Related Research Articles
Count Francesco Baracca was Italy's top fighter ace of World War I. He was credited with 34 aerial victories. The emblem he wore side by side on his plane of a black horse prancing on its two rear hooves inspired Enzo Ferrari to use it on his racing car and later in his automotive company.
Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda was an Italian World War I flying ace and senator of the Kingdom from 1934 until his death. He was also posthumous father-in-law of King Albert II of the Belgians, and grandfather of King Philippe of Belgium.
LieutenantFlavio Torello Baracchini was an Italian World War I fighter ace credited with 21 confirmed and nine unconfirmed aerial victories. His confirmed victory total ranked him fourth among Italian aces of the war.
Sottotenente Michele Allasia was a World War I fighter ace credited with five aerial victories.
Sottotenente Antonio Amantea was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He lived to become the last surviving Italian ace of the war.
CapitanoGuido Masiero was a World War I flying ace credited with five confirmed and ten unconfirmed aerial victories. He was a prewar lancer who used his civilian engineering expertise to wrangle a transfer to aviation duty.
Tenente ColonnelloGiorgio Michetti was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.
Tenente Giovanni Sabelli was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. At the start of World War I, he was already an experienced combat pilot.
Tenente ColonnelloAlessandro Buzio was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories, four of them shared.
Tenente Luigi Olivi was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. He won two awards of the Silver Medal for Military Valor and was killed in action.
Tenente Giorgio Pessi was a World War I flying ace born in Austria-Hungary who chose to fly for Italy. He was credited with six aerial victories.
SergenteMario Stoppani was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. His valor earned him two Silver awards of the Medal for Military Valor and the Russian Cross of St. George during the World War I.
TenenteLeopoldo Eleuteri was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
TenenteMario Fucini was a World War I flying ace who claimed credit for 13 aerial victories during the war; seven of these were confirmed in 1919.
Tenente di VascelloOrazio Pierozzi (1884–1919) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
Tenente Gastone Novelli was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
Tenente colonnelloAlvaro Leonardi was a World War I Sottotenente from Italy and a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
CapitanoErnesto Cabruna (1889–1960) was a professional soldier who became a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He served in Italy's military police, beginning in 1907. After service in Libya and Rhodes, he received a Bronze Medal for Military Valor a year after Italy's involvement in World War I began. He turned to aviation, became a pilot, and as such earned his first Silver Medal for Military Valor at the end of 1917.
71a Squadriglia of the Corpo Aeronautico Militare was one of the original fighter squadrons of the Italian military. Founded on 30 January 1916 to fight in World War I, the squadron served until war's end. It flew almost 3,000 combat sorties in defense of Italy at a cost of six pilots killed, scored 17 victories, and produced two aces from its ranks.
Squadriglia 91a was one of the later fighter squadrons that the Italian Army created, on 1 May 1917. Because it drew an experienced cadre of pilots from pre-existing 70a Squadriglia, the squadron scored 14 victories within its first month of flying combat. As a result, it became known as "the squadron of aces". The new unit was immediately drawn into the ongoing Battles of the Isonzo in northern Italy. In September 1917, the squadron would serve as test pilots of the universally condemned SIA 7 multipurpose aircraft.
References
- Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory. Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI. Grub Street, 1997. ISBN 1-898697-56-6, ISBN 978-1-898697-56-5.