Boats of Italian seaplanes Cant-Z-501 abandoned at Aeronautica Sicula of Palermo after the entry of Allies at the capital of Sicily, Summer 1943. Established in 1935, society of Gruppo Caproni, Aeronautica Sicula S.A. produced a small series of flying boats CRDA CANT-Z-501s for Italian Air Force and was heavily damaged by Anglo-American bombardments over Palermo. Victor Sierra

Derelict flying boats

Savoia-Marchetti S.81 “Pipistrello” of 14th Squadriglia of 4th Gruppo Bombardamento Terrestre of Italian Air Force in Italian East African (Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) at Ghinielè, Eritrea, shortly before the outbreak of the war. At the time of declaration of war on the part of Italy (10 June 1940), the exemplars of this three-engine fixed landing gear bomber presents in AOI (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia) are fifty-nine for the most part in Eritrea and area of Tana Lake (Gondar and Bahr Dar). Victor Sierra

In East Africa before the war

Savoia-Marchetti S.81 of Gruppo “Terracciano”, one of two transport units of Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Air Force (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, or ANR) which the Germans employed on Eastern Front to bring new life into her transport units severely distressed by years of war. Like all the multi engine aircrafts of ANR, also this plane has German markings, for avoid mistakes, with a little Italian flag behind the lateral glass of the cockpit (note in the photo). The origin of Gruppo “Terracciano” date back to end of 1943 when the unit, under the command of Maggiore Egidio Pellizzari, former pilot of Regia Aeronautica’s Servizi Aerei Speciali (Special Air Services), was formed in Northern Italy, at Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport. At second half of 1944 the “Terracciano” moved in Central Germany, at Goslar where the Luftwaffe had parked about 60 former bombers S.81 converted in transport aircrafts seized in Italy and in Balkans after the Armistice of the Kingdom of Italy. The planes really accepted were thirty-six and the Gruppo “Terracciano”, embedded in Luftwaffe like 10 TransportGruppe, moved in Lithuania, at Siauliai. The Gruppo, with three Squadriglie, was employed in very large areas of Eastern Front from Lithuania to Finland, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, in transport missions for German forces. At September 1944 the “Terracciano” moved back in Germany, at Bautzen, near Dresden. But the conditions of flight material were very poor and the surviving S.81s were phased out, while the personnel returned in Italy. Victor Sierra