Italian Forces

“Arrows” Gruppo’s CR-42

The Fiat CR.42 aircraft number 14 of the 85th Squadriglia of the Regia Aeronautica’s 18th Gruppo Caccia Terrestre (18th Land Fighter Group) in flight over the clouds. At the Italy’s entry in the war, 10 June 1940, the 18th Gruppo “Frecce” (Arrows), motto in Venetian dialect «Ocio che te copo!..» (Beware... I'll kill you!), leader Maggiore Ferruccio Vossilla, based at Alessandria and Novi Ligure, North-Western Italy, was part of 3rd Stormo Caccia Terrestre. At the moment of the transfer in Belgium, Autumn 1940, for take part to air operations over the Channel against the Britain, an unlucky and useless mission requested by Mussolini but not by the Germans, the 18th Gruppo was deployed at Maldegen. Likely the aircraft of the picture, with the yellow engine cowling adopted in Belgium, wasn’t photographed during the operations from Maldegen but after the return of the Gruppo in Italy early 1941. Victor Sierra