The wreck completely burned of one of five Aeronautica Nazionale Reoubblicana’s S.79bis torpedo bombers destroyed by an Italian partisan commando on 20 October 1944 at Arcore airfield. A second attack against the Arcore airfield, so as to destroy aircrafts and vehicles, was attempted by the same SAP, Squadra d’Azione Patriottica, of the 20 October 1944, well informed about the airfield’s garrison and its movements, on 29 December night 1944. The commando, leaded again by Iginio Rota “Acciaio”(“Steel”), were composed by some partisan of the same 20 October action with an excellent armament which included also a Breda 30 mm MG. But this time the partisans encountered a heavy reaction of the Fascist forces. In the combat Rota, to which misfired the sun-machine gun, was killed and her comrades was obliged to escape but was arrested few day after. Of this only Carlo Levati “Tom” escaped to capture, the other, Emilio Cereda, Pierino Colombo, Aldo Motta, Renato Pellegatta, all around 20 years aged and all participant of the 20 October 1944 action, was captured and shot on 2 February 1945 inside the same Arcore airfield. The late today no more exist. Victor Sierra

The second attack: a tragic end

One of the five Savoia-Marchetti S.79bis of the Gruppo Aerosiluranti (Torpedo Aircraft Group) of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Air Force (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana or ANR) destroyed, plus one damaged, on 20 October 1944 night by a partisans commando on the Arcore airfield (NE Milan, near the villa today owned by the former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi). The attack was launched by the 1st Detachment of the 103rd Brigata Garibaldi SAP (Squadra d’Azione Patriottica/Patriotic Action Team) “Vincenzo Gabellini” leaded by Iginio Rota (battle name “Acciaio”) and composed by Renato Pellegatta (battle name “Rena”), Aldo Motta (battle name “Mirco”), Pierino Colombo (battle name “Rabo”), Luigi Rochi (battle name “Nabo”), Emilio Cereda (battle name “Cid”), Mario Carzaniga (battle name “Ivan”), Erminio Carzaniga (battle name “Maresciallo”), Carlo Levati (battle name “Tom”), Gaetano Rigamonti, Luigi Ronchi, Giuseppe Ronco and Ruggero Ruggeri. The attack was planned by the Command of the 103rd Brigata (the Brigate Garibaldi/Garibaldi Brigades was the most famous Italian Communist partisan formations) once came to know of the presence of this airplanes at Arcore and committed to SAP 1st Detachment with prepared the action plan. The Detachment, through country trail, approached the airfield from North of Cascina Velasca, moved through a field forward one building inside the airfield splitting in two groups: a protection group for cover the shoulders and the way of entry in the airfield and the of retreat, a sabotage group committed to the destruction of the aircrafts. Turning out the surveillance of the sentinels (evidently little careful), creeping in darkness and in silence long a wall, the group arrived to hangar, unhinging the door with a hoist and launching into the cockpit of the aircrafts some Molotov cocktail, but without great results. According Carlo Levati “Tom, one men of the commando, was used at the time some straw took from a nearby barn laid into the airplanes and fired with the aid of oil, oxygen and acetylene tanks and other flammable materials. Soon after the team joined the guard group and, while the aircraft exploded, returned to base singing “Bandiera Rossa” ("Red Flag"), one of the most famous songs of the Italian Socialist and Communist movements and other patriotic hymn. The day after a Radio London’s bulletin transmitted the news of the attack and of the destruction of the five S.79 and of the damage of another plane. Hitherto the story according the partisans statements where the only certainty is the destruction of the five torpedo aircraft well supported by many photo. But is doubtful the strange behavior of the sentinels and the security system which nothing noticed the sabotage underway and the partisans movements. In effect some months later a similar sabotage’s attempt will finish tragically for Iginio Rota “Acciao” and his comrades. Anyway this of 20 October 1944 is one of few, or even the only action made by the Italian partisans against of a Nazi-Fascist airfield concluded successfully. Victor Sierra

Arcore airfield: the partisans attack

Italian battleship, "Vittorio Veneto" shows her teeth in the battle of Gavdos, first phase of the Battle of Cape Matapan, off the southern point of the Greek mainland coast, March 1941.  An Italian battle fleet consisting of the Vittorio Veneto (flagship), along with 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and supporting destroyers, were moving to intercept British troop convoys to Greece when their movements and intentions were discovered by British electronic intelligence (ULTRA intercepts).  This allowed the Royal Navy fleet in the eastern Med. to intercept them in the region of Cape Matapan with superior forces, including 3 updated WW1 battleships.  The Gavros action was rather a stand-off, in which Vittorio Veneto drove off a force of British cruisers, but at the expence of suffering significant damage from an airborne torpedo hit.  The second stage of the engagement - a night battle off Cape Matapan - proved disastrous for the Italians.  The British had radar capable of locating the Italian ships at night; the Italians had no similar capacity.  The result was that the Italians lost a whole heavy cruiser division - 3 heavy cruisers - to Royal Navy gunfire which they had no way of answering.  The Italians also lost two destroyers.  By contrast, the British lost one torpedo bomber - the one that had damaged Vittorio Veneto, but was shot down by the battleship's antiaircraft guns.  As a result of Cape Matapan, both sides became aware of each others' strengths and weaknesses, somewhat limiting the operations of both until the Med. war turned decisively against the Axis.  Best regards, JR.