until December 1941.

Although typically outclassed by more modern types, the Hungarian CR.42s scored 25 destroyed, one probable, one damaged and one aircraft destroyed on the ground.

The surviving CR.42s were relegated to training roles.

Belgian Air Force


In 1939 a mission of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] purchased 40 CR.42s, for a total price of 40 millions francs.

The first Fiat arrived on 6 March 1940 (one aircraft was destroyed in a landing accident).

The CR.42s were mainly sent to the Evere Établissements Généraux de l'Aéronautique Militaire for assembly.

The first operational squadron, IIème Group de Chasse (Fighter Group) based at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], south of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] had their complete complement of 15 while other units had awaited further deliveries.

In the eve of the German attack, on 10 May, the number of CR.42 delivered to Belgium is still controversial but it is estimated by historians from 24 to 27, the last transported in France and lost in the railway station at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], but photographic evidence seems to provide that the total number of CR.42 delivered was indeed 30 planes.

On May 9 the Squadron operative with the "Falcos" were the 3rd "Cocotte rouge", with 14 planes, and the 4th, "Cocotte Blanche", with eleven planes. Then there were the Fiat of Major Lamarche, and the CR. number R.21 and R.27 in a hangar at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], not serviceable, while another biplane was on the airfield number 41, with mechanical trouble.

The Fiat CR.42s were first to be blooded in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] but after encountering the vastly superior [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fighters of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the entire contingent of Fiats was soon overwhelmed although the Belgian pilots fought with great skill.

The Belgian Fiat had their baptisme of fire the 10 of May, when they attacked a formation of Ju 52 (from 17/KGzbV 5) in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] area, forcing a Junker to crash-land near [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The Fiat were then jumped by the escorting Bf 109 from I./JG.1, but, thanks to the superior agility of the CR.42
managed to come back safely.

That day the Belgian pilots claimed four more German planes: three Do 17 and a Bf 109, but still on 10 May, the Stukas of I./St.2 destroyed not less than 14 Fiat on the airfield of Brustem.

In the 35 missions flown, Fiat CR.42s downed at least five and probably even eight enemy aircraft including a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the vaunted Bf 109 for a loss of two of their own.

After capitulation, the five surviving Fiat CR.42s were brought into depot of the French Air Force in Fréjorques, where they were found by the Germans.

Their final fate is not known.

Overall claims by Belgian Fiat CR.42 were: eight Do 17, four Bf 109 and one Ju 52.

Swedish Air Force


The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] purchases of various types of Italian combat aircraft in 1939-41 were an emergency measure caused by the outbreak of war.

There were no other nations willing to supply aircraft to a small neutral country and domestic production would be insufficient until 1943.

From 1940 to 1941, Sweden received 72 CR.42s, which were equipped with radios, 20 mm (.79 in) armour plate behind the pilot and ski landing gear. The Swedish aircraft were designated J 11.

The J 11s were initially assigned to the F 9 wing, responsible for the air defence of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], but were transferred to the newly established [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in 1943 when F 9 received more advanced[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fighters.CR.42s.

The J 11s operating from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], in the north of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], were equipped with ski undercarriage.

In spring 1942, the J 11s of 1. Division were moved to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] airfield.

The J 11s scrambled several times to intercept German aircraft violating Swedish borders, but usually failed to make contact. The J 11s of 2. and 3.

Divisions based in Gothenburg managed to intercept intruders a few times, forcing them to leave Swedish airspace.

During their service in Swedish Air Force, the CR.42 suffered many accidents, sometimes because of the poor quality of materials used by the Fiat factory.

By the end of 1942, eight had been lost, and 17 more by the end of 1943.

In all, over 30 CR.42s were lost due to accidents and mechanical failures.

Swedish pilots appreciated the J 11's formidable close-in dogfighting abilities howewer they complained about low speed, insufficient armament and the open cockpits that were unsuited for the severe climate of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The remaining J 11s of the F 13 wing were decommissioned for good by the Air Force by 14 March 1945.

A total of 19 aircraft were sold to a civilian contractor, Svensk Flygtjänst AB, who used 13 of them as target tugs for one season, although the type was not well suited for the role.

Another six J 11s were delivered to Svensk Flygtjänst AB as a source for spare parts.

The aircraft were given Swedish civil registrations. The last J 11 was removed from the register in 1949.

One surviving Swedish "Falco" was preserved.

It was stored at the F 3 wing; the aircraft was "hidden away" for a future museum.

Number NC.2453, marked as 9 9, is today on a permanent static display in the Swedish Air Force Museum
([Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]) in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Luftwaffe



After the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] of 8 September 1943, the Luftwaffe took over the majority of Regia Aeronautica aircraft.

Among these aircraft there were a number of CR.42s.

Meanwhile, German Rüstungs-und-Kriegsproduktion Stab took control of Italy's northern aircraft industry, and ordered 200 CR.42LW (LW=Luftwaffe) from Fiat for the Luftwaffe, to use for night harassment and anti-partisan roles.

Some of the captured Fiats were allocated to training divisions as well.

One of the German units to use the CR.42 was Nachtschlachtgruppe (NSGr.) 9, based in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Its task was to fight partisans in the region of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The 1. Staffel received its Falcos in November 1943 and in January 1944 the unit was transferred to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] airfield near [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to operate against the partisan units in Southern Alps.

On 28 January, the 2. Staffel too was equipped with the CR.42. The training of Germans pilots took place at a school
at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

In February 1944, after the Allies had landed at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], 1.Staffel and 2.Staffel, based in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] airport in Rome, attacked Allied units in southern [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] region, mostly in moonlit night raids.

NSGr9 attacked enemy troops in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] area.

The CR.42 proved to be useful as a light bomber at night but subsequently NSGr9 began to be equipped with the
Ju 87D. 2.Staffel kept using the Fiat biplanes until mid-1944.

On 31 May, the unit had still 18 "Falcos", 15 of which were operational.