The Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare was formed as part of the Regio Esercito on 7 January 1915, incorporating the Aviators Flights Battalion (airplanes), the Specialists Battalion (airships) and the Ballonists Battalion. Prior to World War I, Italy had pioneered military aviation in the Italo-Turkish War during 1911–1912. Its army also contained one of the world's foremost theorists about the future of military aviation, Giulio Douhet; Douhet also had a practical side, as he was largely responsible for the development of Italy's Caproni bombers starting in 1913. Italy also had the advantage of a delayed entry into World War I, not starting the fight until 24 May 1915, but took no advantage of it so far as aviation was concerned.
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.
Amedeo Mecozzi was an Italian fighter ace of World War I, a general of the Italian Regia Aeronautica and a military theorist credited as the founding father of the "Attack air force" doctrine, which made him a strong opponent to general Giulio Douhet's theories.
Tenente-colonnello Alessandro Resch was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with five confirmed aerial victories. After surviving World War I, he would become a pioneering airline captain, flying 500,000 miles between 1928 and 1935. He would return to the Italian Air Force as a major in 1935, rising to tenente-colonnello by 1939. His participation in World War II is unknown.
Tenente ColonnelloAlessandro Buzio was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories, four of them shared.
Sergente MaggioreAntonio Chiri was a World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed and seven unconfirmed aerial victories.
Sergente Cesare Magistrini began his lengthy aviation career as a World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed and four unconfirmed aerial victories.
MarescialloGuido Nardini (1881-1928) was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
TenenteLeopoldo Eleuteri was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
Tenente di VascelloOrazio Pierozzi (1884–1919) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
TenenteLuigi Olivari was a World War I flying ace who claimed 19 aerial victories. His Spad VII stalled into a fatal crash on 13 October 1917. Posthumously, he was awarded credit for eight aerial victories.
Tenente Gastone Novelli was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
TenenteCarlo Francesco Lombardi known as Francis was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Postwar, he was active in his family's rice refinery, as well as in record breaking flights. He formed the AVIA aviation company in 1938.
Tenente colonnelloAlvaro Leonardi was a World War I Sottotenente from Italy and a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
Capitano Antonio Reali was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with eleven confirmed aerial victories, and 22 unconfirmed victories. He served in the Regia Aeronautica Reserves from 1923 to about 1940.
Generale di Brigata AereaMarziale Cerutti began his military career in Field Artillery, but became a flying ace after his transfer to aviation service. He would be extensively decorated for valour, and credited with 17 confirmed aerial victories. He would also remain in Italy's aviation branch after World War I, becoming an officer of increasing importance. He rose through the ranks between the World Wars to become a Wing Commander with the rank of colonnello. During World War II, he served as Chief of Staff in Italy's North African Headquarters before being placed in command of Italy's air transport command. When Italy declared its armistice on 9 September 1943, Cerutti chose to continue service to Benito Mussolini. This resulted in his suspension from military duties at the end of World War II. He died in a motorcycle accident on 26 May 1946 while awaiting a final determination of his military status.
Flaminio Avet was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Although born in Nice, France, he served in the Italian military as Italy entered World War I. After a transfer from Lancers to aviation, he trained as a pilot. He began his aerial combat career on 27 November 1918, and would stake a dozen victory claims, eight of which would be verified. He ended the war having won the Silver Medal for Military Valor three times. He returned to Nice postwar, and died there on 21 August 1928.
LieutenantGiovanni 'Giannino' Ancillotto was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with 11 confirmed aerial victories. Rather unusually, he served solely with aviation while he was in the military, beginning in the lowest rank. Among his aerial victories as a fighter pilot were three over enemy observation balloons right after the Battle of Caporetto. As an example of the hazards of balloon busting, on 5 December 1917 Ancillotto returned to base with singed swatches of the third balloon's fabric adhering to his damaged fighter plane.
76a Squadriglia of the Corpo Aeronautico Militare was one of Italy's original fighter squadrons, being founded during World War I on 25 May 1916. On 30 May 1916, the new unit began its combat career. Between 22 April and 3 October 1917, three of its commanding officers became casualties. It was drawn into the air fighting over Caporetto in late 1917, and forced to retreat three times during November as a consequence of the Italian defeat.
81a Squadriglia was an Italian fighter squadron raised in March 1917 that served through the end of World War I. One of its aces, Flavio Baracchini, would become the first awardee of the Gold Medal for Military Valor. The squadron would be credited with 34 aerial victories, and suffer four dead. It ended the war with 28 aircraft on strength.
