With Italy's entry into the war alongside Germany on 10 June 1940, the Royal Air Force entered the conflict already weakened by the Ethiopian campaign and participation in the Spanish Civil War, possessing a total of around 3,000 aircraft, of which only two-thirds were serviceable and ready for deployment, often with flight characteristics and armament significantly inferior to those of Allied and enemy aircraft. Despite the courage and capabilities of our pilots, the difficulties proved enormous, and the conflict's outcomes were heavily influenced by the technological disparity and insufficient resources. Italian pilots fought with honour in Africa, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Russia, and naturally, at home, but after two years, the war's fate seemed sealed, and it was too late for our industry to begin producing competitive aircraft. Following the Allied landings in Sicily, our units, despite recognising the impending defeat, engaged in extreme resistance, demonstrating a boldness even acknowledged by the enemy. With the armistice and the message to the Nation by General Badoglio, the new Head of Government, most combatants found themselves in a difficult situation. Some joined partisan formations, others made the opposite choice by joining the Social Republic, while entire air force units, and even individual crews, in observance of the signed clauses, chose to make their way to the airfields of Southern Italy to continue the war alongside the Anglo-Americans. The Italian Air Force's wartime activity continued until 8 May 1945, ending with Germany's unconditional surrender, leaving thousands of dead and missing on the field. With this heavy toll of lives and units decimated by a war that lasted 59 months, in 1946 the Royal Air Force made way for the Air Force, which faced the post-war period and the problems of reorganisation.
For publishing from the Air Force, visit the Amazon Store.
