It was the first military attacks on Britain by a military unit from the Italian peninsular since the evacuation of the Roman army in 410AD.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Never thought of it this way :)

@timonsolus

25 күн бұрын

I think you could go further back than that - since Britain (well, England and Wales) was the Roman province of Britannia. The Roman legions completed the conquest and reached what is now Scotland in 79 CE. After that, the Romans were defending Britain, not attacking it.

@binaway

24 күн бұрын

@@timonsolus Tell that to a Scotsman

@timonsolus

24 күн бұрын

@@binaway : Depends on the Scotsman. Some feel British, some don’t.

@m0rvidusm0rvidus18

21 күн бұрын

Back then the British natives defended their lands and exterminated Roman invaders whenever they could. Now the British are more progressive and enjoy removing themselves.

I knew a WWII vet in Rhodesia that served in the British Army in North Africa. He always claimed that they feared more the Italian Air Force bombing raids then the German Luftwaffe. The Italians usually bombed at a very low altitude, a bit chaotic and undisciplined formation, and hardly missed, whereas the Germans had a higher, more standard way of a bombing raid that usually caused a much lesser damage to their base.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for sharing info! That's an interesting insight.

@user-bv3bv2em8z

24 күн бұрын

Very interesting and rare info, thanks a lot

@towgod7985

24 күн бұрын

I was talking with a WWII SAAF pilot years ago who flew Gladiators in 40/41. He said the "I-ties" and their CR 42's didn't worry them at all, as their "crates" had the edge on the FIAT. It was the 109E's & F's that were to worry about.

@drpeterc12

24 күн бұрын

My father was an royal artillery driver in North African campaign (1942 -1943). Whether German or Italian aircraft I don't know but he used to talk about the way convoys would scatter in all directions if they heard enemy aircraft. He used to describe the high speed scatter in terms of excitement and thrill, but deadly thrill. So axis pilots were skilled at what they were up to!!

@DaveSCameron

23 күн бұрын

My grandad was run over and killed by a Fiat..

If you are interested, the book "The chianti raiders" by Peter Hainning covers the italian air campaign during the Battle of Britain.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for your suggestion!

@piero539

21 күн бұрын

Sorry, any Italian book written by Italian historical about CAI- BoB ?

You shouldn't forget either that RAF Bomber Command regularly sent raids against Italy beginning 5 days after Italy entered the war in June 1940. Many forget that British bombers were as busy as the Luftwaffe at the time

@showtime112

15 күн бұрын

That's true, the British didn't wait to retaliate. I hope to cover some of that early campaign in a future video.

What set apart your videos is also that they are very well researched. Until 2011, I corresponded with Serg. Magg. Pilota (Flt. Sgt.) Luigi Gorrini, Italian second highest ace, credited with 19 confirmed kills (the total tally is probably much higher due to the Italian Regia Aeronautica regulations on how to credit aerial victories). He passed away in 2014. He was assigned to the 85th Squadriglia/Squadron which together with the 83rd and 95th comprised the 18th Gruppo/Group. The CAI was sent purely for "show the flag" and propaganda purpose. Without radios and more advanced navigation equipment, the planes were totally unsuitable for that theatre of operation, especially in winter time. The fighters (CR42 and G50) were completely outclassed (but not necessarily outmanouvered) by the Spitfires. Looking forward to the second part which, I think, will center on the "turkey shoots" of 11/11/40 and 11/23/40. During the latter one Gorrini was almost shot down (during his career he was shot down three times). His flying career is narrated in "Vespa 2", of which I proudly have a copy personally signed and donated to me by him.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Thank you for your elaborate comment. As for research, it is the historians and authors who do the research and I just rely on theirs 😁 Yes, part two will be about the events you mentioned. And the achievements of Luigi Gorini might be a good topic for a future video.

@tonykeith76

22 күн бұрын

Gorrini è stato l'unico pilota italiano ( giustamente ), ad essere accettato nell'Associazione Internazionale Piloti da Caccia.. Gorrini was the only Italian pilot (rightly so) to be accepted into the International Fighter Pilots Association.

@Pito0733

21 күн бұрын

E senza contare che i Fiat G50 e CR42 erano aperti nel l’autunno … mettevano fogli di giornale per avere meno freddo!!!!

I have read Robert Stanford Tuck's biography and he was one of Britain's top fighter aces. His verdict on the Italians was that they were skilled, tough fighters. Unfortunately the propaganda press printed the exact opposite message, even saying that Tuck called the Italian airmen "just dead meat of the skies". Tuck wasn't even involved on the day and he couldn't get the press to retract "his" quote. I know who's word I believe. The press haven't changed much since WW2, have they?

@showtime112

14 күн бұрын

The press is probably even worse today :) The reputation Italians got from WW2 is certainly exaggerated. It seems to me that individually, many of them were brave and skilled but the whole system was flawed and there wasn't much they could do.

@CFITOMAHAWK

2 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 Aviators are a special selection. Not all people of that country are brave and tough to beat.

The Fascist Italian Air Force in the Battle of Britain was mock by British Ace Johnnie Johnson, yet they do there best without performance with limited radio equipment.

@andywells397

26 күн бұрын

i learn something new everytime I tune into this channel.

@bjornsmith9431

26 күн бұрын

@@andywells397 true !

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

You could say that the Italian leadership often put their men in impossible situations.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

I'm glad to hear it. I learn new things too researching for the topics :)

@bjornsmith9431

25 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 true, the Italian army was fighting with inferior tanks against the British in the Desert and Greeks in the Balkans, there Air force best fighter Fiat G.55 Centauro come in March 1943 service mostly with the Fascist Italian Social Republic, was a good match against P 47, P 38, P 51 and Super marine Spitfire, the Italian have good pilots brave willing to fight for there Axis belief but the leadership in position was cowardice and the same with the Italian Navy willing to fight, but coward in leadership.

So far the Alps exacted a bigger toll on the Italian air force then the Brits.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

True. But in part two, there will be some very significant differences

@peteuist

25 күн бұрын

so far, wait until part 2 whne they clash with the RAF , whilst they were playing strategic airforce the FAA sank half the Regia Marina's battleships, home defence or reinforcing the Malta attacks might have been a more profitable use of their time

@lolloblue9646

10 күн бұрын

​@@peteuistif Littorio and Doria count as sunk, so do Queen Elizabeth and Valiant in Alexandria 1941

Anyone who knew how the Italians performed in the Schnieder Cup races would NOT have underestimated the Italian fighter designs.

@mlccrl

13 күн бұрын

Planes of Schneider cup were prototype that never went in mass production because of the features of italian war industry.

@raypurchase801

13 күн бұрын

@@mlccrl Worked out OK for Supermarine. The Italians made the wrong choices.

@craigwall9536

10 күн бұрын

@@mlccrl you could hardly call them prototypes; they were one-off RACERS, AS WERE THE SUPERMARINE racers. They were NEVER intended for mas production. Nevertheless, the KNOWLEDGE that was gained was not lost on EITHER country.

Being a model maker ,ive always enjoyed Italian aircraft for there camouflage schemes.

@showtime112

21 күн бұрын

True, interesting camouflages always look great.

thank you for this! my mother's uncle flew in the 353a squadriglia of the 20 Gruppo a G.50. he fought against Hurricanes but was shot down and he crash landed in the Bretagne. The CAI was a total failure. He was then trasferred to Libya where he fought against the British in the OPeration Crusader, where he shot down one Hurricand and three P-40 Tomahawk.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for sharing it! I'll have to cover some of the fighting in North Africa someday.

@CFITOMAHAWK

2 күн бұрын

And an F18 too? Italians love to lie and exaggerate every dam day. 70 year old pilot trainer im.

@DKT1970

2 күн бұрын

@@CFITOMAHAWK and just because you're old and flew a Cessna or something makes you an expert or what LOL

@CFITOMAHAWK

2 күн бұрын

@@DKT1970 You flew Cessnas. I soloed on a Cherokee. Flew up to private jets. LOL.

Battle of Britain is one of my favorite subjects. However, I have to admit that I don't know much about the involvement of the Regia Aeronautica in the battle. Thanks for covering yet another unique and obscure subject!

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! That was my idea behind the video, even people well versed in the Battle might find something new here.

@d.i.l.l.i.g.a.f.594

19 күн бұрын

There was one Jamaican on the British side. You should look up the list of countries the pilots came from. Very interesting

@piedpiper1172

8 күн бұрын

@@showtime112I THOUGHT I was well versed in the battle and straight up didn’t know the Italians participated at all.

Italians: We already lost half of our aircrafts! Germans: On your first mission??? Italians: No, before it!

@hoilst265

24 күн бұрын

There's a story, before the war, before Churchill was Prime Minister, where he was negotiating with Von Ribbentrop, who told Winston: "If there is to be war, this time we will get the Italians!" to which Churchill replied "That's only fair, we had them last time."

@johngrogan4609

23 күн бұрын

The plural of aircraft is aircraft.

@CFITOMAHAWK

23 күн бұрын

Fiats.. LOL.. I bet most crashed before getting to England.. LOL..

@Heike--

23 күн бұрын

A massively untold story is the losses incurred during ferrying of planes to bases near the enemy. The Japanese had a shocking number of lost planes just flying brand new Mitsubishis from the factories in Japan to the Pacific bases with no American opposition. I was astonished at how this affected their war effort, both in planes and pilots.

@russc788

22 күн бұрын

@@CFITOMAHAWKI’ve had two very reliable Fiats.

Well, I'm British and quiet happy to tip my hat to these chaps. If you told me to go fly a totally substandard aircraft without even the basics to navigate with, against a numerically superior and far better equipped enemy, you'd hear my laughing from London in the streets of Rome. I'm surprised these aircraft weren't overweight due to the size of the massive plums these chaps were packing.

@showtime112

22 күн бұрын

That is a very interesting point of view, thank you for sharing it!

@craigwall9536

10 күн бұрын

The Italian fighter never lacked Courage; witness their Human Torpedo program- the ONLY such program that suceeded in the war. It was the Italian GOVERNMENT that folded...and frankly, they could not have done otherwise.

@CFITOMAHAWK

2 күн бұрын

Not courageous.. Italians as usual, thought the biplane was a better turner than the monoplane and they were going to show the world italians were right. Huge disappointment.. Arrogance dont win battles..

While their performance was poor, the Italian aircraft looked elegant and stylish.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

The well known Italian elegance :)

@georgecoventry8441

25 күн бұрын

Yes, they did. Some of the prettiest camouflage and markings schemes ever used. Their best fighter at that time (1940) was the Macchi 200, but it was not fielded in their force sent to Belgium. It was fairly similar in general characteristics to the Fiat G.50, but was a better plane in some respects.

@amogus948

23 күн бұрын

The performance depended on the aircraft; the Macchi 202 was not top tier but still solid while the 3 aircrafts of the "Serie 5",the Fiat G55, the Macchi 205 and the Reggiane 2005, had overall performances more or less on par with the best planes the Germans and Allies could muster in early-mid 1943 (and their design was still very elegant) Among the latters, the best was the Fiat G55 but it was very costly to produce (it took twice/thrice the hours needed to produce a Messerschmit) and so less than 200 units were produced before the armistice was signed and the Germans decided to shut down its production due to the costs

@troyverburg9600

23 күн бұрын

The G50 looked like a barfed on turd, are you high?

@graemeparry2317

23 күн бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂

The Italian planes were not up to par, but their pilots were game, so give them that.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

You could put it that way, sure.

@rsoul7282

24 күн бұрын

‘Game’ is also a term used to describe animals that are hunted for sport or food, so there’s that.

@iacopoascioti2894

22 күн бұрын

@@rsoul7282 bruh

@dieselfan7406

22 күн бұрын

What about that poor sod in the swing-down belly turret? He must have been cold!

@sztypettto

22 күн бұрын

Italian planes were not built by Albanians.... Italians and everyone in the Balkans have this problem of blaming vaguely to claim credit for their nation. Dude... the same countrymen that you talk about as game pilots, were also the makers...

The RA had some pretty camo patterns and colours. I didnt know the Italians played a role in the BoB, thanks for this. Eagerly awaiting Part 2.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

The camos were quite unique for sure. Thank you for the feedback!

I had no idea the Italian Air Force was involved in the Battle of Britain at all. Total news to me. Thank you Showtime for once again hipping me to some really cool & interesting information. 👍

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback!

@brendonrutherford5118

23 күн бұрын

Respectfully (albeit with a smile on my face) but where are you from??? Welcome to the history of the Battle of Britain!!

The German pilot was Oblt. Franz Hahn (7.) of 2./JG 77. There are several possibilities, including 46 Squadron Hurricane and 222 Squadron Spitfire, so Sub/Lt Brian James Edward „Sandyˮ Lane (Spitfire Mk.IIa P7377) could be shot down by Fiat G.50 of 20o Gruppo patrolling Dungeness, Folkestone, Canterbury and Margate in the afternoon resembling the allegedly sighted shooting Hurricanes.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for providing additional detail!

You got to give credit to the Italian pilots. Being sent into battle with such sh*it equipment but still going anyway. Thank you SHowtime112. A very nice and well researched video as always

Another detail about the Battle of Britain that I was not aware of. Good Job, as usual !

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for the positive feedback!

I love Italian aircraft and I'm always interested by something talking about the Regia Aeronautica. Italy never had the capabilities to wage war, the soldiers did what they could with what they had.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

True, the scopes were way too ambitious for the country's capacity.

@emanuele8226

21 күн бұрын

Italy did in fact have decent potential capabilities (though inferior to the other major belligerents) but there was no quick mobilization and establishment of a "war economy" because the whole strategy since the beginning was of piggybacking on German victories that were sure to come, with minimal effort. The object of this video being an example, as well as the expeditionary force against the Soviet Union. Once full industrial mobilization started it was too late in war.

@aussie6910

12 күн бұрын

Mussolini didn't want to go to war that early. But he thought the Germans might be good for business & a lot of the fighting was over anyway. He also didn't want to be invaded I suppose.

Thank You Showtime112, you were mild on us... ;-) Very very interesting details, looking forward for part 2. Ciao/Zdravo/Tschuss

@showtime112

22 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for the feedback!

Great video 🎬🏅. Looking forward to part 2. 👍

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for appreciating the content!

Fiat Br. 20 Cicognas were about as oudated as a Junkers 86 twin-engine bomber in the Battle of Brittain.

@andygass9096

22 күн бұрын

Or the British Bristol Blenheim.!

@user-je5do6jn2f

22 күн бұрын

@@andygass9096 True, the RAF pilots called it the Flying Suitcase.

Thanks for this. Another bit of history rarely studied.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching!

I understand the next part of the video will focus on the “Spaghetti Party” as dubbed by the British press at the time which occurred on 11/11/40. With the loss of six Italian aircraft, three Fiat BR.20 Bombers shot down and three Fiat CR.42 fighters. 1 Fiat fighter was actually shot down while the other two were lost due to mechanical issues. One being preserved at RAF Hendon museum in London. It is worth noting that most of the Italian aircraft that had been lost during the campaign were lost due to mechanical issues or running out of fuel than to actual combat.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Yes, the sequel will be about that. Spoiler alert, lots of overclaims 😁

@trent847

24 күн бұрын

From both sides of course.

Nice information, never heard about this aspect of BoB. Also nice cliffhanger))) Thank you very much for as always perfectly directed and executed videos

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Great positive feedback, as usual. Thank you once more!

I love this video I learned a lot . They did their best with the equipment issued. Keep up the fine work.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for the positive feedback! Yes, Italian crews were given a task they were not prepared for.

Muchas gracias show time. Excelente video. Gracias de nuevo. Muy entretenido!

Excellent video. This is new and interesting information to me, and is very well composed.

Another great entertaining an educational video. Had no idea Italian were involved in this Thanks for sharing .

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching and for providing feedback.

You learn something new everyday. Very interesting.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback!

Excellent video....Thanks very much from an Old F-4 Phantom ll pilot Shoe🇺🇸

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you very much, I'm really happy to hear you appreciate this content!

Thanks!

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for continuous support!

Italy was not ready for ww2

Great video 👍

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Glad you appreciate it!

The Best Special and Seldom,also Unknown Air War storys of All Air Forces and all Decades of War !! Extraordinary channel, Thank You for all this brilliant Videos ! I believe,there was a lot of sleeples nichts for You !! Good Job ,well done ,❤ it !!! 😊

@showtime112

12 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for this positive feedback! The production does take a full time effort :)

Fascinating. I do enjoy the obscurer aspects of history.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Thank you for the positive feedback!

Hans Hahn was a beast. His markings grace every major Bf-109 Emil kit decal sheet.

really good, how long do i have to wait for part 2

@showtime112

21 күн бұрын

Thank you! Part two is scheduled for 04 May.

Thank you for this amazing trilogy of videos showing the part Italian pilots contributed to in the Battle of Britain and I would highly recommend any true history buffs to watch these fantastic informative videos

Never knew this. Great research!

@showtime112

19 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! Don't miss part two in a week.

Harwich is pronounced Harrich by locals 👍. Another good video, thank you.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thanks! I think I heard it pronounced that way. British sometimes seem to deliberately introduce as many pronunciation peculiarities as possible :) Thanks for the comment!

@Vragga

25 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 Agreed, although other East of England towns sound similar with that ending. For example, Norwich sounds like Norrich or Narrich.

Hey, thanks for correcting my lousy italian pronunciation. Great video.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback!

Nice video 😊

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thanks Chups!

I love the paint scheme on those G50’s

@showtime112

16 күн бұрын

There seem to be plenty of fans :)

i live not too far from Ursel Airfield, althought you can find memorials of RAF units that operated from the airfield after D-Day, there is very little mention of the Italian detachment that was posted there after the belgian capitulation.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! I guess that part wasn't as interesting to promote.

Graet video. Thanks

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

I'm happy to hear you appreciate it!

@juancarlosperezcortes9259

25 күн бұрын

Your videos realley helped me to know about aerial warfare diring the last century

Outstanding!

@showtime112

21 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback!

The belly gunner looks like he is about to fallout!

@terraflow__bryanburdo4547

25 күн бұрын

Dustbin turret...even the name gives no confidence. Might be why the poor gunner panicked and jumped.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

If I had to choose any position in that aircraft, that would be my last choice :)

@andrewphillips8341

25 күн бұрын

@@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 Yes thanks I forgot the term!

@andrewphillips8341

25 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 Great Video!

@georgecoventry8441

25 күн бұрын

Well, he would be strapped in by his seatbelt harness. Those "dustbin" style ventral gunner positions were fairly common in bomber designs of the late 1930's but were soon replaced by fully glazed positions, as seen the the principle German bombers of 1939-40.

The Italian involvement in WWII in the skies over Great Britain is hardly new news to me, but this video filled in quite a few details, so thanks for that. Because of their what could be described as 'medium-calibre' weaponry both the FIAT CR 42 and G 50 were heavier hitters than would appear to be on the surface and I'd consider the FIAT BR 20 to be a slightly superior type to the contemporary Handley-Page Hampden, so I wouldn't be nearly so dismissive of the quality of those types as you were.

I have to confess that I didn't even know the Italians were part of the Battle of Britain.

@showtime112

20 күн бұрын

Some people would argue that Battle of Britain was already over by then :) But still, in a wide sense, they did. Thank you for the comment!

7:51 anti-surprise surprise camouflage 😃

Robert Stanford Tuck took issue with the Press for making up a quotation from him "We got them like cold turkeys". they never replied to his complaint. His hurricane was one of those from Coltishall that intercepted twin engined, twin-tailed a/c and also CR42 biplanes. He had respect for them, sent by Mussolini as part of the Axis effort.

A piece of history that I was unaware of.

Nice video Are you using IL-2 Cliffs Of Dover Blitz?

@showtime112

3 күн бұрын

Thanks! No, this is War Thunder. IL-2 would have perhaps been a little better but I'd need to figure out its mission editor and that usually takes a long time.

Great video. I was not aware of Italian participation in Battle of Britain. Thank you very much!

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! Plenty of people write they have never heard of it. I remember reading about it years ago and I thought most viewers would have at least a general idea. But even better this way :)

To a Londoner, it seems the Regia Aeronautica’s impact in the BofB to be a little underwhelming, compared to say the Luftwaffe. However, their equipment was substandard, and to go into battle with little means to communicate with each other, deserves a certain degree of respect for showing more courage than the British usually credited Italian armed forces from having.

@showtime112

22 күн бұрын

Good point, thank you for sharing!

What video game are you using for content? It is really well modeled. I would love to try and fly some of these in a sim.

@showtime112

23 күн бұрын

It's War Thunder. If you want to try it, use this link: playwt.link/showtime112 It's free to play and you will get some bonuses.

When early jet fighters were being developed, they put up Spitfires to test the new planes out, those Spitfires could out manouvre the fast jets and get 'a burst' into them as they came accross their sites. The Spitfires aquitted themselves remarkably well. I imagine that a byplane would be hard to get a lock on, made of string, canvas and wood it won't have much of a radar signature, nor much of heat signature from a relatively low power radial engine.

Excellent part one, about an unknow story in relation with the battle of britain. I wait for the part two.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

I'm glad you liked it. Spoiler alert, in part two there will be plenty of contact with RAF :)

@dominiqueroudier9401

25 күн бұрын

On pourra conclure comme je l'avais lu ya très longtemps : Italiens: plus acrobates que pilotes😂

@jeannezehner9450

25 күн бұрын

@@dominiqueroudier9401 C'est pas leur fort, c'est pas dans leur caractère, ce n'est pas inné chez eux. On attend la deuxième partie, il y aura du contact.

@dominiqueroudier9401

25 күн бұрын

@@jeannezehner9450 et aussi leur matériel était désuet par rapport à leur équivalent qui équipait la Luftwaffe Peut être que dans la 2ème partie ST 112 parlera du BR20 crashe train rentre dans la campagne anglaise. Les soldats ont trouvé panier pique nique. Pâte, jambon, saucisson( à laïl).pain ,gros rouge!!!. J'ai quelques jours de repos, m'envoie 4 jours Canet en Roussillon bord de mer 🦞 🌊 besoin repos thalasso, car mécanique fatigué 😫 🙋

@jeannezehner9450

25 күн бұрын

@@dominiqueroudier9401 Bon repos. On se retrouve samedi.

My friend no man will ever tell all the tales of WW2. This tale was all new to me.

@showtime112

23 күн бұрын

True. And imagine how many veterans never really told their stories, never wrote any books or gave interviews.

The Italian fighter’s 12.7mm guns fired shot about 4 1/2 times heavier than the British 7.7mm/.303" guns. They were also mounted on the fuselage centre line which was potentially more accurate so they were not inherently inferior to the British fighter armament but presumably the Italians didn’t have modern reflector gun sights?

@richardbanker3910

25 күн бұрын

RAF Fighters arranged for wing mounted guns to harmonise ( I e converge) initially at 400 yards and then reduced to 250 yards so wing mounted guns were not at a disadvantage. British fighters with either 303 machine guns therefore had the advantage over Italian fighters. By the end of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had sharpened up their tactics after 3 odd months of continual fighting.

@dominiqueroudier9401

25 күн бұрын

​@@richardbanker391020 years ago i have read a Book about Spitfire. A old pilot said: to hit a Bf109E with a Spit mk1A , open fire Around 50 méters....😮

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

25 күн бұрын

@@dominiqueroudier9401 The guns weren’t really perfectly harmonised, they covered a splayed out pattern to ‘allow for’ bad shooting. At the nominal harmonisation distance not all 8 guns deliberately could hit the target, but then being off a little would get hits too.

I knew about this but the history isn't isn't widely known, its good to see relatively unknown incidents like this get some publicity.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

I'm glad you think so, thank you!

Thank you.

@showtime112

15 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

Thank you! 👏 Fascinating segment... my first introduction to ITALIAN participation in the Battle of Britain.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for commenting! I'm glad you liked it.

That was fast!

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Pretty much :)

@FRIEND_711

24 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 lmao. outside of that, this was an absolutely awesome video, I love the pilot mention as always and the trip through the alps was something I didn't know was a thing! I hope in part 2 you will mention the Z.1007 Alcione, on the wiki it says that it did recon works but that always seemed strange since the 1007 itself is a bomber and a much more modern one at that compared the BR.20s that they mainly used.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

@@FRIEND_711 Glad you liked it! I'll see about the Z.1007 as there is plenty of action remaining to cover. I think in this campaign, they only used it for recon duties.

@FRIEND_711

24 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 yes exactly, which again is kind of odd considering. The Z.1007 can carry more bombs, like 1.8 times more then the BR.20, has more armament too, yet they used it for recon. If you can find anything, that would be awesome but if not that's fine too. Thank you for making this to begin with and thanks for always listening hehe

So do you think you could do a segment on the Fiat G81 through G83 series?

Thx !!!

@showtime112

14 күн бұрын

Thank you for the comment!

Absolutely incredible graphics and also a totally forgotten story. (Were the RAF asleep the whole time??)

@showtime112

21 күн бұрын

Thank you for the positive feedback! RAF was not too active in these initial raids but that changed in the ones that followed.

@aussie6910

12 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 Yes I'll agree with Linda, incredible graphics. Plus I was wondering where Ronny Raf was too.

@showtime112

12 күн бұрын

@@aussie6910 Thank you for the feedback! I couldn't find explanation why that first daytime raid was unopposed but today, a video will be released which shows a very different situation.

@aussie6910

11 күн бұрын

@@showtime112 Just watched "Italians in the Battle of Britain" part 2. Liked & subscribed. Excellent work, you've filled in a few gaps in my BoB knowledge. The CR-42 is one of my favourites, highly manoeuvrable & not easy to hit. Some interesting background stories out there about museum exhibits & what saved them from the scrapyard. Your smoke graphic might need a little work. 1:35 The strange & unexplained reason Harwich is pronounced 'Harrich is IT'S ENGLISH. Forget about phonetic pronunciation with a lot of English. I always thought it was said as Horich.

The entire Italian war effort is so nuanced. When motivated and using good kit the Italians were then let down by leadership. Often they weren’t motivated which was actually to their credit. Not wanting to support fascism was a good thing. Then post war Anglo Saxon bias and a willingness to underplay their contribution made the history very muddy. Over Malta, the RA made wild, silly claims of kills. These weren’t for the obvious reason though. It was often because pilots didn’t want to be involved so made claims to look like they were motivated but were in fact just inventing victories to keep the boss off their back.

@fkafka64

26 күн бұрын

Well said, Sir.

@terraflow__bryanburdo4547

25 күн бұрын

Italian soldiers learned from WWI to not take World War too serious 😅

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for providing info!

@johncitizen306

25 күн бұрын

Lol so much post war historical revisionist nonsense in an attempt to make the Italians seem like they aren't useless at war

@Pax.Alotin

25 күн бұрын

One thing overlooked by most historians - is how significant the campaign in Italy was. It involved the same number of Allied soldiers as were fighting in Western Europe - approx 1.5 million. Italy turned into one of the toughest campaigns in a country that Churchill dismissed as 'The soft underbelly' of Europe.

Poor equipment, bad leadership, and a total lack of motivation. No wonder the Italians did so poorly.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

They sometimes did alright but generally, they were troubled by the things you mention.

@GFXwtf

23 күн бұрын

The italians were not unmotivated

The main issue faced by the Italian air forces was the lack of advancements in new aircraft development between 1935 and 1939. The BR 20, which was considered highly modern in 1936, became obsolete within four years. It can be attributed to misguided wars and a struggling imperialism that resulted in insufficient funds for the world war. The conflicts in Ethiopia and Spain played a significant role in this regard.

Fascinating. I would have called myself an aeroplane buff all my 65 years especially with regard WW2, my own father having ben in the RAF during the war, but had no idea Italian aircraft were even part of the BoB!

@showtime112

21 күн бұрын

WW2 is such a complex part of history that it is literally impossible to know every aspect of it.

Excellent recounting and graphics! Not a very auspicious campaign for the Italians it must be conceded...

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for the positive feedback! The campaign wasn't exactly a success, that's for sure :)

Hello showtime112. Just for check , now 270.000 views for Ta152H 1st part👍👍👍. Take some holidays in spa close to seaside near Spanish border. Good for health, need bliss😊

@showtime112

22 күн бұрын

Yes, this one has definitely not flatlined. Good to hear you are having some good time in a spa :)

Quite interesting incident during WWII. But interesting that is all, that should be mentioned

Very interesting. I think this is a Little known part of the Battle.

@showtime112

9 күн бұрын

Thank you for commenting!

I always liked the look of the sm79 although it doesn’t appear in the Battle of Britain , I remember building a few model kits when I was younger

@showtime112

15 күн бұрын

Yes, SM.79 was employed in all other theaters. Not a bad bomber.

As always... You rock big time !!!!

@showtime112

23 күн бұрын

Thank you very much for the feedback!

Later a British pilot reported chasing a Fiat BR 20 . When the pilot dived the aircraft which promptly broke up mid air falling like confetti . British fighter pilots reported it was impossible to shoot down the Fiat 42 biplanes they were so manurable.

The Italians were not modern in equipment or command, but they were pioneers in aviation and deserve far more respect than they get. And they were a menace in the Med Theater with torpedo attacks and later fighters.

This is fun, I'm making a Fiat BR20bis 3D model for PhoenixRC. It's interesting to see the differences between these two planes.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Thank you for the comment!

Why is this video starts I find myself cheering for the Italians. 😆. You go Showtime 112.!!! Another excellant video.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

It was my diabolic plan :) Thank you for the comment!

@timonsolus

25 күн бұрын

Fair minded people have a natural inclination to support the underdog. And the Italian air force in the Battle of Britain was not just an 'under Dog' - it was an 'under Chihuahua'.

Ma si tratta di WT? comunque complimenti per i bei video 😉

@showtime112

6 күн бұрын

Yes, that's what it is. Thank you for the comment. Don't miss part two which is already out and part three coming out in two days.

Fall of Singapore . Dunkirk Disaster . Operation Battle Axe & Crusader. PQ 17 Convoy Disaster . Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse. Operation Market Garden... Shall we continue ?

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

Sure, the British had their share of failures.

@dovetonsturdee7033

24 күн бұрын

Yes. Battle of Britain. Operation Compass/Beda Fomm. Taranto. Matapan. Operation Rheinubung. 1st & Second Alamein. Operation Pedestal. Operation Husky. Salerno. Operation Overlord. Operation U-Go. 76 of 78 successful Arctic Convoys. Two only with significant losses. I'll stop now. By the way Operation Crusader was actually a victory.

@90PaMa

21 күн бұрын

Your point being? Every nation had their share of failures, the important was that they learned from it. We... Pretty much didn't

Just a heads up. You now have 2 ongoing series which still did not get their second part. This one and Romanian Air Force in the Eastern Front.

@showtime112

12 күн бұрын

Well, this one just received a new episode 😁

It's a mistake to think the G.50 was hopelessly underarmed. It's 12.7mm rounds were much heavier and more destructive than the 7.7 mm rounds of the British. The Italian machine guns also had a very high rate of fire, about twice that of the British equivalents. The Italian 12.7 was also unique in firing an explosive bullet, which could significantly increase damage compared with the conventional solid bullet of other nations. All together these meant that the G.50's overall firepower was broadly equivalent to that of a Hurricane or Spitfire from this time in the war. The one drawback was that a single gun jam would immediately halve firepower.

1:01 - Mussolini claiming Scotland every-time you destroy Britain with minimal help in HOI4 is frustrating 😾

So far, the Alps and mechanical issues have claimed more than the RAF. And when the RAF finally mustered in force to respond to the RA... brave men in the RA to undertake the tasks set before then. Like this, look into an aspect of the BoB that is a footnote at most or written to poke fun at the RA.

@showtime112

24 күн бұрын

True, initially it was the weather and mechanical issues as their biggest enemy. Thank you for commenting!

The twin tails had beautiful embroidered pennants attached which were subsequently cut off to adorn the walls of the mess.

The BR-20M has a 127mm. SAFAT HMG in the dorsal turret, unlike the He111 H3, which has all 7.92mm. LMG's for defensive armament.

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Yes, the top mg was of a higher caliber.

gotta ask? if mussolini had not gone all facist, and had recognised his prior alliances, what territorial gains would he have achieved after an allied victory?

In both world wars, Italians started on one side and ended up on the other. When a friend invites you out for a beer and you end up paying the entire bill.

In March 1945 a CR42 scored the last biplane kill of the war when a Luftwaffe pilot shot down a P-38.

The Fiat G50 & CR42 fighters both had the exact same top speed, in level flight...... 265 MPH. This was due to the underpowered, unsupercharged 860 HP engine that they both used. In 1940, the Hurricane I could manage 324 MPH and the Spitfire II could manage 358 MPH. Even the Bristol Blenheim II & IV light bombers could manage 297 MPH in level flight 9with the dorsal turret in the retracted position).

@massimopozzoli8145

25 күн бұрын

Not true. 265 MPH was the top Speed for CR42. For G50 was 292 MPH. Both aicrafts used a Fiat A74 RC38 engine. This engine had a supercharger optimized for 3800 m of altitude.

6:49 not Lille Epinoy but Cambrai Epinoy where was located a French air force base. As i can read many decades ago in a book: Italians: better acrobats than pilots😂😂

@showtime112

25 күн бұрын

Thank you for the correction! Yes, many historians loved to make jokes about the Italian involvement :)

I can remember my grandfather telling me stories of the 1940 pasta bombing of dover. they ate well that night.

During the night bombing Blitz, the Germans lost more aircraft to navigational errors, accidents and equipment failure than to enemy action, and it seems the Italians had the same experience.