The Fiat CR.42 Falco (Falcon, plural: Falchi ) is a single-seat sesquiplane fighter developed and produced by Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione . It served primarily in the Italian Regia Aeronautica in the 1930s and during the Second World War .
176-503: (Redirected from J-11 ) J11 may refer to: Vehicles [ edit ] Aircraft [ edit ] Fiat J 11 , an Italian sesquiplane fighter in service with the Swedish Air Force Junkers J 11 , a German ground-attack aircraft Shenyang J-11 , a Chinese jet fighter Automobiles [ edit ] James Comet J11 , an English motorcycle Nissan Qashqai J11 ,
352-419: A welded steel -tube triangulated framework built of light- alloy formers; while the forward fuselage was covered by metal panelling, fabric covered the exterior rear of the cockpit. The rigidly-braced wings used a structure that was constructed mainly of light duralumin alloys and steel; the leading edge was metal-skinned while the rest of the wing's exterior was covered with fabric. The upper wing, which
528-637: A 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the Southern Bug River in the city of Nikolayev , on the Black Sea . On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by a flight of Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighters. The escorting Hungarian CR.42s shot down five I-16s while sustaining no losses amongst their own. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev on 16 August, the commander of Luftflotte 4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated
704-673: A German aircraft, carrying a staff officer with the Luftwaffe plans for an offensive through central Belgium to the North Sea, force-landed near Maasmechelen (Mechelen) in Belgium. The documents were captured but Allied intelligence doubted that they were genuine. In the full moon period in April 1940, another Allied alert was called for a possible attack on the Low Countries or Holland, an offensive through
880-612: A German attack in the centre of the French front. After the transfer from the strategic reserve of the Seventh Army to the 1st Army Group, seven divisions remained behind the Second and Ninth armies and more could be moved from behind the Maginot Line. All but one division were either side of the junction of the two armies, GQG being more concerned about a possible German attack past the north end of
1056-504: A German force consisting of 43 divisions (32 of them reserves) and no tanks. The French advanced until they met the thin and undermanned Siegfried Line . On 17 September, Gamelin gave the order to withdraw French troops to their starting positions; the last of them left Germany on 17 September, the day of the Soviet invasion of Poland . Following the Saar Offensive, a period of inaction called
1232-748: A German invasion of the Netherlands but not Belgium, by changing the deployment area to be reached by the Seventh Army; the Escaut plan would only be followed if the Germans forestalled the French move into Belgium. In the winter of 1939–40, the Belgian consul-general in Cologne had anticipated the angle of advance that Manstein was planning. Through intelligence reports, the Belgians deduced that German forces were concentrating along
1408-560: A Japanese SUV Locomotives [ edit ] GSR Class J11 , an Irish steam locomotive LNER Class J11 , a class of British steam locomotives Ships [ edit ] HMS Bramble (J11) , a Halcyon -class minesweeper of the Royal Navy HSwMS ; Visby (J11) , a Visby -class destroyer of the Swedish Navy Other uses [ edit ] County Route J11 (California) DEC J-11 ,
1584-430: A Soviet reconnaissance plane. The 2/3. Squadron flew many sorties until the middle of July escorting bombers and strafing enemy airfields. They claimed six additional kills, losing a single aircraft on 12 July, when 2nd Lieutenant Gyõzõ Vámos collided in a dogfight with a Polikarpov I-16 and bailed out, surviving. On 11 August, Hungarian Fiats escorted six Caproni Ca.135s , commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, on their way to bomb
1760-503: A broken oil pipe, with the pilot surviving. Over the skies of Malta , the CR.42 encountered British Hurricanes for the first time on 3 July 1940. That day, Flying Officer Waters (P2614) shot down an SM.79 bomber five miles (eight kilometers) off Kalafrana, but he was soon attacked in turn by the escorting Falchi , who badly shot up his aircraft. Waters crashed on landing and his Hurricane was written off. The Hurricane pilots soon discovered that
1936-443: A characteristic which had been attributed to be a result of the fighter's very low wing loading . The very strong structure of the fighter enabled pilots to perform virtually all manoeuvres. Shortcomings of the CR.42 included its slower speed in comparison to monoplanes, and a lack of armour, firepower and radio equipment. The CR.42 was typically powered by a single supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine which, via
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#17328474728062112-455: A concentration of forces in a position impossible to adequately resupply, along routes that could be cut easily by the French. If the Allies did not react as expected, the German offensive could end in catastrophe. Their objections were ignored and Halder argued that, as Germany's strategic position seemed hopeless anyway, even the slightest chance of decisive victory should be grasped. Shortly before
2288-565: A determined stand on the Somme and Aisne rivers but were defeated by the German combination of air superiority and armoured mobility. Italy entered the war on the German side on 10 June 1940 and began the Italian invasion of France . German armies outflanked the Maginot Line and pushed deep into France, occupying Paris unopposed on 14 June. After the flight of the French government and the collapse of
2464-619: A dozen damaged. Operations involving the CR.42 were typically hampered by wider logistical issues; the Royal Navy had prevented Italian supplies reaching East Africa and aerial transportation alone proved to be insufficient. It was on the North African front that the CR.42 was most extensively used. At the beginning of the war in Italian North Africa , there were 127 CR.42s from the 13° Gruppo (2° Stormo ) at Castel Benito and from
2640-465: A flight of 16 CR.42s from 9° and 10° Gruppi of 4° Stormo were "bounced" by 14 Gladiators of No.80 Squadron RAF over Gabr Sàleh (about 65 kilometres southeast of El Adem and 35 kilometres east of Bir El Gubi). Four of the CR.42s were shot down while four more were force-landed and later recovered. In return, the Italian pilots claimed to have downed five Gladiators in the dogfight (three shared amongst
2816-524: A forced landing at Qasaba with a holed fuel tank. Notwithstanding these successes, it became increasingly evident that the Fiat CR.42 was unable to operate effectively against the more modern monoplanes of which increasingly larger numbers were being fielded. Over time, the type was able to rely only on its considerable manoeuvrability and Regia Aeronautica piloting skills as potential advantages against its opposition. Italian losses were, however, stemmed when
2992-501: A further four German aircraft: three Do 17 bombers and a single Bf 109, while the Stukas of I./St.2 destroyed no less than 14 CR.42s at Brustem airfield. In a total of 35 missions flown, the CR.42s downed at least five and probably even eight enemy aircraft including a Dornier Do 17 , Junkers Ju 52 and the vaunted Bf 109 for a loss of two of their own. The only two confirmed Bf 109E losses were scored by Charles Goffin. After capitulation,
3168-450: A gearing apparatus, drove a metal three-blade Fiat- Hamilton Standard 3D.41-1 propeller of 2.9 metres (9 ft 6 in) diameter. During the aircraft's development, particular attention was paid to the design of the NACA cowling which accommodated the engine; the cowling featured a series of adjustable flaps for cooling purposes. The engine bay incorporated a fire extinguisher to be used in
3344-501: A group of CR.42s from 2° Stormo scrambled to intercept an inbound formation of Blenheims, estimated as totalling nine aircraft, that were in the process of bombing the airfield of Tobruk T2. During the ensuing engagement, the Italian pilots claimed to have shot down six of the British bombers, probably from No.113 Squadron, which that day reported as having lost three aircraft. On 8 August 1940, in an aerial duel between comparable rivals,
3520-529: A heavy tank like the French Char B1 ; French tanks were better designs, more numerous, with superior armour and armament but slower and with inferior mechanical reliability than the German designs. Although the German Army was outnumbered in artillery and tanks, it possessed some advantages over its opponents. The newer German Panzers had a crew of five: commander, gunner, loader, driver, and mechanic. Having
3696-465: A high value on the agility of the platform, confidence may have also been high due to prior wars in Ethiopia and Spain having been fought against relatively disorganised opposition, giving a somewhat deceptive impression of effectiveness. During its formal military evaluation, the prototype CR.42 was tested against the rival Caproni Ca.165 biplane fighter, and was judged to be the superior design, although
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#17328474728063872-518: A long war in the west. Hitler ordered a conquest of the Low Countries to be executed at the shortest possible notice to forestall the French and prevent Allied air power from threatening the industrial area of the Ruhr . It would also provide the basis for a long-term air and sea campaign against Britain. There was no mention in the directive of a consecutive attack to conquer the whole of France, although
4048-571: A major European war already seemed inevitable, the CR.42 was ordered for the Regia Aeronautica . The type had been ordered as just a single element of the larger R plan, under which Italy was to procure 3,000 new fighter aircraft, such as the monoplane Fiat G.50 and the Macchi C.200 , to equip and expand its air services. According to Cattaneo, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the CR.42
4224-463: A mass firepower effect in attack or defence. The French numerical advantage in heavy weapons and equipment, which was often deployed in "penny-packets" (dispersed as individual support weapons) was offset. Most French tanks also lacked radio and orders between infantry units were typically passed by telephone or verbally. The German communications system permitted a degree of communication between air and ground forces. Attached to Panzer divisions were
4400-475: A meeting of all the pilots and senior staff was called to discuss the best ways of countering the agile CR.42. A suggestion was made that the Hurricane should put down a bit of flaps as this might enable it to turn with the CR.42, but the only realistic proposal was to climb above these aircraft to be in an advantageous position. Nevertheless, Cattaneo noted that the Hurricane gradually proved itself to be superior to
4576-408: A microprocessor chip set Gyroelongated pentagonal pyramid , a Johnson solid (J 11 ) See also [ edit ] JII (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title formed as a letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
4752-400: A more powerful supercharged Fiat A.74 R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine and aerodynamic improvements to its relatively clean exterior surfaces. The aircraft proved to be relatively agile in flight, a factor that had been attributed to its very low wing loading and a sometimes decisive tactical advantage. RAF Intelligence praised its exceptional manoeuvrability, further noting that "the plane
4928-772: A move towards Breda in the Netherlands; if the Allies prevented a German occupation of Holland, the ten divisions of the Dutch army would join the Allied armies, control of the North Sea would be enhanced and the Germans would be denied bases for attacks on Britain. By May 1940, the 1st Army Group was responsible for the defence of France from the Channel coast south to the Maginot Line. The Seventh Army ( Général d'armée Henri Giraud ), BEF (General Lord Gort ), First Army ( Général d'armée Georges Maurice Jean Blanchard ) and Ninth Army ( Général d'armée André Corap ) were ready to advance to
5104-506: A pair of Wellesleys, this time from 14 Squadron, that were trying to bomb Massawa. Tenente Mario Visintini, for the first of his 16 air victories in East Africa, shot down the Wellesley flown by Pilot Officer Plunkett. Dogfights usually occurred when enemy airfields were being attacked. But fierce air battles took place at the beginning of November 1940, during the British offensive against
5280-482: A quick tempo and exploit opportunities faster than the Allies. Panzer divisions could conduct reconnaissance, advance to contact or defend and attack vital positions and weak spots. Captured ground would be occupied by infantry and artillery as pivot points for further attacks. Although many German tanks were outgunned by their opponents, they could lure Allied tanks onto the divisional anti-tank guns. The avoidance of tank-versus-tank engagements conserved German tanks for
5456-606: A radio set and a 100-litre auxiliary tank, the latter of which increased the fighter's operational range (typically 800 km at 380 km/h) up to 1,100 km at economical speed. In Iraq, the Regia Aeronautica was only operational for four days (28–31 May 1941), during which their aircraft were reportedly painted in Iraqi colours. On 22 May 1941, a flight of CR.42s took off from Alghero and flew up to 900 km to Valona (one of which crashed on landing), Rhodes , Aleppo and Mosul . A total of 11 Fiat biplanes flew together with
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5632-444: A range of 1,250 kilometres (780 mi). The project was cancelled as the biplane configuration did not offer any advantages over contemporary monoplane fighter designs. Although this variant never went into production, to the present day, the CR.42DB has continued to hold the distinction of being the fastest biplane to have ever flown. Historians are still not certain exactly how many CR.42s were manufactured. The most likely estimate
5808-431: A reconnaissance aircraft, but it failed to make contact and crashed during its landing, killing the pilot. On 15 of June, 67 CR.42s from the same units, plus 18° Gruppo (from 3° Stormo ), attacked the airfields of Southern France. 27 biplanes from 150° Gruppo strafed the airfield of Cuers-Pierrefeu, between Cuers and Pierrefeu-du- Var , with machine gun fire, causing around 15 V-156Fs to burst into flames. Seven of
5984-489: A single SM.79 and a SM.81 , which served as "pathfinders" and transport aircraft, while a further three SM.82s transported weapons for the campaign. On 23 May, the Italian aircraft arrived in Iraq. Six days later (on 28 May according to other sources), the CR.42s, in what was to prove the final air-to-air combat of the brief campaign, intercepted and engaged a formation of RAF Blenheims, claiming two No. 94 Squadron Gladiators, with
6160-626: A single turn, so tightly was he able to pull round." As the RAF intelligence report stated, the Falchi were hard targets. "As I fired he half rolled very tightly and I was completely unable to hold him, so rapid were his manoeuvres. I attacked two or three more and fired short bursts, in each case the enemy aircraft half-rolled very tightly and easily and completely out-turned me. In two cases as they came out of their rolls, they were able to turn in almost on my tail and opened fire on me." Against British monoplanes,
6336-460: A small number of the best-equipped and " elite divisions were offset by many second and third rate divisions". Army Group A, commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt, comprised 45 + 1 ⁄ 2 divisions, including seven Panzer and was to execute the main movement effort through the Allied defences in the Ardennes. The manoeuvre carried out by the Germans is sometimes referred to as a "Sichelschnitt" ,
6512-407: A strong steel and alloy structure. The CR.42 was furnished with fixed main landing gear , the legs of which were attached to the underside of the lower wing stubs; both the legs wheels were enclosed within streamlined fairings for aerodynamic reasons. The upper wing was larger than its lower wing, a configuration known as a sesquiplane . The aircraft proved to be exceptionally agile in flight,
6688-627: A sweep from behind. In my opinion, the English .303 bullet was not very effective. Italian aircraft received many hits which did no material damage and one pilot even found that his parachute pack had stopped a bullet." During the winter of 1940/1941, the CR.42s were transferred back to the Mediterranean theatre. While flying the Falco in Africa Orientale Italiana (A.O.I), Mario Visintini became
6864-412: A time, the surviving CR.42s were relegated to training roles. During spring 1944, a night assault CR.42 Squadron was formed. These aircraft were equipped with flame dampers and bomb racks for the carriage of four 50 kg bombs; however, these planes were reportedly not used operationally. The majority of Hungary's CR.42s were lost in training accidents and strafing attacks by U.S. aircraft during 1944. It
7040-417: A trained individual for each task allowed a logical division of labour. French tanks had smaller crews; the commander had to load the main gun, distracting him from observation and tactical deployment. The Germans enjoyed an advantage through the theory of Auftragstaktik (mission command) by which officers, NCOs and men were expected to use their initiative and had control over supporting arms, rather than
7216-473: A twin-seat trainer role. Of these, the Biposto , which was furnished with a longer fuselage than other models to enable a second seat to be placed in tandem with the pilot, became the most extensively modified of all the CR.42 variants. Its length was increased by 68 centimeters over the standard fighter, to a total of 8.94 m; the height was 23 centimeters less. Empty weight was only 40 kilograms (88 lb) more, as
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7392-730: Is believed that a single Hungarian Falco survived the war. During 1939, a mission from Belgium 's Aéronautique Militaire purchased a batch of 40 CR.42s for a total price of 40 million francs. On 6 March 1940, the first of these arrived in Belgium but was destroyed in a landing accident. The CR.42s were mainly delivered to the Evere Établissements Généraux de l'Aéronautique Militaire , which were responsible for their assembly. The first operational squadron, IIème Group de Chasse (Fighter Group) based at Nivelles , received its full complement of 15 while other units still awaited further deliveries. The exact quantity of CR.42s delivered to Belgium prior to
7568-428: Is thought to be 1,819 aircraft in total, including the 63 CR.42LWs (51 according to some sources) produced under Luftwaffe control, and a further 140 fighters that were produced for the various export customers for the type. The Fiat CR.42 was a robust and relatively clean single-seat biplane fighter aircraft ; in spite of the biplane configuration of the aircraft, it was a modern, "sleek-looking" design, based around
7744-775: The Heer (German Army), 1,000,000 of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), 180,000 of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) and 100,000 of the Waffen-SS (military arm of the Nazi Party). When consideration is made for those in Poland, Denmark and Norway, the Army had 3,000,000 men available for the offensive starting on 10 May 1940. These manpower reserves were formed into 157 divisions. Of these, 135 were earmarked for
7920-560: The 3rd Julia Alpine Division retreating from a mountain pass near Metsovo . A Breguet was shot down, one crash-landed and the third returned to base, though badly shot up. At the beginning of November, the Greeks received support by the Royal Air Force and on 4 November six Vickers Wellingtons from 70 Squadron attacked Valona . CR.42s pilots shot down two British bombers and damaged two more. Fortunes started to reverse, on 18 November,
8096-708: The Albert Canal and increased the readiness of the army; Gamelin and Grand Quartier Général (GQG) began to consider the possibility of advancing further than the Escaut. By November, GQG had decided that a defence along the Dyle Line was feasible, despite the doubts of General Alphonse Georges , commander of the North-Eastern Front, about reaching the Dyle before the Germans. The British had been lukewarm about an advance into Belgium, but Gamelin persuaded them; on 9 November,
8272-749: The Allies failed to fulfil their military obligations to Poland, later called the Western betrayal by the Poles. The possibility of Soviet assistance to Poland had ended with the Munich Agreement of 1938, after which the Soviet Union and Germany eventually negotiated the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , which included an agreement to partition Poland. The Allies settled on a long-war strategy in which they would complete
8448-559: The Dyle river to Antwerp, which was 70–80 km (43–50 mi) shorter than the alternatives. A second possibility was a line from the French border to Condé , Tournai , along the Escaut ( Scheldt ) to Ghent and thence to Zeebrugge on the North Sea coast, possibly further along the Scheldt (Escaut) to Antwerp, which became the Escaut plan/Plan E. The third possibility was along field defences of
8624-467: The Falchi of Tenente Mario Pinna and Tenente Oscar Abello. Keeble tried to dogfight with the Italians, but his engine was hit and his Hurricane dived into the ground at Wied-il-Ghajn, near Fort Rinella , and blew up; he was the first pilot to be killed in action at Malta. This was the first recorded air victory in the Second World War of the CR.42 against the Hurricane. Shortly after Keeble ' s loss,
8800-464: The Fliegerleittruppen ( Tactical Air Control Party troops) in wheeled vehicles. There were too few Sd.Kfz. 251 command vehicles for all of the army but the theory allowed the army in some circumstances to call Luftwaffe units to support an attack . Fliegerkorps VIII , equipped with Junkers Ju 87 dive-bombers ( Stukas ), was to support the dash to the Channel if Army Group A broke through
8976-662: The French Army , German commanders met with French officials on 18 June to negotiate an end to hostilities. On 22 June 1940, the Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed by France and Germany. The neutral Vichy government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain replaced the Third Republic and German military occupation began along the French North Sea and Atlantic coasts and their hinterlands. The Italian invasion of France over
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#17328474728069152-597: The Panzerwaffe should be concentrated at Sedan. This concentration of armour would advance to the west to the English Channel , without waiting for the main body of infantry divisions. This might lead to a strategic collapse of the enemy, avoiding the relatively high number of casualties normally caused by a Kesselschlacht (cauldron battle). Such a risky independent use of armour had been widely discussed in Germany before
9328-727: The Phoney War (the French Drôle de guerre , joke war or the German Sitzkrieg , sitting war) set in between the belligerents. Adolf Hitler had hoped that France and Britain would acquiesce in the conquest of Poland and quickly make peace. On 6 October, in a speech to the Reichstag he made a peace offer to the Western powers. On 9 October 1939, Hitler issued Führer-Directive Number 6 ( Führer-Anweisung N°6 ). Hitler recognised
9504-451: The Regia Aeronautica ; these customers included Belgium , Hungary and Sweden . Soon after its introduction to service, Fiat developed a number of variants of the type. The CR.42bis and CR.42ter featured increased firepower, while the CR.42CN was a dedicated night fighter model, the CR.42AS was optimised for performing ground attack missions, and the CR.42B Biposto commonly served in
9680-589: The United Kingdom and France offered military support to Poland in the likely case of a German invasion. At dawn on 1 September 1939, the German invasion of Poland began. France and the United Kingdom declared war on 3 September, after an ultimatum for German forces immediately to withdraw their forces from Poland was not answered. Australia and New Zealand also declared war on 3 September, South Africa on 6 September and Canada on 10 September. While British and French commitments to Poland were met politically,
9856-417: The Western Campaign ( German : Westfeldzug ), the French Campaign ( Frankreichfeldzug , campagne de France ) and the Fall of France , during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries ( Belgium , Luxembourg and the Netherlands ) and France . The invasion plan for the Low Countries and France was called Case Yellow ( German , Fall Gelb ). Fall Rot ( Case Red )
10032-469: The 10° and 9° Gruppo of 4° Stormo in Benina , including reserve aircraft. According to some historians, it was in the North African theatre that the CR.42 performed at its best. Experienced Italian pilots, the majority of them being veterans of the Spanish Civil War, employed the exceptional manoeuvrability of the CR.42 to great effect, enabling successful attacks against RAF Gladiators, Hurricanes and Spitfires and often forcing their opponents "...to adopt
10208-413: The 300,000 of the French Army. All of the British Expeditionary Force was motorised. Most of the German logistical transport consisted of horse-drawn vehicles. Only 50 per cent of the German divisions available in 1940 were fit for operations, often being worse equipped than the German army of 1914 or their equivalents in the British and French Armies. In the spring of 1940, the German Army was semi-modern;
10384-400: The Alps took a small amount of ground and after the armistice , Italy occupied a small area in the south-east. The Vichy regime retained the zone libre (free zone) in the south. Following the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942, in Case Anton , the Germans and Italians took control of the zone until France was liberated by the Allies in 1944. During the 1930s,
10560-443: The Ardennes and kept a Ju 87 and a fighter group on call. On average, they could arrive to support armoured units within 45–75 minutes of orders being issued. The German army conducted combined arms operations of mobile offensive formations, with well-trained artillery, infantry, engineer and tank formations, integrated into Panzer divisions. The elements were united by wireless communication, which enabled them to work together at
10736-400: The Army should attack early, ready or not, hoping that Allied unreadiness might bring about an easy victory. Hitler proposed an invasion on 25 October 1939 but accepted that the date was probably unrealistic. On 29 October, Halder presented Aufmarschanweisung N°2, Fall Gelb , with a secondary attack on the Netherlands. On 5 November, Hitler informed Walther von Brauchitsch that he intended
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#173284747280610912-410: The Belgian and Luxembourg frontiers. In March 1940, Swiss intelligence detected six or seven Panzer divisions on the German-Luxembourg-Belgian border and more motorised divisions were detected in the area. French intelligence were informed through aerial reconnaissance that the Germans were constructing pontoon bridges about halfway over the Our River on the Luxembourg–German border. On 30 April,
11088-434: The Belgian pilots fought with great skill. The Belgian CR.42s fought from the first day of the invasion, when they attacked a formation of attacking Ju 52s (from 17/KGzbV 5) in the Tongeren area, forcing one to crash-land near Maastricht . The Fiats were then jumped by the escorting Bf 109s from I./JG.1 but, thanks to their superior agility, managed to safely return to base. That day, the Belgian pilots claimed to have downed
11264-452: The Beveland Peninsula (now the Walcheren – Zuid-Beveland –Noord-Beveland peninsula ) in the Holland Hypothesis . On 12 March 1940, Gamelin discounted dissenting opinion at GQG and decided that the Seventh Army would advance as far as Breda, to link with the Dutch. Georges was told that the role of the Seventh Army on the left flank of the Dyle manoeuvre would be linked to it and Georges notified Billotte that if it were ordered to cross into
11440-443: The CR.32 and had reportedly accomplished significant successes using the fighter. The positive combat experience gave sufficient encouragement to the type's principal manufacturer, Fiat Aviazione , for the company to produce a proposal for the development of a more advanced derivative of the design, incorporating the newly finalised supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine and several other enhancements. Key features of
11616-603: The CR.42 achieved a degree of success as a night fighter, proving itself to be effective against RAF bombers that were bombing industrial targets throughout northern Italy during 1942. In autumn 1940, Regia Aeronautica sent 18° Gruppo (of 56° Stormo ) in Belgium with 83 , 85 and 95 Squadriglia equipped with CR.42s as part of the Corpo Aereo Italiano , an independent air corps for operations against Great Britain. On 11 and 23 November 1940, multiple CR.42s flew two raids against England. Luftwaffe aircraft frequently experienced difficulties in maintaining formation flight with
11792-410: The CR.42 be built in greater numbers than any other Italian fighter of the war, it would also see action on every front in which the Regia Aeronautica fought upon. The CR.42 was basically an evolution of the design of the earlier Fiat CR.32 , which in turn had been derived from the CR.30 series created in 1932. During the Spanish Civil War of the mid-1930s, the Regia Aeronautica had employed
11968-403: The CR.42 continued to be used in this capacity right up until the signing of the Italian armistice with the Allies . By 8 September 1943, the day on which Italy formally surrendered to the Allies, only around 60 of these aircraft were still in a flyable condition. By the end of the CR.42's production during 1942, a total of 1,784 fighters had been constructed. On numerous occasions, the Falco
12144-517: The CR.42 was conceptually outdated in comparison to the newer generation of monoplanes, had considered the rapid re-equipment of their fighter component to be of vital importance. Additionally, the Italian government had expressed its willingness to forgo CR.42 delivery positions in order to expedite the re-equipment of the Hungarian units. By the end of 1939, a total of 17 CR.42s had been delivered to Hungary, where they were promptly issued to 1. Vadász Ezred (1st Fighter Wing), which began conversion from
12320-409: The CR.42. As the war went on, the CR.42 had been superseded in the day fighter role by more advanced aircraft, but found a renewed niche performing the night fighter mission. The Falco served as the main night fighter of the Regia Aeronautica , even though it was not equipped with radar and often lacked radio equipment. Some Falco night fighters were equipped with extended exhaust pipes to hide
12496-435: The CR.42s were not always outclassed; one Italian pilot's account is as follows: "I engaged one of the British fighters from a range of between 40 to 50 metres (131 to 164 ft). Then I saw a Spitfire, which was chasing another CR.42, and I got in a shot at a range of 150 metres (492 ft). I realised that in a manoeuvered flight, the CR.42 could win or survive against Hurricanes and Spitfires, though we had to be careful of
12672-507: The Ca.165 was a more modern design which boasted a higher speed, albeit at the cost of maneuverability. During flight tests, it demonstrated its ability to reach a top speed of 438 km/h (272 mph) at 5,300 m (17,400 ft) and 342 km/h (213 mph) at ground level. Climb rate was 1 minute and 25 seconds to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and of 7 minutes and 20 seconds to 6,000 m (20,000 ft). During late 1939, by which time
12848-565: The Captured Enemy Aircraft Flight, tested the Falco of Sergente Pietro Salvadori that had landed on Orfordness beach, on 11 November 1940. He reported the CR.42 was "remarkably fast" for a biplane, with a top speed of 270 mph (430 km/h) at 12,500 ft (3,800 m). The Falco had a "marginal stability which is the mark of a good fighter". Moreover, it was "brilliantly manoeuvrable, an acrobatic gem, but under-gunned and very vulnerable to enemy fire". During May 1939,
13024-503: The Dyle Line, by pivoting on the right (southern) Second Army. The Seventh Army would take over west of Antwerp, ready to move into Holland and the Belgians were expected to delay a German advance, then retire from the Albert Canal to the Dyle, from Antwerp to Louvain. On the Belgian right, the BEF was to defend about 20 km (12 mi) of the Dyle from Louvain to Wavre with nine divisions and
13200-650: The Dyle plan was adopted. On 17 November, a session of the Supreme War Council deemed it essential to occupy the Dyle Line and Gamelin issued a directive that day detailing a line from Givet to Namur, the Gembloux Gap, Wavre, Louvain and Antwerp. For the next four months, the Dutch and Belgian armies laboured over their defences, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) expanded and the French army received more equipment and training. Gamelin also considered
13376-522: The English Channel whilst attempting to return to its base. One of the most successful night interceptions took place on the night of 25 August 1942. That day, in an attempt to oppose RAF night intruder missions that were hammering Italian airfields, the 4° Stormo borrowed four radio-equipped CR.42s, by 208 and 238 Squadriglie of the 101° Gruppo Bombardamento a Tuffo , based at Abar Nimeir, to use them as night interceptors. According to Cattaneo,
13552-520: The Fiat CR.42 entered operational service with the Regia Aeronautica; the 53° Stormo , based at Turin Caselle Airport , was the first unit to be equipped with the type. On 10 June 1940, the date on which Italy entered the Second World War on the side of Germany, roughly 300 aircraft had been delivered. Italy had delayed its entry into the war in order to better prepare itself for combat; through
13728-509: The Fiat in regards to its combat equipment also. The 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT could fire an effective explosive bullet, but the Gladiator's Brownings were able to shoot 2.5 more rounds per second than the synchronized Italian machine guns. However, the CR.42 was capable of superior performance; it was much faster at about 3,000 feet (900 m) thanks to its smaller wing area, constant-speed propeller and
13904-570: The Fiats giving top-cover were intercepted by Bloch MB.152s (Bloch MB.151s, according to other sources) from A.C.-3 that shot down a Falco and forced another to land. Italian pilots claimed four French fighters. Subsequently, Fiats attacked the airfields of Le Cannet-des-Maures and Puert Pierrefin, close to the border. This time the French fighter units reacted and the Fiats were attacked by Dewoitine 520s from G.C.III/6. Regia Aeronautica aviators claimed 8–10 air victories and many aircraft destroyed on
14080-576: The First Army, on the right of the BEF, was to hold 35 km (22 mi) with ten divisions from Wavre across the Gembloux Gap to Namur. The gap from the Dyle to Namur north of the Sambre, with Maastricht and Mons on either side, had few natural obstacles and was a traditional route of invasion, leading straight to Paris. The Ninth Army would take post south of Namur, along the Meuse to the left (northern) flank of
14256-420: The French border from Luxembourg to Dunkirk . For the first fortnight of the war, Gamelin favoured Plan E, because of the example of the fast German advances in Poland. Gamelin and the other French commanders doubted that they could move any further forward before the Germans arrived. In late September, Gamelin issued a directive to Général d'armée Gaston Billotte , commander of the 1st Army Group, ...assuring
14432-530: The French built the Maginot Line , fortifications along the border with Germany . The line was intended to economise on manpower and deter a German invasion across the Franco–German border by diverting it into Belgium, which could then be met by the best divisions of the French Army . The war would take place outside French territory, avoiding the destruction of the First World War . The main section of
14608-593: The French military attaché in Bern warned that the centre of the German assault would come on the Meuse at Sedan, sometime between 8 and 10 May. These reports had little effect on Gamelin, as did similar reports from neutral sources such as the Vatican and a French sighting of a 100 km-long (60 mi) line of German armoured vehicles on the Luxembourg border trailing back inside Germany. Germany had mobilised 4,200,000 men of
14784-494: The French naval base of Toulon . Later that day, they attacked French Air Force base of Hyères , in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France, hitting on the ground, approximately 50 enemy aircraft and destroying at least 20 of them. Italian pilots from 151° Gruppo claimed the shooting down of a French Vought V.156F . On the same day, a CR.42 from 82 Squadriglia (13° Gruppo ) took off to intercept
14960-547: The General Staff Oberkommando des Heeres [OKH]), presented the first plan for Fall Gelb on 19 October. Fall Gelb entailed an advance through the middle of Belgium; Aufmarschanweisung N°1 envisioned a frontal attack, at a cost of half million German soldiers to attain the limited goal of throwing the Allies back to the River Somme . German strength in 1940 would then be spent and only in 1942 could
15136-543: The German armies there. British , Belgian and French forces were pushed back to the sea by the Germans where the British and French navies evacuated the encircled elements of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French and Belgian armies from Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo . German forces began Fall Rot ("Case Red") on 5 June 1940. The remaining Allied divisions in France, sixty French and two British, made
15312-442: The German attack on 10 May 1940 has been estimated by historians to fall between 24 and 27 aircraft, the last of which having been transported to France and lost in the railway station at Amiens . However, photographic evidence suggests that the total number of CR.42s delivered was 30. On 9 May, squadrons operating the Falchi were the 3rd "Cocotte rouge", with 14, and the 4th, "Cocotte Blanche", with 11 aircraft. In addition to those,
15488-739: The German translation of the phrase "sickle cut" coined by Winston Churchill after the event. It involved three armies (the 4th , 12th and 16th ) and had three Panzer corps. The XV had been allocated to the 4th Army but the XLI (Reinhardt) and the XIX (Guderian) were united with the XIV Army Corps of two motorised infantry divisions on a special independent operational level in Panzergruppe Kleist (XXII Corps). Army Group B ( Fedor von Bock ), comprised 29 + 1 ⁄ 2 divisions including three armoured,
15664-509: The Gloster Gladiator, the Italians suffering losses at a higher rate than they were achieving themselves, losing over 68 aircraft and shooting down just 20 in return. Two days after the start of the war, on 30 October, there was the first air battle. Some Henschel Hs126s of 3/2 Flight of 3 Observation Mira took off to locate Italian Army columns. But they were intercepted and attacked by Fiat CR.42s of 393 Squadriglia . A first Henschel
15840-738: The Gloster was achieved in part as a result of its enclosed cockpit, which was an advantage when operating in the cold winter sky, while the R/T radio allowed for the adoption of more effective tactics that made it possible to ambush the Italian CR.42 formations, as well as the superior quality of the British aces of 80 Squadron, commanded by Marmaduke Pattle . The majority of the Italian pilots shot down and killed in Greece were new arrivals, fresh from flying schools; these pilots frequently insisted on direct engagements against
16016-588: The Hawker Hurricane. During the air battle over Mersa Matruh Sergente Maggiore Davide Colauzzi and Sergente Mario Turchi from 368 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 bail out but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy completely – and Flying Officer Perry St Quintin (Hurricane P3724), who made
16192-620: The Hungarian Air Force, specifically during its deployment against Soviet forces on the Eastern Front of the war, where it reportedly achieved a kill to loss ratio of 12 to 1. During the late 1930s, while a new generation of monoplane fighter aircraft were already beginning to be introduced across the various air services of Europe, there was still a considerable time before they would be developed and available enough to assume total responsibility for strategic air power operations. By
16368-546: The Iraqi insurgents was insufficient and the coup had quickly been put down; however, this contributed to the decision to invade Syria that resulted in a substantial diversion during an already critical moment for the Allies. While retreating, 164 Squadriglia CR.42s were used to defend Pantelleria. The first foreign purchaser of the CR.42 was the Royal Hungarian Air Force (MKHL), which placed orders for 52 aircraft during mid-1938. The Hungarians , while aware that
16544-464: The Italian biplanes could often outmaneuver their aircraft and that this was a crucial factor in any dogfight against them. Pilot Officer Jock Barber remembered: "On my first combat, the 9 of July, I attacked the leader of a Squadriglia of Falcos, while [Flight Lieutenant] George Burges attacked an SM.79 bomber. When I shot the CR.42 at a range of 100 yards [91 meters], he did a flick-roll and went spinning down. I found myself engaged in dogfighting with
16720-522: The Italian forts of Gallabat and Metemma , along the Sudan border. The Regia Aeronautica was dominant in these fights, sometimes even against more powerful opponents. The most successful day was on 6 November when the CR.42s achieved seven confirmed victories against the Gladiators, for no losses. In the air duels fought during 1940, losses however were also suffered: at least six Fiats were destroyed and about
16896-403: The Low Countries to outflank the Maginot Line from the north, an attack on the Maginot Line or an invasion through Switzerland. None of the contingencies anticipated the German attack through the Ardennes but after the loss of the Luftwaffe plans, the Germans assumed that the Allied appreciation of German intentions would have been reinforced. Aufmarschanweisung N°3, Fall Gelb , an amendment to
17072-618: The Maginot Line and then south-east through the Stenay Gap, for which the divisions behind the Second Army were well placed. If the Allies could control the Scheldt Estuary, supplies could be transported to Antwerp by ship and contact established with the Dutch Army along the river. On 8 November, Gamelin directed that a German invasion of the Netherlands must not be allowed to progress around
17248-513: The Maginot Line ran from the Swiss border and ended at Longwy ; the hills and woods of the Ardennes region were thought to cover the area to the north. General Philippe Pétain declared the Ardennes to be "impenetrable" as long as "special provisions" were taken to destroy an invasion force as it emerged from the Ardennes by a pincer attack . The French commander-in-chief, Maurice Gamelin , also believed
17424-576: The Moselle but failed to detect the redeployment from the Dutch frontier to the Eifel – Moselle area. On 27 January, Manstein was sacked as Chief of Staff of Army Group A and appointed commander of an army corps in East Prussia . To silence Manstein, Halder had instigated his transfer to Stettin on 9 February. Manstein's staff brought his case to Hitler, who had independently suggested an attack at Sedan, against
17600-405: The Netherlands, the left flank of the army group was to advance to Tilburg if possible and certainly to Breda. The Seventh Army was to take post between the Belgians and Dutch by passing the Belgians along the Albert Canal and then turning east, a distance of 175 km (109 mi), when the Germans were only 90 km (56 mi) distant from Breda. On 16 April, Gamelin also made provision for
17776-447: The Second Army. The Second Army was the right (eastern) flank army of the 1st Army Group, holding the line from Pont à Bar 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Sedan to Longuyon . GQG considered that the Second and Ninth armies had the easiest task of the army group, dug in on the west bank of the Meuse on ground that was easily defended and behind the Ardennes, a considerable obstacle, the traversing of which would give plenty of warning of
17952-519: The Soviet Union and, on that same day, Hungarian CR.42s received their baptism of fire when 2/3. Squadron escorted bomber formations against Stanislau , today Ivano-Frankivsk, in Ukraine. Ensign László Kázár was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire while strafing, leading to his crash landing behind enemy lines. On the same day, Sergeant Árpád Kertész, from the same unit, claimed the first victory, shooting down
18128-462: The War Cabinet, declared: 'The manoeuvrability of the CR.42s, in particular their capacity to execute an extremely tight half roll, has caused considerable surprise to other pilots and undoubtedly saved many Italian fighters from destruction.'" On 13 June 1940, three days after entry of Italy into the war, 23 pilots from 23° Gruppo of 3° Stormo escorted a flight of ten Fiat BR.20 bombers to bomb
18304-570: The advice of OKH. On 2 February, Hitler was told of Manstein's plan and on 17 February, Hitler summoned Manstein, General Rudolf Schmundt (Chief of Personnel of the German Army) and General Alfred Jodl , the Chief of Operations of Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW, Supreme Command of the Armed Forces), to a conference. The next day, Hitler ordered Manstein's thinking to be adopted, because it offered
18480-673: The air and on the ground, including a number of Hurricanes. During 1940, three squadriglie stationed in Italian East Africa — Ethiopia , Italian Eritrea , and Italian Somaliland — were equipped with CR.42s. The 412 – the most experienced Squadriglia – was based in Gura (with the 414 Squadriglia ) and in Massawa . The 413 Squadriglia was in Assab . Fighting there began in June 1940 and lasted until
18656-463: The area to be safe from attack, noting it "never favoured large operations". French war games, held in 1938, of a hypothetical German armoured attack through the Ardennes, left the army with the impression that the region was still largely impenetrable and that this, along with the obstacle of the Meuse River , would allow the French time to bring up troops into the area to counter any attack. In 1939,
18832-416: The area to quell the rebellion, many of which made landfall near Basra . Germany and Italy dispatched support to Ali's forces in the form of Messerschmitt Bf 110s, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s and CR.42s, which were quickly put into action against the British. The Regia Aeronautica sent 155 Squadriglia (named Squadriglia speciale Irak ) equipped with the improved CR.42 Egeo version, which was furnished with
19008-420: The autumn of 1941. The Italians met mostly British bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, destroying many of them. On 12 June 1940, 412 Squadriglia attacked nine Vickers Wellesley bombers from 47 Squadron above Asmara , and Tenente Carlo Canella claimed the first CR.42 victory in East Africa, a Wellesley that was heavily damaged and forced to crash-land. Two days later, the 412 Squadriglia again intercepted
19184-481: The battle. German tanks had radio receivers that allowed them to be directed by platoon command tanks, which had voice communication with other units. Wireless allowed tactical control and far quicker improvisation than the opponent. Some commanders regarded the ability to communicate to be the primary method of combat and radio drills were considered to be more important than gunnery. Radio allowed German commanders to co-ordinate their formations, bringing them together for
19360-944: The crankshaft of the aircraft's engine. In total, the MKHL ordered 70 CR.42s but, through a barter which included the exchange of a captured Yugoslavian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 , they received an additional two CR.42s during 1941. The Hungarian CR.42s were first used in combat against neighbouring Yugoslavia during April 1941. During the short conflict in the Balkans, the MKHL reportedly lost two of their CR.42s. In mid-June, CR.42 fighters equipped several MKHL units: 1/3.'Kör ász'F.S. and 1/4. 'Szent György' F.S. both based in Budapest-Mátyásföld ; 2/3. 'Ricsi' F.S. (in Bustyaháza) and 2/4. 'Repülö tör' F.S. (in Miskolc ). On 27 June 1941, Hungary declared war on
19536-408: The directive read that as much as possible of the border areas in northern France should be occupied. On 10 October 1939, Britain refused Hitler's offer of peace and on 12 October, France did the same. The pre-war German codename of plans for a campaign in the Low Countries was Aufmarschanweisung N°1, Fall Gelb (Deployment Instruction No. 1, Case Yellow). Colonel-General Franz Halder (Chief of
19712-544: The earlier 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 during mid-1940. Some of the CR.42s in Hungarian service were armed with a single 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Gebauer GKM Machine Gun 1940.M ( Gebauer Kenyszermeghajtasu Motorgeppuska , or "Gebauer Positive-Driven Motor-Machine Gun"); these were fixed twin-barrel guns that were driven via
19888-660: The east (right flank) and attack on the west (left flank) by advancing into Belgium, to fight forward of the French frontier . The extent of the forward move was dependent on events, which were complicated when Belgium ended the Franco-Belgian Accord of 1920 after the German Remilitarisation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936. The neutrality of the Belgian state was reluctant openly to co-operate with France but information
20064-511: The end of the war, Italian CR.42s had been used on further fronts, including Iraq , the Eastern Front and the Italian mainland. Following the signing of the Italian armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943, the type was relegated to use as a trainer by the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , while some Italian CR.42s were seized by the Germans and used by the Luftwaffe to perform ground-attack operations. The CR.42
20240-401: The event of a fire. In terms of armament, the early CR.42s were outfitted with a single 7.7 mm and one 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun , which was installed in the decking of the upper fuselage and fired directly through the propeller. As per Italian tradition, a counter for the rounds fired was present amongst the cockpit's instrumentation. The fuselage of the CR.42 was composed of
20416-466: The exhaust flame. Additionally, 2 spotlights were fitted under the wings of some of the night fighters. The first night interception was performed on the night of 13–14 August 1940 by Capitano Giorgio Graffer , when he located and opened fire on a British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber that had been sent to attack Turin . When his guns jammed, Graffer rammed the bomber before bailing out. The bomber had been badly damaged and subsequently crashed into
20592-540: The expense of Army Group B to the north. While Manstein was formulating new plans in Koblenz , Generalleutnant Heinz Guderian , commander of the XIX Army Corps , was lodged in a nearby hotel. Manstein was initially considering a move north from Sedan, directly in the rear of the main Allied mobile forces in Belgium. When Guderian was invited to contribute to the plan during informal discussions, he proposed that most of
20768-480: The field army would have needed more troops than the British Expeditionary Force.) The 88 mm Flak had an elevation of −3° to +85° and could be used as artillery i.e. against panzers. The armies which invaded the west had 85 heavy and 18 light batteries belonging to the Luftwaffe , 48 companies of light Flak integral to divisions of the army and 20 companies of light Flak allocated as army troops,
20944-417: The fighter, which was designated as the CR.42 , included its relatively clean aerodynamic exterior, a very strong structure, and a high level of maneuverability, a combination which had traditionally appealed to Italian pilots according to Cattaneo. According to aviation author Gianni Cattaneo, both the proposal and the concept of a developed biplane was well received by the Regia Aeronautica , having placed
21120-569: The first day of Greek army counter-attack. While a CR.42 shot down a Greek Bristol Blenheim , during a dogfight with Greek fighters, 393 Squadriglia damaged four PZL P.24s but lost three Fiats. On the same day, a flight of 20 Gladiators from RAF 80 Squadron landed in Athens. While deployed in North Africa, the CR.42 pilots had been able to achieve a clear superiority over the Gladiators but in Greece, they suffered more heavy losses. The superiority of
21296-522: The five surviving Fiat CR.42s were brought into a French Air Force depot in Fréjorques, where they were later found by the Germans. Their final fate is not known. Overall, the total claims made by Belgian CR.42 pilots were: eight Do 17, four Bf 109 and a single Ju 52. Sweden was the largest export customer for the CR.42. The Swedish Air Force purchased various types of Italian combat aircraft during 1939–1941, as an emergency measure enacted in response to
21472-403: The flanks. Hitler made such a suggestion on 11 November, pressing for an early attack on unprepared targets. Halder's plan satisfied no-one; General Gerd von Rundstedt , the commander of Army Group A ( Heeresgruppe A ) recognised that it did not adhere to the classic principles of Bewegungskrieg ( war of manoeuvre ) that had guided German strategy since the 19th century. A breakthrough
21648-531: The ground. Fiat pilots were credited with the downing of three Bloch and five Dewoitine fighters, in exchange for the loss of five Falchi . Following the Fall of France, an Italian air group of CR.42s and BR.20 bombers operated from Belgium during October and November 1940. This task force flew some offensive operations during the later stages of the Battle of Britain , but incurred a high loss rate. Cattaneo speculated that
21824-443: The integrity of the national territory and defending without withdrawing the position of resistance organised along the frontier.... giving the 1st Army Group permission to enter Belgium, to deploy along the Escaut according to Plan E. On 24 October, Gamelin directed that an advance beyond the Escaut was only feasible if the French moved fast enough to forestall the Germans. By late 1939, the Belgians had improved their defences along
22000-422: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J11&oldid=1132546615 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Fiat J 11 The CR.42 was an evolution of Fiat’s earlier CR.32 fighter, featuring
22176-512: The invasion to begin on 12 November. Brauchitsch replied that the military had yet to recover from the Polish campaign and offered to resign; this was refused but two days later Hitler postponed the attack, giving poor weather as the reason for the delay. More postponements followed, as commanders persuaded Hitler to delay the attack for a few days or weeks, to remedy some defect in the preparations or to wait for better weather. Hitler also tried to alter
22352-525: The invasion, Hitler, who had spoken to forces on the Western Front and who was encouraged by the success in Norway , confidently predicted the campaign would take only six weeks. He was most excited over the planned military glider attack on Fort Eben-Emael . On 3 September 1939, French military strategy had been settled, taking in analyses of geography, resources and manpower. The French Army would defend in
22528-592: The light losses experienced during the Battle of France had persuaded the Regia Aeronautica that the type was considerably more effective than it was against the modern frontline fighter aircraft that it would be coming up against, and thus had encouraged this brief deployment. In the present day, the RAF Museum at Hendon, London has a CR.42 on static display from this time; this aircraft had reportedly force-landed in Suffolk with
22704-496: The limited Saar Offensive but by mid-October had withdrawn to their start lines. German armies invaded Belgium , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , and France on 10 May 1940. In Fall Gelb ("Case Yellow"), German armoured units made a surprise push through the Ardennes and then along the Somme valley, cutting off and surrounding the Allied units that had advanced into Belgium to meet
22880-468: The loss of one CR.42 shot down by a Gladiator flown by Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta. Three of the CR.42s were damaged during combat and were subsequently abandoned in Iraq. The seven survivors of the engagement were withdrawn with great difficulty, since the SM.79 "pathfinder" had been destroyed on the ground by the RAF, despite being located further away at Aleppo airfield, Syria. The Axis effort to reinforce
23056-473: The main attack against France begin. When Hitler raised objections to the plan and wanted an armoured breakthrough, as had happened in the invasion of Poland, Halder and Brauchitsch attempted to dissuade him, arguing that while the fast-moving mechanised tactics were effective against a "shoddy" Eastern European army, they would not work against a first-rate military like the French. Hitler was disappointed with Halder's plan and initially reacted by deciding that
23232-902: The more advanced Macchi C.200 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 of Luftflotte 4, arrived in the theatre during April 1941. The CR.42s were progressively relegated to performing ground-attack operations instead, leaving interception duties to the more capable monoplanes. The Fiat CR.42 was the main Regia Aeronautica front-line fighter when the Greco-Italian War broke out during late 1940. Sixty-four Falcos (out of 179 fighters) were deployed in air bases in Albania : in Drenovë ( Korçë ), with 160° Gruppo and in Tirana , with 363 , 364 and 365 Squadriglie of 24° Gruppo . In Greece, on
23408-672: The more manoeuvrable British biplanes, leading to unfavourable dogfights. In the Greco-Italian War, CR.42 pilots claimed 162 kills, for the loss of 29 aircraft. By July 1943, CR.42s were still equipped by 383 Squadriglia Assalto (Ground Attack Squadron) based in Zara and in September 1943, by 392 (in Tirana) and 385 Squadriglie Autonome . During April 1941, Rashid Ali led a pro-Axis coup in Iraq . In response, British Army units began moving into
23584-453: The necessity of military campaigns to defeat the Western European nations, preliminary to the conquest of territory in Eastern Europe, to avoid a two-front war but these intentions were absent from Directive N°6. The plan was based on the seemingly more realistic assumption that German military strength would have to be built up for several years. Only limited objectives could be envisaged and were aimed at improving Germany's ability to survive
23760-442: The next stage of the offensive, units carrying supplies for three to four days' operations. The Panzer divisions were supported by motorised and infantry divisions. German tank battalions ( Panzer-Abteilungen ) were to be equipped with the Panzerkampfwagen III and Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks but shortages led to the use of light Panzerkampfwagen II and even lighter Panzerkampfwagen I instead. The German Army lacked
23936-408: The offensive, including 42 reserve divisions. The German forces in the west in May and June deployed some 2,439 tanks and 7,378 guns. In 1939–40, 45 per cent of the army was at least 40 years old and 50 per cent of all the soldiers had just a few weeks' training. The German Army was far from motorised; ten per cent of their army was motorised in 1940 and could muster only 120,000 vehicles, compared with
24112-510: The outbreak of the Second World War during September 1939, many powers still fielded biplanes amongst their air wings, such as the British Gloster Gladiator and the Italian CR.42. As such, even as the first flights of the latter were being conducted during 1939, despite an acknowledgement of its effective obsolescence, it was also recognised that such biplanes would likely make a valued contribution in plentiful second-line roles. This pragmatic observation turned out to be correct as not only would
24288-404: The outbreak of the Second World War. As a consequence of the war, no other nations were willing to supply fighter aircraft to a small neutral country, while Sweden's domestic production would be insufficient until at least 1943. Between February 1940 and September 1941, Sweden received a total of 72 CR.42s; these fighters were equipped with radio sets, 20-millimetre (0.79 in) armour plate behind
24464-522: The period commonly known as the Phoney War , the Regia Aeronautica activated many new squadrons and did all that was possible to speed up aircraft deliveries, including of the CR.42. Accordingly, further orders for the type were placed as a part of this expansion effort. Upon Italy's entry into the conflict, the Falchi were principally tasked with the defense of Italy's cities and military installations alike, such as Regia Aeronautica airbases and Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) bases. To some extent,
24640-645: The pilot and ski landing gear for winter operations. The Swedish aircraft were designated J 11 . Battle of France Germany : 27,074 killed 111,034 wounded 18,384 missing 1,129 airmen killed 1,236 aircraft lost 795–822 tanks lost German: 156,547 Italian: 6,029–6,040 Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns The Battle of France ( French : bataille de France ; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as
24816-401: The pilots of 10° Gruppo and two shared by the 73 Squadriglia pilots) along with two probables (the 90 Squadriglia ’s Diary reported six victories), with two Gladiators actually lost (one pilot for each side was killed in action), but the combat was a nasty day for the best unit fielded in North Africa. 4° Stormo was the mainstay of Italian fighter force in Africa, and its 73 Squadriglia
24992-409: The plan on 30 January, was only a revision of details. On 24 February, the main German effort was moved south to the Ardennes. Twenty divisions (including seven panzer and three motorised divisions) were transferred from Heeresgruppe B opposite Holland and Belgium to Heeresgruppe A facing the Ardennes. French military intelligence uncovered a transfer of German divisions from the Saar to the north of
25168-432: The plan, which he found unsatisfactory; his weak understanding of how poorly prepared Germany was for war and how it would cope with losses of armoured vehicles were not fully considered. Though Poland had been quickly defeated, many armoured vehicles had been lost and were hard to replace. This led to the German effort becoming dispersed; the main attack would remain in central Belgium, secondary attacks would be undertaken on
25344-403: The planes of Major Lamarche and two others (R.21 and R.27) in a hangar at Nivelles were not serviceable, while another was at Airfield Number 41 with mechanical trouble. The Fiat CR.42s were first to be blooded in Belgium ; after their initial encounters with the vastly superior Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters of the Luftwaffe , the entire contingent of Fiats was quickly overwhelmed, although
25520-503: The possibility of decisive victory. Hitler recognised the breakthrough at Sedan only in tactical terms, whereas Manstein saw it as a means to an end. He envisaged an operation to the English Channel and the encirclement of the Allied armies in Belgium; if the plan succeeded, it could have a strategic effect. Halder then went through an "astonishing change of opinion", accepting that the Schwerpunkt should be at Sedan. He had no intention of allowing an independent strategic penetration by
25696-571: The re-engined CR.42DB . Beginning in 1938, Fiat had worked on the I.CR.42, then gave the task to complete the project to CMASA factory in Marina di Pisa on the Tirreno sea coast. The only prototype was built in 1940. Tests started at the beginning of 1941, at the Vigna di Valle base, on Lake Bracciano , north of Rome. Top speed was 423 km/h, range was 950 km while ceiling was reduced to 9,000 m. Empty weight went from 1,720 to 1,850 kilograms (3,790 to 4,080 lb), full weight from 2,295 to 2,425 kilograms (5,060 to 5,346 lb). The CR.42DB
25872-476: The rearmament plans of the 1930s while fighting a defensive land war against Germany and weakening its war economy with a trade blockade , ready for an eventual invasion of Germany. On 7 September, in accordance with the Franco-Polish alliance , France began the Saar Offensive with an advance from the Maginot Line 5 km (3 mi) into the Saar . France had mobilised 98 divisions (all but 28 of them reserve or fortress formations) and 2,500 tanks against
26048-526: The remaining CR.42s. This went down to about 10,000 feet [3,000 meters]; by then I had used up all my ammunition without much success, although I am convinced I got quite a few strikes on the leader in the initial combat. I realized pretty quickly that dogfighting with biplanes was just not on. They were so manoeuvrable that it was very difficult to get in a shot, and I had to keep diving and turning to keep myself from being shot down. George had by this time disappeared so I stuck my nose down and, with full throttle,
26224-470: The seven Panzer divisions of Army Group A. Much to the dismay of Guderian, this element was absent from the new plan, Aufmarschanweisung N°4, Fall Gelb , issued on 24 February. The bulk of the German officer corps was appalled and called Halder the "gravedigger of the Panzer force". Even when adapted to more conventional methods, the new plan provoked a storm of protest from the majority of German generals. They thought it utterly irresponsible to create
26400-460: The slower biplanes. Even though slower, with an open cockpit , many units lacking radio, and armed with only a pair of machine guns (a pair of 12.7 mm/.5 in or a combination of former and a 7.7 mm/.303 in Breda-SAFAT), the Falchi could easily outturn the Hurricanes and the Spitfires opposing it and usually proved difficult to hit. "The CR 42 turned to fight using all the aeroplane's manoeuvrability. The pilot could get on my tail in
26576-466: The slower, top-down methods of the Allies. Army Group B had the support of 1,815 combat aircraft, 487 transport aircraft and 50 gliders; 3,286 combat aircraft supported Army Groups A and C. The Luftwaffe was the most experienced, well-equipped and well-trained air force in the world. The combined Allied total was 2,935 aircraft, about half the size of the Luftwaffe . The Luftwaffe could provide close support with dive-bombers and medium bombers but
26752-439: The successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska. The Hungarian CR.42s were later used in the ground attack role against Soviet forces until December 1941. Although typically outclassed by more modern types, the Hungarian CR.42s scored 25 destroyed, one probable, one damaged (according to other sources they claimed 24 plus two Soviet planes in the air) and one aircraft destroyed on the ground, losing two planes to Soviet fighters. For
26928-411: The superior power of its engine, which could provide up to 960 horsepower (720 kW) for short periods at emergency rating. The overall exchange ratio between CR.42 and Gladiator is difficult to assess, but Håkan Gustavsson and Slongo rated the Gladiator with an advantage about 1.2–1.9:1. Eventually, on 31 October 1940, the Falchi scored their first confirmed air victories in North Africa against
27104-428: The tactic that Messerschmitt pilots had used against them: to avoid dogfights and to attack them with sudden dives." Initially, the Falco was pitted against the contemporary Gloster Gladiator and Hawker Hart (the latter being operated by the South African Air Force) biplanes, as well as the Bristol Blenheim fast bombers of the RAF, opposing which they were able to achieve a measurable level of success. On 29 June,
27280-410: The top biplane fighter ace of the Second World War (having achieved 16 kills) and Luigi Baron and Aroldo Soffritti became the second and third Fiat CR. 42 top scoring aces, having made 12 and 8 air victories respectively. Moreover, during that short and difficult campaign, the Fiat fighters were responsible for the destruction of a large number of RAF and South African Air Force (SAAF) aircraft, both in
27456-639: The war but OKH doubted such an operation could work. Manstein's general operational ideas won immediate support from Guderian, who understood the terrain, having experienced the conditions with the German Army in 1914 and 1918. Manstein wrote his first memorandum outlining the alternative plan on 31 October. In it he avoided mentioning Guderian and played down the strategic part of the armoured units, to avoid unnecessary resistance. Six more memoranda followed between 31 October 1939 and 12 January 1940, each becoming more radical. All were rejected by OKH and nothing of their content reached Hitler. On 10 January 1940,
27632-399: The west of Antwerp and gain the south bank of the Scheldt. The left flank of the 1st Army Group was reinforced by the Seventh Army, containing some of the best and most mobile French divisions, which moved from the general reserve by December. The role of the army was to occupy the south bank of the Scheldt and be ready to move into Holland and protect the estuary by holding the north bank along
27808-434: The wheel fairings had been removed. Overall weight was 2,300 kg. Top speed was 430 km/h at 5,300 meters, only 8 km/h less. Up to 1945, a pair of machine guns were commonly fitted. About 40 aircraft were produced by Agusta and Caproni Trento. In addition, various experimental configurations of the CR.42 was both studied and constructed for trial purposes. These included the I.CR.42 ( Idrovolante = seaplane) and
27984-417: The whole, the fighting was fairly difficult for the Falco pilots, despite an overinflated claim to have achieved a ratio kill/losses of 5.6 to 1. The Regia Aeronautica coped with Royal Hellenic Air Force 's (RHAF) obsolete reconnaissance aircraft, such as the Breguet Br.19 , without any problems, but had significant difficulties dealing with the Greek fighters such as the PZL P.24 , the Bloch MB.151s and
28160-508: Was a broadly based force, intended to support national strategy and could carry out operational, tactical and strategic bombing operations. Allied air forces were mainly intended for army co-operation but the Luftwaffe could fly air superiority missions, medium-range interdiction , strategic bombing and close air support operations, depending on circumstances. It was not a Panzer spearhead arm, since in 1939 fewer than 15 per cent of Luftwaffe aircraft were designed for close support as this
28336-420: Was an attempt to improve the type's performance by installing a Daimler-Benz DB 601 V12 engine of 753 kW (1,010 hp). This prototype, MM 469), was flown by test pilot Valentino Cus in March 1941, over Guidonia Montecelio , near Rome. During test flights, it demonstrated its ability to attain a top speed of 518 km/h (322 mph), as well as a maximum ceiling of 10,600 metres (34,777 ft) and
28512-413: Was communicated about Belgian defences. By May 1940, there had been an exchange of the general nature of French and Belgian defence plans but little co-ordination against a German offensive to the west, through Luxembourg and eastern Belgium. The French expected Germany to breach Belgian neutrality first, providing a pretext for French intervention or that the Belgians would request support when an invasion
28688-416: Was considered to be the best biplane in service. Although the age of the biplane was noticeably already coming to a close by this point, a number of other foreign air forces expressed considerable interest in the new fighter. Once quantity production had been established, a number of early Falcos were delivered to foreign customers, even to the extent of re-directing aircraft originally intended for delivery to
28864-502: Was engaged in dogfights against the British Gloster Gladiator, another biplane fighter, over Malta , and later against the British Hawker Hurricane monoplane, sometimes resulting in unexpected successes. The maneuverability of the Falco was an aspect of particular concern to the RAF pilots that faced them. Aviation author Haining observed that: "A RAF Intelligence report in late October 1940 circulated to all pilots and their squadrons, with copies to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill , and
29040-429: Was hit and crashed, killing its observer, Pilot Officer Evanghelos Giannaris, the first Greek aviator to die in the war. A second Hs 126 was downed over Mount Smolikas , killing Pilot Officer Lazaros Papamichail and Sergeant Constantine Yemenetzis. The first CR.42 victories were credited to Fernando Zanni and Walter Ratticchieri. On 4 November 1940, three CR.42s jumped three RHAF Breguet from 2 Mira , sent to attack
29216-419: Was immensely strong", though it was technically outclassed by faster, more heavily armed monoplanes. While primarily used as a fighter, various other roles were adopted for some variants of the type, such as the CR.42CN night-fighter model, the CR.42AS ground-attack aircraft, and the CR.42B Biposto twin-seat trainer aircraft. During May 1939, the CR.42 entered service with the Regia Aeronautica ; it
29392-416: Was imminent. Most of the French mobile forces were assembled along the Belgian border, ready to forestall the Germans. An early appeal for help might give the French time to reach the German–Belgian frontier but if not, there were three feasible defensive lines further back. A practicable line existed from Givet to Namur , across the Gembloux Gap ( la trouée de Gembloux ), Wavre , Louvain and along
29568-410: Was needed to encircle and destroy the main body of Allied forces. The most practical place to achieve this would be in the region of Sedan , which lay in the sector of Army Group A. On 21 October, Rundstedt agreed with his chief of staff , Generalleutnant Erich von Manstein , that an alternative operational plan to reflect these principles was needed, by making Army Group A as strong as possible at
29744-428: Was not its main role. The Germans had an advantage in anti-aircraft guns ( Fliegerabwehrkanone [ Flak ]), with 2,600 88 mm (3.46 in) heavy Flak guns and 6,700 37 mm (1.46 in) and 20 mm (0.79 in) . Light Flak refers to the number of guns in the German armed forces, including the anti-aircraft defence of Germany and the equipment of training units. (A 9,300-gun Flak component with
29920-438: Was planned to finish off the French and British after the evacuation at Dunkirk. The Low Countries and France were defeated and occupied by Axis troops down to the Demarcation line , ending land operations on the Western Front until the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944. On 3 September 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany, over the German invasion of Poland on 1 September. In early September 1939, France began
30096-402: Was produced and entered service in smaller numbers with the air forces of other nations, including Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. By the end of production, in excess of 1,800 CR.42s had been constructed, making it the most numerous Italian aircraft to be used during the Second World War. Aviation author Przemyslaw Skulski has claimed that the fighter had performed at its best during its service with
30272-416: Was the best unit, yet that day lost five CR.42s (included the ones eventually recovered). That air combat highlighted the advantages of the Gladiator over the CR.42, especially radio equipment that could permit coordinated attacks, and the Gladiator's superior low altitude overall performance, with a markedly superior horizontal manoeuvrability over the Falchi . The Gladiator was viewed as being superior to
30448-442: Was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service. By 10 June 1940, the date when Italy entered the Second World War, roughly 300 of the type had been delivered, which defended metropolitan cities, and important military installations at first. By the end of 1940, the Falco had been involved in combat on various fronts, including the Battle of France , the Battle of Britain , Malta , North Africa , and Greece . By
30624-403: Was the only one to be furnished with ailerons , was joined in the center and supported above the fuselage via an inverted V-shaped cabane, while the lower wings were directly attached onto the longerons within the base of the fuselage. The tail unit used a cantilever arrangement, composed of a duralumin framework and fabric covering. Capt. Eric Brown , RN, Chief Naval Test Pilot and C.O. of
30800-441: Was to advance through the Low Countries and lure the northern units of the Allied armies into a pocket. It was composed of the 6th and 18th Armies. Army Group C, (General Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb ) comprising 18 divisions of the 1st and 7th Armies, was to prevent a flanking movement from the east and with launching small holding attacks against the Maginot Line and the upper Rhine . Wireless proved essential to German success in
30976-516: Was very thankful to get out of the way." A week later, a dozen CR.42s from 23° Gruppo appeared in the sky over Malta for a reconnaissance. Flight Lieutenants Peter Keeble and Burges scrambled to intercept them, and the resulting action greatly impressed the Malta defenders with the CR.42 ' s maneuvering capability. Keeble attacked one CR.42 – probably the aircraft (MM4368) flown by Sottotenente Mario Benedetti of 74 Squadriglia that crashed, killing its pilot, but then came under attack himself by
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