SM.79 - The Italian Record-Breaking Hunchback

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 was a record-breaking fast transport that was converted for military service, becoming the most common Italian bomber and possibly the best-known Italian aircraft of the Second World War.
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Game footage and aircraft models
War Thunder - / warthunder .
00:04 History
12:40 Opinion and Conclusion
Disclaimer - This channel is apolitical. We do not endorse any kind of political view.
Corrections
None
Music
by order of appearance
History:
Beautiful Oblivion by Scott Buckley ssoundcloud.com...
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
screativecommon...4.0
Silhouette Of War by Keys of Moon | / keysofmoon
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Conclusion:
Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492, Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492, Act I: Non più andrai (the Marriage of Figaro)
Artist
Tito Gobbi, Philharmonia Orchestra, James Robertson
Album
Puccini, G.: Tabarro (Il) (Gobbi, Mas, Prandelli) (1955)
Licensed to KZbin by
WMG (on behalf of Naxos); UMPG Publishing, Memory Lane Music (Publishing), and 1 Music Rights Societies
Sources
Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero - Luigino Caliaro
Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units - Marco Mattioli
Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Bomber Units - Marco Mattioli
Ali D'Italia SIAI S.79 Part 1 & 2 - Cesare Gori
The Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 - Profile Number 89 - Giorgio Apostolo
Savoia Marchetti S.79 in action - Roberto Gentilli
Several smaller sources like aircraft manuals and tests
I do not own any of the images used in this video. The owners of such images are identified in the video itself.

[@giancarlotomaselli8889]

My father was an SM 79 pilot in 1942 43

[@bryangrote8781]

Surprised at the large number of ships sunk or damaged by the torpedo bomber version. Italian aircraft are rarely talked about but overall quite good and under-rated. Beautiful plane.

[@francescova79]

if u want a true fast plane 100% italian, check the Macchi M.72, greatest race plane of history

[@Vickzq]

_Sagittario_ was a badass plane...

[@francescova79]

@@Vickzq Centauro and Veltro too

[@Riccardo_Silva]

It should be pointed out that italian commands fiercely opposed the speciality of torpedo bombers for the 79. It speaks volumes about the awareness and competence of the average fascist high ranking officers!!! Fine video mate! I'm italian and by no means a fascist, but i must say that our brave pilots did miracles with these beautiful planes.

[@John.McMillan]

Not really the average, more of the high command. Many were from older wars and/or the great war, and carried that mentality over when WW2 was entirely different, with Great War mentality very quickly being proven as suicidal for troops.

[@Alesxandros]

Badoglio opposed the torpedo bomber program, and he was a known traitor payed by mi6

[@lowersaxon]

The Italian sense for beauty is admirable.

[@patrickcloutier6801]

It was an SM.79 that put a torpedo into the British battleship, HMS Nelson. The damage knocked it out of the war for months.

[@McRocket]

I think it was an SM.84 that put the torpedo into Nelson. ☮

[@patrickcloutier6801]

@@McRocket You are right! I checked on it, and though there are references which support an S.79 attack, a history of the S.84 mentions the attack on Nelson in particular. It's possible that the S.79 attack against HMS Barham was conflated with the S.84 attack against HMS Nelson.

[@mcal27]

I used to have a friend who’s father fought on Malta during ww2. he told me that the Gladiators had upgraded superchargers fitted to give them a decent chance of catching the SM-79’s

[@petesheppard1709]

A very unusual-looking aircraft, but quite capable indeed, for its time.

[@scottessery100]

Spitfire pilot….. hold my cup of tea old chap

[@petesheppard1709]

@@scottessery100 Yep. Easy pickings.

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

Thank you for covering this plane despite being one of the most common Italia aircraft I feel like it's not talked about very much I would also love to see you talk about it's successor the CANT Z1007 the Italian trimotors are fascinating

[@GodHatesWeebs]

I want him to cover the exceptional series 5 fighter line

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

@@GodHatesWeebs that would be amazing to

[@AllthingsWW2]

Will certainly do it!

[@smigoltime]

and once more, a plane I love

[@fload46d]

This should be no surprise as the Italians have consistently marketed the most beautiful and powerful sports cars in the world.

[@rob5944]

🎄 Merry Christmas all. Just to add that this is yet another example of how the pace of technological change taking place in the 1930s overlook a once promising design.

[@LeopardIL2]

Indeed and Merry Christmas as well🎄

[@szymonziolkowski5967]

Or copied from the Germans. XD

[@manricobianchini5276]

Yes, and other aircraft to mention is the Macchi series of fighters. The Folgore and the Veltro.

[@elisabettamacghille4623]

Beautiful, legendary plane, leaner and more aggressive than a bomber, but sturdier and more massive than a fighter.

[@kingofgameing2774]

Not only do I think the plane looks very beautiful. But I also enjoy playing it in games. Good job on the video.

[@rogerodle8750]

This was time well spent -- a learning experience for someone whose WWII aircraft knowledge centers around the Americans, Brits, Germans and Japanese.

[@WilmerCook]

I always like the looks of the hunchback.

[@romanbrough]

I recall reading a book about the Mediterranean air and naval war. The only plane the Royal Navy worried about was the SM79 torpedo bomber. The other Italian attack aircraft were considered almost harmless

[@joerosa2532]

The SM.79 was a very good plane overall and excellent as a torpedo bomber. My mother is "madrina", godmother to one of Italy's top SM.79 aviators, war hero, Corrado Deodato, who later on became a general in the Italian Air Force. It is surmised that he and his crew even sunk a Leander class cruiser on Nov. 17, 1940 heading towards Alexandria, Egypt.

[@PaulIsOpPlsNerf]

Italy did what they could with the industry they had, even then their air force had fighters the germans regarded as superior as their BF 109, the ground forces had the beretta SMG that the germans stole as many as they could after the armistice and their navy forced the british to keep a big fleet on the mediteranean just to keep them in check.

[@mbryson2899]

Thank you for researching, recording, and sharing this vid, I really enjoyed it.

[@fistofthetiger1591]

It looks like the world's first three engine heavy fighter. Very nice lines and it looks faster that it is. With more powerful engines and a dedicated redesign to extend the bomb bay, it could have been a contender for Best Bomber in WW2.

[@robertelmo7736]

LOL

[@uio890138]

Such a beautiful plane, and looks so natural carrying torpedoes.

[@manricobianchini5276]

Merry Christmas to you

[@mikepette4422]

As it was pointed out the plane was a 1934 design. Even though it had a lot of good qualities its main drawback was when it was designed. This is a very old plane for WWII. The fact that it was pretty good all round kept it relevant but by mid-war you had to admit it was showing its age. An updated design would have benefited Italy greatly but then again their industry was just not capable of keeping up anyway

[@alecblunden8615]

A little known Boeing design called the B-17 first flew in 1935, meaning its design probably predated that of the SM 79.Mind you, that was a limited design too.

[@FRIEND_711]

Sank 80 ships and damaged 100 even making "Torpedo Aces" 0o0 I personally love S.M.79 and I did know that they were more useful as torpedo bombers but I never really tallied the number like that...for a plane made in 1934 that is incredible.

[@lucaorlandi289]

I think REGIA AERONAUTICA Is underrated and should be reevaluated : The Italian Air Force had in 1940: 1300 medium bomber ,1160 fighter aircaftt, 500 recoinassence aircraft .It had very good warfighters like Macchi 202 and Macchi 205,Fiat G 55 and the Reggiane RE 2005 (maybe the most beautiful airplane of the WW2) .Italy built from (1940 to 1943) 11508 airplanes(always less in comparison with the othern nations). Only the fourth squadron destroyed 585 airplanes plus 215 probably .The SM 79 was an amazing medium bomber ,very effcient as torpedo bomber ,infact sinked a lot of military ships (Fearless ,Bedouin ,Nestor ,Foresight,Pozarica ecc).The sum of the official ranking of the(only) flying aces is of 1225 shooting down aircrafts.(The highest is Franco Lucchini with 26).

[@dallesamllhals9161]

If pre-war and fast: Heinkel He 100

[@patrickcloutier6801]

One wonders how the early war in the Mediterranean might have turned out, if, instead of giving a few dozen SM.79s to Franco after the Spanish Civil War, they had instead been made available to the Regia Aeronautica as torpedo bombers. Just a few dozen more - what might the difference have been?

[@brettt8246]

Well, the Fleet Air Arm used the 'Stringbag' Fairey Swordfish torbedo bomber throughout WW2 with almost impunity, a far older design that outlived two replacements. Their successful attack on Italy's Naval Base at Taranto was what gave the Imperial Japanese the idea to attack Pearl Harbor later in the war. Italy's main problem was the UK's presence in Malta, a natural 'aircraft carrier'

[@mellilore]

@@brettt8246 RADAR: despite the fact that Italian Guglielmo Marconi invented radio, Italy had no Radar. The Brits did.

[@augustosolari7721]

The Italian Breda B88 Lince was also another record setting Italian design.

[@roykliffen9674]

Like crashability? I believe its reputation was far from ideal

[@augustosolari7721]

@@roykliffen9674 yes, but before war service it had broken speed records

[@57tricci]

Loved all the positive and historical true statements on this video, grazie, grazie tanto tanto tanto.

[@GiorgioBeltrammi]

Great job, thanks a lot. Grazie Tante 🙂

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@laurencegerrard8044]

RAF pilots used to refer to these as "Briant and May jobs" this being a manufacturer of matches in the uk. This was due to the lack of armor plate and self sealing fuel tanks making them very prone to bursting into flames.

[@lolloblue9646]

It *did* have self-sealing fuel tanks, though

[@AlexBfetrop]

I think they were the usual propaganda rumors, in reality the sparrowhawk was an excellent hit taker and the incidents of fire on board were very rare. This was based on the pilots reports

[@DarkAlex1978]

One of the main problems of Italy is that at the time was for the most part an agricoltural and artisanal country. Yes there was a fair share of industry but there was not the necessary experience to organize and coordinate properly the level of mass production (and the required resources) to sustain a such demanding war effort.

[@phann860]

Every combatant had problems with torpedoes, the US subs and German subs had many torpedoes which didn't perform. An excellent presentation.

[@dubyacwh7978]

At the end the bombs spelled out with Buon Natale means Merry Christmas in Italian

[@cvtsboy]

A great plane. Three engines are a perfect answer for speed and load.

[@daviddunne4737]

Great video. Very interesting aircraft. Italy did produce some very fine aircraft in ww2.

[@MWM-dj6dn]

The greatest words of respect, praise and appreciation I dedicate to you for this wonderful and distinguished work Thank you for your great giving and effort I wish you lasting success. My utmost respect and appreciation

[@samuelbean9928]

There is such a biased view toward Italian forces during WWII. They did their best and they had some of the best aircraft and best troops. Buon Natale! to all and to all a good night!

[@iffracem]

Yes, the Italian Soldier, Sailor and Airman was at least the equal of any nation and did not deserve the "surrender monkey" title. They suffered from very poor leadership. Officer promotion was based on family and political ties, and money often bought rank. They also suffered from Mussolini and the high commands very poor preparations for the war, and limited industrial capacity to build arms and machinery. This even effected the Italian forces after they joined the allies..

[@jesperlykkeberg7438]

Italy definitely had the dumbest leader of any great power. Imagine how prosperous and politically strong Italy could have been if Italy had pulled from the axis, stayed neutral and used their resources to find oil in Libya rather than declaring war against France. The declaration of war was Italy´s downfall and literally Mussolini´s suicide.

[@lowersaxon]

@@iffracemThis is what I‘ve heard and read as well.

[@tonyromano6220]

Lol, with good reason. Italy was not really up to speed to support a modern war.

[@hakapeszimaki8369]

@@iffracem Rommel proved that the Italian troops could perform if leadership was good and logistic supply is delivered.

[@piersp38]

The fighter Fiat G55 " Centauro " , interceptor made for the very ambitious target of the air supremacy on the Italian Sky , Is worth to be mentioned

[@Platos-Den]

Better than the Macchi 207??

[@piersp38]

@@Platos-Den I guess you meant the MC 205 . This Is controversial, surely said by those Regia's pilots, Macchi were the horsepower of the Italian Royal Air Force and derivated splits by the civil war . Si both were appreciated, I remember ANR air force pilots [ National republican air force , allied to Luftwaffe] saying the Fiat G55 was better performing at the high altitude against the bombers.

[@iffracem]

A good video would be one about the three Gladiators on Malta they were called "Faith" "Hope" and "Charity"

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

At the beginning of the siege there were 10 Gladiators in Malta but 7 of them were still in crates. There was a time when only one was airworthy. After a month with the completion of a better airport Malta started receiving Hurricanes. It was anti aircraft guns that accounted for most of the Italian losses.

[@Casandrauwo]

Excellent work as always, and you may not know it but I think someone copied the G.55 video from you.

[@massimovolpe]

Nel libro "Il gruppo Buscaglia" vi è la testimonianza di uno Spitfire che abbatté un SM79 che a sua volta abbatté lo Spitfire l'SM79 fece un ammaraggio e il pilota inglese si lanciò con il paracadute l'equipaggio italiano sapeva che laereo poteva rimanere a galla diverse ore proma di inabissarsi quindi salirono sopra la fusoliera dopo aver aperto il battello di salvataggio e legato all' aereo poi fecero salire a bordo il pilota inglese che aveva il battello di salvataggio danneggiato,qualche ora dopo arrivò un idrovolante italiano a recuperarli tutti.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

Imagine the performance if it had BMW engines with 2 speed superchargers.

[@MWM-dj6dn]

A wonderful channel that deserves a thousand thousand greetings, great admiration and greater respect. Your esteemed channel is full of very accurate and useful information. Your effort is remarkable and great. I wish you lasting success. And I write to you with the utmost frankness and respect, and in the form of hope ((translate into Arabic)) The number of your followers will increase greatly. I am absolutely confident that you are interested in providing benefit to everyone without exception. My utmost respect, appreciation and pride to you, gentlemen

[@McRocket]

Happy Holidays and a fantastic New Year, to you/all!!! ☮

[@BobMuir100]

Excellent, I knew very little before. Bob England

[@jamesbugbee9026]

Buon natale!

[@craigpennington1251]

Different but I like it and the stats don't lie. A good performer.

[@42willys4]

Great video

[@mattlind2026]

Enjoyed the vid on one of my favourite planes

[@paulcateiii]

nice video

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@onerimeuse]

Well... shit. Guess I'm gonna have to go play warthunder for a bit then and jump in my Italian tech tree.

[@puppetguy8726]

My favourite ww2 medium bomber

[@martentrudeau6948]

Interesting Italian airplane. Good video.

[@mrbroeders]

One of my favourite planes

[@Tiagomottadmello]

Great, great vídeo ! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@vac65]

Good show! But mabye it will be usefull to treat also the variants build in Romania under licence.

[@BrianWMay]

Fascinating, thank you.

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

should have converted it to a twin engine fighter

[@kaletovhangar]

Ironically,Yugoslav royal air force sm.79s bombed Italian positions in Albania and at Adriatic sea during the brief april war of 1941.

[@LeopardIL2]

Another Trimotored airliner that became a Bomber. No wonder Italy's casualties in North Africa.

[@thunderstorm8926]

I’m a year late . G55,RE2005 ,Z1007 : )

[@chrisbrice2003]

Great video thanks, it would be interesting to compare the SM79 to the Bristol Beaufort/Beaufighter

[@pierredecine1936]

You DO NOT 'refuel" an Air Bottle !

[@BrettLloyd-z5x]

Ww2 planes are my favorite

[@patriot8554]

Another excellent upload. Thankyou

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@markr.1984]

Surely those speeds are true airspeed at altitude, not indicated airspeed.

[@joeambaye8681]

Thanks for an informative video and happy new year 🎉

[@1joshjosh1]

I have been to Gozo

[@ultor7654]

Wonderful documentary! Thank you so much Sir for your passion and knowledge. And of course Happy New Year!

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@duanerice-mason2115]

ITALY PERFORMANCE IN THE WAR WAS TERRIBLE

[@paologambacorta192]

Indeed. But…where is British Empire?

[@friedyzostas9998]

That doesn't make the subject of this video though?

[@dennisroyhall121]

In any war!

[@misterbig9025]

I wish the Axis powers won WW2 in Europe!!

[@jimbovoncarguy3877]

Why!?

[@misterbig9025]

@@jimbovoncarguy3877 Only then there is peace in middle east.

[@viz12345]

italian accent

[@lorenzor2555]

Definitely no. He pronounce many italian words in a wrong way. Like “Regia”, which he pronunces “rejìa” with an “i”, while in italian “gi” is spelled just as a simple “j”. I think that the narrator could be french or slavic, I don’t know, not italian for sure

[@johnrestucci8269]

To bad Italy fought on the wrong side ..

[@dennisroyhall121]

Never join a war with Italians on the same side….no prizes!

[@underworldfromparteigenose4182]

Mosquito

[@joaquimraurellmarti6095]

How strange that no the word Fascist was used in this content. They helped the Fascist Spaniards because they where Fascist Italians under the crazy Conde Rosi, a fanatic Fascist that was known by his brutal treatment of locals and enemies alike. They where known as "Pava" in catalan by the population. They got the range to bomb Barcelona from Mallorca at will, mostly it's population. When it was cloudy in Barcelona they used to go to several neighboring smaller cities bombing markets on Sundays because they where not threated by any fighters and as good Fascists they wanted to exterminate the enemy, meaning killing all the population, civilians first. To this day the pilots in Rome are still convinced they did a god job killing "Communists"(meaning bombing cities and it's citizens). Luckily my gran mother run to the woods when my city became a target to avoid them... What the.. I will repeat it: FASCISTS.

[@marcodorazio4123]

nothing fake in your words. I feel ashamed about, as Italian.

[@rafaelcasadoinfante4324]

​@@marcodorazio4123gracias por reconocer el daño que los fascistas italianos junto con los nazis alemanes hicieron a la población civil española a través de la aviación.

[@zillsburyy1]

italians lol.....

[@paktahn]

i first learned of this plane from warthunder but never knew about the hunch back nickname for it but was what i called it because the back blister is arguable its most defining feature except for maybe the triple engine setup

[@hawnyfox3411]

Amazing to think SM.79's were still flying in the Lebanese Air Force as late as 1954 They used TWO of them as "stars" in the 1954 British Film called "They Who Dare" (see below) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Who_Dare#Production AFAIK, it's available over on D.V.D & is often screened on "Talking Pictures TV" channel Dirk Bogarde stars in the lead-role, along with Denholm Elliot** **(who decades later starred with Eddie Murphy & Jamie Lee Curtis in the 1983 film, "Trading Places") I was REALLY shocked when I saw the SM.79's in that 1954 film & wondered as to "why" they weren't saved ? I built several AIRFIX SM.79's as a kid & even today, have x 6 of the 1/48th Trumpeter kits unmade So yeah, I "love" the plane, even tho' it was (back then), an "enemy bomber"

[@piersp38]

In reality They have been saved and well preserved . They are both in 2 different museums in Italy, bought by engineering of the air lovers and former veterans associations, restored and exposed at the Caproni 's Museum of the city of Trento and the second at the most important airplans Museum in Italy, the Vigna di Valle , close to Rome .

[@hawnyfox3411]

@@piersp38 = I'm impressed - I thought there was only ONE left ? Another irony is, whilst I met my Son over Christmas, he's over in Italy right now ! He has (& lives with), his beautiful Italian G/f & they are over, visiting her Mother right now. Sadly, he DOESN'T share my love of aircraft, as I was bought-up during "The AIRFIX era" (kits) It was when building (in my youth), TWO of the SM.79's that I fell in love with them** **(despite being a former "enemy a/c" & attacking the ships of my nation's Royal Navy)

[@piersp38]

@@hawnyfox3411 If I am not mistaking, They are the only 2 still " alive " and they can even fly , but I think nor the owners neither the insurences want to risk a potential accident . I can understand It , to Us They are part of Our History, even about a sad while but still Is Our past . Good to know ,your family Is having roots here , it's also a way to build a common future of peace and prosperity. Ask your son to visit them, even if He does not like It the things to do in those two cities are so many, that It Is never a waste of time. Thanks to have shared your experiences with the Sparviero, have a good new year eve .

[@hawnyfox3411]

@@piersp38 = Same to YOU Pier & a most Happy New Year to you too !!!!!! (Thanks) I've been to Italy twice : Once in 1983 & again in 2003 - (Milan & Bologna) Worth mentioning that I have SIX unbuilt 1/48th Spaviero, as I like them THAT much !!!!!