Tragic Story of the Leading WWII Biplane Ace

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Even though biplanes were clearly a relic of the past by the beginning of WWII, some nations still fielded large numbers of them. This was especially true with Italy which kept developing new biplane fighters in late 1930s and producing them until capitulation. Fiat CR.42 Falco is the ultimate expression of this technology and it produced a number of aces for the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force). The leading biplane ace, not only for Italy but of the entire war was Captain Mario Visintini. Initially rejected by Regia Aeronautica for failing the medical test, he kept trying and first served successfully in the Spanish Civil War. In 1940. he was deployed to Italian East Africa where his squadron, isolated from their home country faced strong British and South African forces.
Sources:
- Giorgo Apostolo, Giovanni Massimello - Italian Aces of World War 2
amzn.to/3xVRRmQ
- Håkan Gustavsson, Ludovico Slongo - Gladiator vs CR.42 Falco: 1940-41
amzn.to/41t5Wpa
- Håkan Gustavsson, Ludovico Slongo - Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2
amzn.to/3SznOKR
- Håkans aviation page
surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_...
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#militaryaviationhistory #biplane

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Опубликовано:

3 мар 2023

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Комментарии : 133

@luigibellillo4838 Год назад

Thanks for diffusing a part of the Italian WWII history that often is never told even in Italy. Common italian medias have never underlined the capability and courage of those italian soldiers who achieved important results despite the lack of armaments and technology compared to other countries. You do such a great job. Thank you so much.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for your feedback! Italian side of the story is probably not given enough focus and I intend to explore some more of it in the future.

@stironeceno Год назад

My Father served in the Regia Aeronautica .from 1939 to 1943 . Starting in Albania on to Greece , Ukraine and Russia . Flying mostly on SM 79 .Sparviero

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for sharing it. I intend to make a video featuring the SM.79 sometime in the future.

@stironeceno Год назад

the Savoia Marchetti SM 79 was the working horse of the Italian Airforce .

@cliffthelightning 3 месяца назад

Thats my favorite aircraft!

@patshes1951 Год назад

Excellent . I love biplanes and too see them fight is always a bonus.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks! I've recently renewed my interest in them as I started to use War Thunder. There will probably be more such videos.

@gordonbergslien30 Год назад

As a kid I built the Revell 1/72 scale kit of the CR 42 so I am familiar with the a/c. (There's one in the RAF museum in London.) I was not familiar with its use in the East Africa campaign. You took me to school! Bravo!

@showtime112 Год назад

I'm glad you liked to find out more about the plane you knew. I like learning myself when I research these stories. Thanks for the comment!

@Paladin1873 Год назад

Ditto, mine was part of a Revell Models three-plane kit that also included a Polish P-11c and a Russian I-16.

@eduardoaugustobuarquedealm1746 Год назад

Great report of a mostly unknown air war on a secondary war theater were Italian forces were completely isolated and unable to be reinforced.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for the feedback! Yes, they were in a pretty tough situation there.

@Riccardo_Silva Год назад

i visited Porec some years ago. I was told we were going to visit Parenzo, as it is often also named here in Italy. What a marvelous little city! It's really a jewel!!!

@showtime112 Год назад

In fact, all the signs in the region are bilingual so you can see both names there. Thanks for sharing you experience.

@jeannezehner9450 Год назад

You have to be animated by a strong spirit for hunting on a such planes when you met a modern one like an Hurricane !!! Implausible !!!

@showtime112 Год назад

These guys were no cowards, that's for sure!

@blacknapalm2131 Год назад

*That little magnifying gunsight is a thing of beauty*

@showtime112 Год назад

On CR. 32? Looks cool. In the game it's not too easy to use though.

@c.morees9698 Год назад

I thougt not any biplane had a chance against a hurricane...but i am suprised some biplane fighter pilots did achieve such a miracle!🌍

@nerdyali4154 Год назад

It could happen, if the hurricane pilot didn't use his energy advantage,

@showtime112 Год назад

Biplane generally did have a chance against a monoplane if the monoplane pilot decided to try to outturn the biplane. And in this case, there were four against one.

@denis6824 Год назад

Hvala ti lijepa na rekonstrukciji povijesnih događaja, imao sam čast upoznati obitelj Visintin u Poreču prije par godina, s obzirom da ih je samo par u Hrvatskoj, vjerojatno im je predak. Pozdrav!

@showtime112 Год назад

Hvala i tebi na komentaru. Vjerojatno je da su u nekakvom srodstvu s njime.

@andrewmacdonald4833 Год назад

I'm glad I watched this...have never heard of this young man until now. Such a gifted aviator and a tragic way to die.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for the feedback! There are so many stories just waiting to be discovered.

@offshorequest Год назад

Another great video about a lesser known part of WW2.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for the feedback!

@ralphscholer7345 2 месяца назад

BIG SALUTE TO THE GREAT MARIO VISINTINI OF REGIA AERONAUTICA !!! A tragic End of this Best Biplane Ace of WW II. I had built his FALCO in 1: 48 scale from ITALERI ( Scale model company) 5 years ago . AND AGAIN : THANK YOU FOR THIS BRILLIANT VIDEO....

@ibluap Год назад

By the way, I'd be joyful if you narrated the story of the brave defense of the island of Malta at the hands of three aged, obsolete and slow Sea Gladiator biplanes!

@showtime112 Год назад

I can say that Malta operation are scheduled in one of the future videos.

@hmmjedi Год назад

An excellent video about some rare achievements...

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks! Rare achievements are the best 😁

@SelfRaisingWheat Год назад

Ah yes, we South Africans had vicious fights with these Fiats over Ethiopia. At the museum in Saxonwold, there is a squadron list of kills and I remember there being a lot of CR-32s on there. The Italian pilots were brave and fought to the end even as the odds became hopeless for them - which cannot be said equally about their ground forces in East Africa. Out of interests sake, one of these biplanes is in its final stages of restoration to airworthy status in the UK, owned by "The Fighter Collection". It should be flying in the next few years and should be the only existing flying Italian aircraft of WW2. Great video as always!

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for giving this additional info. Exploits of South African pilots in WWII are definitely worth exploring in a future video.

@raypurchase801 Год назад

Pat Pattle, possibly the greatest air combat pilot of the entire war. It was often the colonials who were the greatest aircrew in both world wars. Less reverential to the command structure. Keen to use their own initiative. Often used to hunting in the wilds from a young age. Deeming merit to be more important than rank.

@matteohetzy7599 Год назад

What you say about the ground forces is a bit BS. they were indeed hopeless since they were completely cut of but despite this they fought no less than the aerial component. the last major italian stand in East Africa was on Amba Alagi, 7 thousands Italians and colonial troops with no water and food supplies and short on ammunitions vs 41 thousands british and commonwelth troops. Without any hope of relief they resisted for 2 weeks (in the end even throwing rocks downhill) and surrendered only after suffering about 50% of KIA(3500 on 7000). And a few battles before they were able to withdraw(all by foot for hundreds of km) only thanks to italian cavalry charging against british tanks. Not exactly what can be described as keen to surrender too easily as you suggested.

@richsmith7200 Год назад

These are obviously CR42s as depicted in this video, which are cooler looking than the 32s. I'm building a 1/48 kit of a 32 from SMER. It's a struggle, but might turn out ok.

@ioshic9634 2 месяца назад

South African air force wasn't a particular feared enemy by the Regia Aeronautica in fact.. a lot of SA planes were shot down by the RA there and in North Africa. RAF proper was quite feared instead, as its pilots as well.

@martinarreguy2984 Год назад

Nice done and well put together

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks, I appreciate your feedback!

@leonardwilliams8109 Год назад

A suggestion for a future video: US Navy F4F Wildcats vs Vichy French Curtiss Hawk 75s during the Torch Landings in North Africa 1942.

@showtime112 Год назад

That's a pretty good suggestion, thanks!

@alejandrocasalegno1657 Год назад

About biplanes outside the time......Korean war "Bedcheck Charlies", north korean biplanes, Po-2 or Yak-18, who at night attacked the USAF airfields in South Korea, the second pilot drop by hand grenades and mortar rounds to the planes below.... One night they destroyed 6 F-86 in one attack.....the VVS MiGs never shot down six Sabres in one battle... The slow biplanes make almost impossible to the jets to intercept them, one US Navy pilot, Guy Bordelon shot down five with a F.4U Corsair.

@showtime112 Год назад

As usually, you contribute additional interesting info. They were obviously much more dangerous than the 'Five o' clock Charlie' from MASH 😁

@alejandrocasalegno1657 Год назад

@@showtime112 The only two nights Aces of the war were Bordelon, five biplanes with a F-4U and Anatoly Karelin five B-29 with a Mig-15!!!!

@rafaelaldana1503 Год назад

Awesome video!

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

@raypurchase801 Год назад

The South African ace Pat Pattle regularly kicked Italian arse in his RAF biplane. Pattle is known to have destroyed 15 Italian aircraft with his Gladiator. It's recognised that Pattle's victories were under-recorded. Pattle went on to Hurricanes, and his final tally was possibly as great as 50 kills.

@showtime112 Год назад

I'll have to do a video about him, no doubt.

@raypurchase801 Год назад

@@showtime112 Well done! I can't remember the name of his biography. Lots of detailed info on his Wiki page. Phenomenal leadership. Those who flew with Pattle regarded him as the greatest combat pilot and leader they ever served with.

@hawnyfox3411 Год назад

@@showtime112 = Please do I'd LOVE to see a decent video about M.T.St.J Pattle .

@stralabastro142 Год назад

such a shame Pattle would be killed by a far worse aircraft than the CR.42 ahahahha

@ioshic9634 2 месяца назад

LOL he did not... his victories are as far from truth as possible.. a good pilot, but the real numbers are completely bullshit. In Greece the losses were almost equal. Go read the website of "Hakan's Biplane Aces"... look it up. Pattle and his victory's tally is a myth.

@schaerffenberg Год назад

Really excellent video! Let's have more on Italian aces, especially those with the RSI.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks! I intend to cover some more of the Regia action in the future.

@jdsaldivar5606 Год назад

82ND AIRBORNE 46 Minutes ago!! That's so fresh?? It's getting Personal ese!!

@showtime112 Год назад

That was a morning surprise for the viewers in the USA 😁

@jdsaldivar5606 Год назад

@@showtime112 82ND AIRBORNE 46 minutes ago??...I received a..." SURPRISE!!...Muther Fu##er!!"

@bigw1552 Год назад

Who would have known other than the Biplanes against the Bismarck?

@showtime112 Год назад

Yes, that is probably the most famous sortie flown by biplanes in WWII.

@shahrookhshroff3018 Год назад

While greatly admiring the daring, prowess, performance and skills of our famed Italian "Experte", one cannot help but wonder how the Fiat CR 42, with its German powerplant, performed head - to - head with the RAF's Gloster Gladiator ... ... and how it would have performed against the best biplane fighter of the last War, the superb Fokker D - VII! Of course, it had four Machine guns to the latter's two, so it might be victorious in a "head - on pass"! Great Italian aircraft (even used by the Luftwaffe), flown exemplarily by a great Italian "Experte"! ☺🤓🔥⚡👍🙌👌

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for your thoughts!

@matteohetzy7599 Год назад

Fiat CR.42...it's German powerplant? CR.42 was powered by a FIAT A.74 engine, a FIAT derivative of Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior (was optimized for use in fighters, some modifications for production with limited national materials under sanctions). You can say it was an American powerplant, but for sure not a German one.

@flightlinemedia Год назад

Nice work! Very informative.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you! Like always, I make videos I want to watch myself 😁

@philoaviaticus Год назад

As a retired flight surgeon, always interesting

@showtime112 Год назад

I'm glad to hear it, thanks!

@francomaccacaro3962 11 месяцев назад

Complimenti, fatto molto bene !

@showtime112 11 месяцев назад

Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate it!

@ratagris21 Год назад

Rock me Amadeus! by Falco. Excellent presentation as always. This is a spicy meatball - mama mia! ♠️🎩🎯🎱🇺🇲🏁🇺🇦🔱🌸💮🌼🏴‍☠️🏹

@showtime112 Год назад

We seem to remember the same Top 40 hits 😁 Thanks for yet another comment and I'm happy to hear you liked it.

@ratagris21 Год назад

@@showtime112 Yw

@nunogonzalez4037 Год назад

First time I heard about Vicentini was in Hugo Pratt comic. "The Scorpions of the Desert".

@showtime112 Год назад

Historical fiction, I like that genre 😁

@Paladin1873 Год назад

Sad ending for a gallant pilot.

@showtime112 Год назад

I agree, thanks for the comment!

@Alex_Blue_Note 8 месяцев назад

Excellent

@showtime112 8 месяцев назад

Thank you very much!

@buckwheatINtheCity Год назад

I think that his death was a tragedy. Many Axis aces like him and Marseille lost their lives in accidents rather than aerial combat.

@showtime112 Год назад

Yes, in fact aces don't often meet other aces in combat (or so it seems when I think of it). I could be wrong.

@muhammadusmanrafique3517 Год назад

Hi i was wondering can u make more videos on the clashes between paf and russian air force During the soviet afghan war? I have heard many confirmed kills during this time

@showtime112 Год назад

Hello! I might make some of those. I was waiting for some news on the Afghanistan map for DCS but there hasn't been any. I might check some of those cases to see which assets would match.

@medokrusko Год назад

Sjajan video👍

@showtime112 Год назад

Drago mi je da ti se sviđa, hvala!

@neletg Год назад

Thanks for the video. In my opinion the Polikarpov I-153 Chaika was the best WWII biplane.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you for the comment! I should probably dedicate video or tow to Soviet biplane pilots.

@patrickcloutier6801 Год назад

Go Italy!

@showtime112 Год назад

Italian military has a pretty bad reputation in WWII but there were a lot of brave and skillful men fighting in it.

@jamesfranklin5541 Год назад

Excellent, got a new sub for your earlier, will be in touch

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for the effort, hear ya!

@branka1980 Год назад

👍

@showtime112 Год назад

Hvala!

@ioshic9634 2 месяца назад

Good video but not entirely correct... The Regia Aeronautica was well aware that the biplanes era were finished (official documents show this), and hence, they put into production the new generation of Fighters Macchi C.200 (same specs as a Hurri bar armamenti) and Fiat G.50 monoplanes. They thought the CR42 could fill the gap in waiting for the monoplanes to be produced in numbers , as a stop-gap. They didn't "believe in biplanes"...as you said. Once the roles of the CR42 became obselete as a fighter it was still kept in production as a fighter bomber (to good success) and as a night fighter. A sound choice considering these roles. The Macchi C.202 Folgore was also the main fighters designed in 1940 for the war, not the CR42, in replacing the C.200s and G.50s.

@a_s_mikael Год назад

I remembered in Matrix III: Mifune : They're coming... they're coming... the Hammer. Kid : What? Mifune : You have to open that gate. Cut the counter-weights. You can do it. Hurry, there's no time. Kid : Captain, I... I didn't finish the training program. Mifune : Neither did I!!!

@0Zolrender0 Год назад

What simulator/game is the video from?

@showtime112 Год назад

War Thunder

@andypetersen4284 Год назад

🖖

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for the comment!

@t.j.payeur5331 Год назад

Yeah, it's very poor visibility when you run in to a mountain because you couldn't see it.

@janlindtner305 Год назад

👍👍👍

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for the comment!

@zagreb123123 Год назад

😍😍😍

@showtime112 Год назад

Baš mi je drago da ti se sviđa 😁😁😁

@matthewmoore5698 Год назад

Henshel 123

@showtime112 Год назад

Well, you are right. The operational history of this airplane is quite obscure. It might be worth exploring in a future video.

@troygroomes104 Год назад

Wrong Some RAF squadrons in the battle of Britain were equipped with the gladiator mk3

@showtime112 Год назад

Two squadrons were indeed operational in Britain during the BoB but they saw almost no combat. I've just searched it in a couple of books that describe Gladiator's combat record in detail. Neither of them even mentions it in relation to Battle of Britain. So, technically speaking they were used in the primary theater but it's neglectable.

@christopherbentley7289 Год назад

Yes, I knew the general outline story of Mario Visintini but not in quite this detail, so thanks for filling in a few gaps in my knowledge, Showtime112. In saying this, if you are using your RU-vid videos as a sort of 'shop window' to sell War Thunder it is a pity that scenes allegedly taking place during the Spanish Civil War had one side in Regia Aeronautica and the other in Red Air Force markings. Are there not alternate 'skins' for the Spanish Civil War? I have Hugo Pratt's graphic novel, 'In A Distant Sky' featuring what appears to be a fictional Mario Visintini in the character, Pietro Bronzi. In that the Bristol Blenheims in action in that theatre were of an earlier mark than those in this video and I think I'd trust Hugo Pratt over War Thunder in this respect. I also wasn't convinced that the Vickers Wellesleys looked like the relevant type, since the trade mark of the Wellesley was the huge wingspan for a single-engined aircraft and these looked just like an average single-engined fighter to me.

@showtime112 Год назад

Thanks for the comment. I'm now selling WT, I'm just using it. Some details are not 100% precise, that's true. For example, putting custom skins on AI aircraft is really complicated and I only figured out how to do it a few days ago. Also, despite a huge range of aircraft in WT, it still doesn't have everything. There's just one version of Blenheim and Wellesleys are not there at all so this is a stand-in aircraft which is kinda not too different.

@christopherbentley7289 Год назад

@@showtime112 Thank you for the prompt reply and I'm glad to learn that you are not too upset by my comments. I was not aware how difficult applying alternate skins was. Perhaps WT should make it easier...and also look into another version of the Blenheim! I'm gratified that I wasn't imagining things when I thought, "those are never Vickers Wellesleys!"

@showtime112 Год назад

@@christopherbentley7289 They will probably not make the skin selection easier because skins can be purchased in the game and it's in their interest to make it complicated 😁

@christopherbentley7289 Год назад

@@showtime112 You're clearly not quite the 'cheerleader' for WT after all with a remark like that!

@showtime112 Год назад

@@christopherbentley7289 I use three different simulations/games for my content. Neither of them was designed for this purpose so neither of them is ideal but they are all very enjoyable. And those guys need to run a business, I understand that. WT is definitely fun to play and it has an incredible range of aircraft (and ground vehicles)

@geordiedog1749 Год назад

Funny how trends go. I’ve spent years defending the Italians against ‘Anglo-Saxon’ bias. These days I seem to be spending more time trying to argue against Italians trying to rewrite history.

@showtime112 Год назад

I get that feeling when people talk about Soviet jet aircraft. When someone sings a praise, I want to remind them they are mostly inferior to the Western stuff. But when someone says they are trash, I have to say that they are pretty good 😁

@geordiedog1749 Год назад

@@showtime112 Things are very black and white in peoples minds sometimes. I mean, it’s nice when they are as this makes stuff so much more easy to understand. Problem is, of course, that they are seldom black and white. Best example I think would be German(Nazi armour. Here, Dunning-Krueger cases aside the whole thing just gets so obfuscated. I like your Channel ‘cos you seem like you just like to learn what’s true and base stuff on what facts you have rather than deciding what you want to be right and then shoe horning the facts into that opinion.

@moxie_ST Год назад

Thanks bro for something I did not know, but now i know. Italy was a bit hard core considering aircrafts, if you fly in Aircrafts with close cockpit You are not a real fighter pilot 😁

@showtime112 Год назад

Thank you commenting! Italy was a bit slow to catch up with the trends, that's true but it's still worth exploring.

@geordiedog1749 Год назад

Wrong Blenheims. Those are Mk IVs. It would have been Mk Is. Quite different kites. Much more of a death trap.

@showtime112 Год назад

Those were the only available ones in WT

@geordiedog1749 Год назад

@@showtime112 I’m sure. I was just pointing it out and, of course, trying to look big and clever. :)