Italians in the Battle of Britain - RAF Finally Shows Up

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• Italians in the Battle...
After the initial air raids of the Corpo Aereo Italiano (Italian Air Corps) against Britain in which no RAF fighters were met, things changed on 11 November 1940. Two Hurricane and one Spitfire squadron opposed the attackers and caused them significant losses. But how heavy were the overclaims? And did the Italian CR.42 biplane fighters shoot down any RAF airplanes? Find out in this video.
Main sources:
Håkans aviation page
surfcity.kund.d...
Håkan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo - Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2
amzn.to/445vqL5
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[@romanbrough]

I read an autobiography many years ago by an RAF Hurricane pilot who fought against the Italian air force in 1940. He said of the CR42 words to the effect. They were very manoeuvrable aircraft often skillfully flown. But if you gave them a squirt from 8 Brownings, then they just fell to out of the sky.

[@chrisward7085]

Thanks for the video. When I was an ATC cadet at Biggin Hill, the CR42 was in the museaum hangar. We were supposed to clean the aircraft but actually played with them. I've sat in the CR42 cockpit!

[@showtime112]

Thank you for sharing. I envy you for that experience :)

[@luckyguy600]

You lucky bastard. I am telling on you!

[@michaelnaisbitt7926]

I have sat in that xvery same CR 42 at Biggin Hill when I was a kid

[@trent847]

It is to the credit of the flying skill and determination of the Italian pilots that they all weren’t shot down during that encounter. Only one Falco biplane fighter was actually shot down with the other two were forced down due to mechanical problems. Those pilots of the Regia Aeronautica were just as brave as any of the Luftwaffe or Royal Air Force pilots who participated in the battle. The Italian fighter pilots and bomber crews didn’t want to be there but they did their duty in their weak under armed bombers and slow short ranged fighters with open cockpits while lacking radios only to be looked down upon with disdain from their German allies. They don’t deserve ridicule only respect.

[@showtime112]

Italian pilots were asked to do way too much by their leadership and I agree, they deserve respect.

[@roymeadows1708]

@@showtime112 Exactly this. Italian armed forces were not cowards..They were lead by idiots who couldn`t organise a piss up in a brewery.

[@shaddaboop7998]

@@showtime112 They were fighting for fascism and terror bombing civilians. Brave certainly, and I respect that they were following orders, but this is bordering on veneration. Be careful with that.

[@beachcomber1able]

What about the RAF "terror flieger"? They killed a few innocent civilians that never put Hitler in power.

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

Bologni. The missions were all a big failure. Minimum damage and lost most of the airplanes. And many pilots claimed failures and turned back for nothing. See at beginning most of the best planes "turned back "because of the weather". Paper Tigers..

[@simoncampbell-smith6745]

One can't doubt the bravery of the Italian crews flying less than first rate aircraft against a well trained, veteran determined enemy.

[@showtime112]

I agree, thank you for commenting!

[@Baltimore813]

Bravery or fascist stupidity?

[@jozefbubez6116]

Yes, but this was, I think, Mussolini's one and only attempt to show Hitler that he could 'do his bit'. Strategically, it acheived absolutely nothing resulting in loss of life that may otherwise have been avoided!

[@luismartincagnonemendez3467]

Sooo a los italianos se le puede pintar un avión camuflado en tonos verdes en minas el cielos es celeste o gris jajajaj

[@roykliffen9674]

In all three military disciplines, the Italians actually showed real bravery but were often let down by incompetent leadership or subpar equipment , be it tanks, aircraft, or ships, although their submarine division was punching above its weight. As a result the Italian forces in WW2 are often ridiculed, just like the French, even though the latter fought fierce battles against the superior tactics the Germans employed, actually sacrificing many to allow the British retreat from Dunkirk to become a "success".

[@CZ350tuner]

The BR20 had quite a sophisticated bombsight, when compared to the British WW1 era "Mechano, steel rulers & string" contraptions utilised on all British bombers, at the time. The BR20's bombsight was directly linked to the aircraft's altimeter and automatically self recalibrated, if the altitude changed during the bomb run. Something that neither German, American, British or Soviet bombsight could do. Anyone who has flown the BR20 in IL-2 Cliffs of Dover - Blitz, will be very familiar with this very useful feature.

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for providing info!

[@pierluigiadreani2159]

Having great "optionals" but missing the bigger picture (for instance armament and engines) is a tradition of our military procurement.

[@DraftySatyr]

@@pierluigiadreani2159 True, or at least until the Fiat G.55 and Macchi C.202/C.205 were developed, although they were dependent on imported Daimler Benz DB.601/605 engines.

[@FritsKist]

Viva Italia!

[@tacfoley4443]

Meccano is the correct name.

[@frankguz55]

It takes some guts to attack a Spitfire in a CR42...

[@showtime112]

Yes, you could say so.

[@honkhonkler7732]

Should be an easy Spit win assuming the pilot uses vertical tactics instead of turn fighting as they might try with German fighters.

[@timonsolus]

Well, at least the Fiat CR42 could out-turn the Spifire! (And the Hurricane.) So if the British pilot yanked hard on his control column and went into a tight turn, bleeding off a lot of speed (an evasive tactic which would always work against a Me 109), he might find himself a sitting duck with that CR42 still right on his tail...

[@timonsolus]

@@honkhonkler7732 : Yes, but in November 1940 the RAF had a lot of inexperienced pilots, who were replacements for heavy losses in the Battle...

[@ChrisCrossClash]

@@timonsolus Wrong Britain had it's well rounded batch of Pilots who by this stage were well trained as taking part in both the battle of France and Britain by this stage.

[@alexhatfield2987]

I’m English. I’ve been speaking English for about 60years and even after all that time, it’s STILL often grammatically inexplicable. Your pronunciation is just fine “Showtime.”

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the comment! I don't think anyone will ever find logical explanation for some of language 'rules'. English is not exactly the only such language but it tends to be a little more confusing than your average language 😁

[@michaeldowd8422]

Arse kisser lol

[@DraftySatyr]

@@showtime112 'Cough', 'though', rough', through' are examples of how 'ough' is pronounced differently according to convention. Now try 'Slough' ... 😂😂

[@thisisnumber0]

No, it is NOT just fine. It is wrong. Stand in the corner with your underpants on your head and contemplate the error of your ways.

[@martinbrode7131]

Experiences with it?😂​@@thisisnumber0

[@donparker1823]

Thanks!

[@showtime112]

Thank you once again for the financial support!

[@jimsaintamour2]

Bang up job as usual! I can only imagine how long it takes for you to make these videos.

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for the financial support! These videos are a full time effort. This one was slightly more complicated as there were many small and rather specific scenes to do.

[@kevinl1492]

My late mother grew up in Maidstone, Kent. In 1941 she was only 16 but she would tell a story later about the Italian Airforce bombing the center of Maidstone trying to hit the bridges over the River Medway. The Italian Air Force roundal looked like the RAF roundal and some people thought the planes were British. So they ignored the air raid sirens - until bombs started falling. I am not sure if she was actually there or she just heard about it. She was evacuated to Yorkshire during the blitz.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for sharing the story!

[@murrayangus]

A little known aspect of the Battle of Britian and very interesting indeed. Great video!

[@showtime112]

I'm happy you liked it, thank you!

[@Pablo668]

In terms of mono wing fighters, the Italian airframes were actually pretty good. It was engines and firepower that let them down. Later in the war the Italians put German in line engines into their fighters, and for a hurried adaptation performed very well, among the best of the war. I think a lot of people tend to focus too much on how well a fighter aircraft performed, particularly in a one on one furball. Whereas who wins a fight was more depended on who saw who first and who held the height advantage. Formation tactics were important too.

[@Briselance]

You can see the other first, you can fly higher than the other. If you fly a CR-42 and you're looking at Hurricanes or Spitfires or, worse, against Mustangs, just scoot off and hope they haven't spotted you.

[@italianduded1161]

The mc 200 , re 2000, re 2002 were great ones too.

[@rickwalker2]

@@Briselanceworse against Mustangs? Every contemporary mark of the Spitfire to its P-51 equivalent outperformed it in every way except range. I’d be more concerned in a biplane if I had to fight Spits.

[@sleepingrabbit4011]

This is absolutely fascinating. I did not know anything about the Italians fighting over Britain.

[@showtime112]

Thank you! Watch the first part as well, the initial part of their operations is described as well.

[@waynemathias8074]

Thanks for the superbly detailed sim reenactment. There were quite a few aircraft on all sides that were outclassed, but imagine the stories the survivors could've told afterward. "There I was, in a open cockpit biplane with two machine guns... Allorraaa!"

[@showtime112]

Thank you for watching and appreciating the video! I'm sure it was quite 'exciting' for the biplane pilots 😁

[@thecrow3380]

That's right: Harwich is pronounced as "Harrich". There are many English place-names like this; my favorite being Happisburg, which is spoken as "Hays-borough". You get used to it, as a Brit, and if you're not a Brit, you never do get used to it (:>

[@noelmajers6369]

True enough. Speaking as a British person, I have never struggled with them. Although the etymology is weird, there is also an indecipherable logic to British place names which arises from the evolution of the English language which is only partly phonetic. For a foreigner who really wants to get them right I would suggest that just learning them one by one.

[@KABModels]

*Happisburgh

[@mwrkhan]

Not just place names. Featherstonehaugh is pronounced Fanshaw.

[@showtime112]

You might be right about never getting used to it 😁

[@thecrow3380]

@@KABModels How did that get by me? Age surely creepeth up!

[@fastmover2598]

The little-known Regina Aeronautica's involvement didn't provide any definitive, lasting impact, but it did offer a benefit to its German ally. At the very least, the Italian involvement forced the British to dedicate resources (aircraft, anti-aircraft batteries, manpower, etc.) to defend an area that wasn't as strategically vital. Also, militaries, in general, learn valuable lessons from both minor engagements and short-term campaigns.

[@showtime112]

Good point, offensive action always ties down enemy resources.

[@SNP-1999]

Battle of Britain fighter ace Stanford Tuck was really impressed with the flying skills the Italian pilots showed in their Fiat biplanes, if not exactly with their aggressiveness.

[@doktor_spritz9344]

Always a great day when you load up a video

[@showtime112]

It's very nice to hear, thank you!

[@MiG-31893]

Excellent as always! You are getting much better at syncing the narration with the film! I was wondering if you could make a video at some point on the combat record of the Fiat G.55? Apparently it was said to be the best fighter in the axis. If the TA-152 was the ultimate German fighter, then the Fiat G.55 was the ultimate Italian fighter. The Fiat arrived too late to fight for Italy, but fought in the ANR forces agains the allies. Anyway I hope this video preforms well (it should do)!

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the positive comment! G.55 would be an interesting story for sure. I have to check what kind of an info is available on it.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

I had no idea that CR.42 in the museum at Hendon was downed over British skies. I have my own pictures of it. As for pilot Blatchford, he had an airfield named after him in North Edmonton, up until about 2015ish time frame. Very cool.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@bobsakamanos4469]

Actually, it was named after his father, the mayor. Tough airfield to land on when there was a strong NW wind.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

@@bobsakamanos4469 huh. I thought it was named after the airman. Good to know.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

@@mikemontgomery2654 Sadly, the diggers are always taking over the real estate and building their concrete jungles.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

@@bobsakamanos4469 yeah, that was a depressing sight to see, the last time I was there.

[@DC.409]

Look into the East Africa war, this commenced between Italy and DUKE forces (Dominion,UK and Empire) June 1940, the RAF and RAAF were outnumbered by the East African Italian Air Force. Interestingly whilst the bombers were quite modern, the fighters on both sides were biplanes DUKE fury, gladiators . DUKE quickly addressed this with Hurricane, Battle and Mohawk because the Fiat fighters outperformed the Gladiator. It was effectively an holding action until 6 November 1940, when the DUKE forces attacked.

[@aceshigh234]

The Italian pronounciation is on point, very well done!

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for the feedback!

[@whps60]

My father flying Kitthawks (P-40) in 2 Squadron SAAF in North Africa in 1942 was involved in fights with the Luftwaffe and the Italian Air Force a number of times. The Kittyhawks were definitely at a disadvantage when it came to the German Bf109's in terms of performance and firepower. The Italian Mc 202s the squadron encountered were almost the equal to the Messerschmitts in performance but they were undergunned. He told us of being in a number of dogfights over Bir Hacheim against the Germans and Italians and said that the fighter pilots of the Desert Air Force were impressed with the flying skills and aggression of the Italians there. He said that the Italians pilots they met in aerial combat were highly competent. The air war at the time in the Western Desert however, was dominated on the Axis side by the Luftwaffe, both in numbers and the frequency they fought the DAF. 2 Squadron's encounters at the time with the Italians was less frequent than those with the Germans.

[@i.setyawan]

Can't wait to see the last episode! Biplanes, when expertly flown can be hard to kill in a dogfight due to their agility. They may not be able to make a kill, though. Another excellent video. Keep up the good work!

[@showtime112]

I appreciate your support. Yes, monoplane pilots still had to be careful when entering dogfights with biplanes.

[@andrewstackpool4911]

The grit and determination of both sides warrants admiration especially the Italians in what were obsolete aircraft. That said, as the Gloster Gladiator proved in the desert and at Malta, properly coordinated and with tighter turning circles, biplanes could hold their own against more modern aircraft including 109s

[@bobsakamanos4469]

The 10 or so Gladiators in Malta were constantly damaged so only 3 were used at a time, parts being scavanged off the most unserviceable ones. That lasted about 2 weeks or so until some old Hurricanes showed up as reinforcements.

[@MorristheMinor]

@@bobsakamanos4469 Hence, Faith, Hope and Charity. After the war, the complete, but burnt out remains of a Gladiator were found in Malta and restored for a museum. It was called Charity, after the Bible verse.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

@@MorristheMinor Gadiators were mauled by the Italian MC.200s - gone in 2 weeks. Sorry, but the Hurricane couldn't compete with 109s in Malta either.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

BR.20 - not a bad machine for pre-war/early war time. Thanks for making people aware of these operations by the Regia Aeronautica Italiana.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for appreciating it! Italian operations are relatively well known compared to some other nations but there's still plenty to learn.

[@rezzoc91]

I had the pleasure to know Giuseppe Ruzzin. I made his wiki page in ligurian as well.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for sharing!

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Thanks for the effort you put in brother, really interesting story of these men that is sadly not known.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for watching and for providing a positive feedback! Yes, this story is somewhat overlooked.

[@RealDarko]

Beautiful reenactment. Brave crews on both sides.

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for the comment and for a pretty long subscription!

[@ptonpc]

The courage of the crews should never be forgotten.

[@ilaser4064]

And the stupidity of their leader...

[@FritsKist]

Nor their stupidity1

[@Anton-qf9ft]

Avete imparato, l’uso della matematica, dagli arabi, nel periodo delle crociate. Eravate e( forse ) siete ancora…, barbari. Fate attenzione ad , etichettare gli italiani. Andatevi a rive- dere il Vallo di Adriano. Ringraziate gli americani, se, non siete stati occupati dai tedeschi😂.

[@anselmdanker9519]

Great presentation thank you

[@showtime112]

I'm glad you appreciate it!

[@yveaux500]

Truly brilliant stuff (as always) Hope you will do a video once on how the Dutch army aviation fought against the Luftwaffe in may 1940. Some heroic stuff here and there with outdated equipment.

[@showtime112]

Thank you! The Dutch aviation against Luftwaffe is on my 'to do' list. I believe we have the airplanes used, I just need to see what kind of details are available.

[@yveaux500]

@@showtime112 that is truly great to hear. If you need any help with the research or things like prenounciations please let me know.

[@alastairward2774]

The title suggests the RAF had to cut tea short and grumpily get to their planes.

[@showtime112]

Well, if you watch the first part, it becomes clear 😁

[@joeshmoe9978]

😁

[@photoisca7386]

@@showtime112 Just another foreigner hating the British. The title is designed to attract like-minded souls.

[@aleks1939]

@@photoisca7386 No pudding for you! Not until you eat your meat!

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

@@photoisca7386 What's wrong? Not enough Tea?

[@mediapartners9950]

Another great video many thanks 👍🏻

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@tomriley5790]

Incidentally the reason for the variation in English pronounciation is easily explainable because of the various races invaded, built, named things and then had them renamed by others doing the same thing several times over the centuries. East Anglian towns and Northern English towns were originally roman, renamed by the Angles and saxons and then formed part of the Danelaw until their the various kindoms formed into England.

[@oscarvi3232]

Great work Showtime. Love the detail.

[@showtime112]

Thanks, details are very important in these stories (when you can find them).

[@adamcooper2211]

Great video!!! Please do the third part with CR.42s Vs Spitfires - the Italian participation in the Battle of Britain is so often overlooked!

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback, third part coming out this Saturday.

[@akikominagawa2075]

Thank you for covering this topic! I appreciate this so much. It's not something we ever learned about in the UK curriculum and I doubt many people know back there.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for watching and appreciating it!

[@andrewmorke]

The Gloster Gladiator, a biplane, clashed with Italian aircraft in North Africa.

[@Heylanda-fb9xb]

As well as the Soviets on the Eastern Front in the early years with their Polikarpov I-15 and PO-2 "bomber".

[@showtime112]

Also in Greece and Malta.

[@raypurchase801]

Read the biography of the South African RAF ace, Pat Pattle.

[@travelbugse2829]

I believe some who flew both biplanes reckoned the CR42 had an edge over its British rival.

[@rvieira8057]

@@Heylanda-fb9xb You mean the I-153, I think. The I-15 was used in the Spanish Civil War.

[@anthroderick5383]

Thank you very much for the great vídeo!

[@showtime112]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@c.morees9698]

That CR42 was quite a plane! The fight also shows the arnament of the Hurricanes where more effective against the bombers than the arnament of the Spitfires.

[@bryanwheeler1608]

It was common practice during the Battle of Britain for the Hurricanes to attack the bombers & the Spitfires take on the escort, which was normally BF109s, & the fairly ineffectual 110s.

[@TheFergie9]

My father joined 603 City of Edinburgh in Hornchurch just after The Battle of Britain, and in 41 they returned to Turnhouse in Scotland..thrilled to see them mentioned

[@mfuller1093]

RAF squardrons numbers are always described in numbers , for example ''617 squadron and are never described in words like ''six hundred and seventeen.

[@bobdylan7120]

Not true, especially for those with double digit numbers and even some with triple digit. For example, 111 Squadron was always known as "Treble one" and 29 Squadron was referred to as "Twenty Nine" (Odd fact, their squadron markings are XXX, which is 30 in roman numerals).

[@andrewwaller5913]

41 Sqn and 54 Sqn are said as Forty One and Fifty Four so not always the case. There are variations.

[@juancarlosperezcortes9259]

Marellous video. Everytime is a new history class

[@showtime112]

I appreciate your feedback!

[@GREGLUCAS-u4f]

An interesting historical video. The archive information is outstanding and I hope to see more of your work. Greg in Canada 🇨🇦.. 😊.

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for the positive feedback! Check out older videos if you missed them and final chapter of this story is coming up on Saturday.

[@JorgeSanchez-oh4uy]

Wow Showtime I never knew the Italians were involved in the Battle of Britain until now! Great work by you as usual and please keep educating us on these remarkable events!

[@ralphscholer7345]

Incredible !!! One more masterpiece of Your air war videos!! And You bring more Light on the operations of the REGGIA AEORONAUTICA in WW II . I'm interested espacially in the Italian Air Force.And I don't know about that bad experience of Musolini's pilot's agains't RAF. First Time ,You bring this to me !! Brilliant video and naration by Your smooth voice ! Also brilliant.the camouflage of the Italian planes ! As a model builder I love it,and now from Your video,I have some more new impressions for my Hobby. Many, many Thanks for this good stuff...YOU ARE THE BEST...

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for this inspired comment! Italian Air Force is often overlooked (and ridiculed) but I'd say they were an important part of the whole story. I seem to inspire model builders a lot recently :)

[@ronaldhenderson8803]

Got to admit the Italians had a cool camo sheme

[@razgriz380]

It's actually very similar to the German spring offensive camo. Likely took cues from their axis ally. Not all that's surprising seeing as it was intended for the Mediterranean. But attractive nonetheless.

[@showtime112]

It's pretty original, that's for sure.

[@robijnbruinsma4489]

Thorough and fair account.

[@showtime112]

Glad you think so, thank you!

[@roberts1938]

A very carefully prepared film. A lot of work. Thank you very much. In Polish materials, Karol Pniak shot down 1 and 1/2 Fiat Br-20 that day Exists a photo Karol Pniak with trophies from the second plane that was attacked. The first one actually fell into the sea. The pilots of 257 Squadron had a photo session with the same trophies. It would be nice if you included a photo of Karol Pniak with the film. He appears to be the most likely pilot to shoot down the BR-20 that day. I will send the links to your email because YT blocks other links.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for commenting and for sending the email. I've looked at the links last night.

[@delcatto60]

Two good books about Italian aircraft over Britain and East Africa: The Chianti Raiders by Peter Haining and Air War East Africa 1940 - 41 by Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell. Great video, thank you.

[@williamkoppos7039]

Your presentations are Very Good

[@showtime112]

I appreciate that, thank you!

[@jerrymail]

Your videos often make me want to build a model. I have on my list the Honduran Corsair, Israeli Avia S-199, the Egyptian FIAT G.55 .... Now the FIAT BR.20 "Cigogna". 😃 Unfortunately, I have a lot of models to do and not a lot of time to do them. 👍👍👍 Keep up the good work 👍👍👍

[@showtime112]

Thank you again! I understand your problem, I have the same one with video topics. So many ideas and so little time to realize them :)

[@leemiles3995]

This series is really good! Keep going with part 3 please 🙏

[@showtime112]

Thank you, Part 3 coming up this Saturday.

[@VC27]

Hey there Showtime112. Been away for some time. I see that your recantation, historical accuracy and graphics have improved even more over the last year. Keep up the great work!

[@showtime112]

Good to hear you are back. And I appreciate your positive opinion! More content on the way.

[@VC27]

@@showtime112 - More power to you Buddy.

[@user-uy3bj9ue5c]

Why did the more modern fighter go back when the biplanes carried on in the bad weather?

[@showtime112]

Not sure but I think they were not based in the same airfield so weather might have been better for the CR.42s and the bombers.

[@jimboll6982]

Germans thought " Fuck this" not being shot down on Harwich.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

No radios

[@Spitfiresammons]

The Italian air Force during the Battle of Britain campaign must be a total disaster for Mussolin great story. Please do the F-51 Mustang vs Yak-9P during the Korea war.

[@showtime112]

It is generally considered a big failure. As for your Korea suggestion, yes I've been wanting to cover some of that stuff for a while.

[@Heylanda-fb9xb]

The only branch of Regia Aeronautica that was successful in their missions was their torpedo bomber team utilizing SM.79 aircraft. Otherwise, they are remembered in the history book as a joke.

[@wiktorberski9272]

Interesting topic was covered in this movie. This Italian camouflage scheme is really beautiful, but on the other hand really hard to paint on the scale model.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback! Yes, the paint scheme must be a challenge but an experienced modeller might look forward to it.

[@alvarvillalongamarch3894]

Those poor Italians didn't stand a chance with that kind of equipment!Shame on their superiors,who sent them on an almost suicidal mission.The CR42 was an excellent fighter for it's time,but underpowered and undergunned.You can outmanoeuver the Hurricains,but you can't chase them or escape.Sad story.Sorry for the Reggia Aeronautica.No match.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

More or less the same when the Hurricane was attacked by 109s. 109s could engage or disengage at will, out climb it, out dive it, out run it and out roll it.

[@ivanbonarelli3112]

Anche gli inglesi a Malta avevano.ad inizio conflitto solo 3 biplani Sea Gladiator. sbarcati dalla portaerei Glorious ,con cabina di pilotaggio chiusa , battezzati : Faith , Hope,e Charity. Armati pero' con 4 mitragliatrici e si batterono per 18 giorni; poi arrivarono i primi Hurricane con 8 mitragliatrici ....

[@JimmyPeaTV]

Great vid, and full of great information. I was born on 11th November. We always celebrate Remembrance Day and my birthday at the UKs Battle of Britain Memorial 👍

[@showtime112]

I appreciate your feedback!

[@ewok40k]

dont bring a biplane to a spitfire fight...

[@showtime112]

An old Latin proverb? 😁

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

@@showtime112 An irish one. Mallone from the Untouchables.

[@user-uy3bj9ue5c]

😂

[@Treblaine]

Yet do bring a biplane to a battleship fight...

[@williamkoppos7039]

@@rainerbehrendt9330 Also referring to italians

[@giacomomeluzzi280]

It's rare to find someone making the effort of pronouncing our names correctly, thanks!

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback! I said it wrong in the first video and I got dozens of comments about it :)

[@falkonsix]

Interesting episode well presented............many thanks.

[@nor0845]

Interesting video. Thank you for posting.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@themajesticmagnificent386]

Brilliant video and more please to complete this subject🇬🇧👍

[@showtime112]

Thank you! Part 3 coming up this Saturday.

[@branka4226]

Nice video!

[@rickbear7249]

"Blott on the Landscape", by Tom Sharpe, tells the incredible story of one of these Italian bomber crews.

[@MrJohndoakes]

The FIAT CR.42's needed radios, if not just to keep the units together, then at least to warn each other of attacks at the bare minimum. By 1940 the Japanese Navy had fighters with radios for plane-to-plane communication and Morse Code transceivers for talking to their aircraft carriers. That Italy lacked this basic element in 1940 is insane.

[@peteuist]

superb video as always, if you think Harwich is pronounced weirdly try Milngavie

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback! To be honest, I have no idea how to pronounce that 😁

[@eduardodeandres3864]

Muchas gracias por el vídeo. Me pregunto ¿ Qué pensarían los pilotos italianos que fueron enviados a esa misión sabiendo que sus opciones contra la RAF eran casi nulas? Gracias de nuevo

[@showtime112]

Thank you for commenting! I'm not exactly sure what the Italian pilots were thinking about but they followed orders and tried to do what they were asked. It is likely that they were not fanatical and believing to be super-human (such as their senior Axis partners)

[@donparker1823]

I'm kind of surprised at the level of detail that's available about this conflict between the Regia Aeronautica and the RAF. And yes, the Britons have some very economic ways of saying the names of their cities and counties. My favorite is Worcestershire. I would say this in four syllables. They say it in two,. Woos-ter. I would go to war anytime with the Brits. Very professional, well led and funny.

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

Not quite, Woos-ter would be the town of Worcester which is the county town of Worcestershire which is pronounced Woos-ter-sher 🙂

[@donparker1823]

@@gwtpictgwtpict4214 I stand corrected. It’s been 30 years since I lived there.

[@showtime112]

Most details actually come from the British reports. This is in fact true in most cases, British or American sources are usually the most extensive ones. Or at least it seems this way when you primarily research in English language 😁

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

@@donparker1823 No worries man, 61 years old here, born in the UK and English pronunciations still throw me from time to time.

[@grahvis]

@@showtime112 . I used to have a small book published in 1943 titled RAF Nice Types. It had cartoons and descriptions showing the various personnel on an RAF station. I seem to remember the Intelligence Officer who it was claimed wouldn't accept a kill unless the pilot brought back the enemy pilot to confirm it.

[@leighjones5551]

great video and a lot of research to produce this great work

[@showtime112]

I appreciate your feedback, thank you!

[@mootpointjones8488]

Good video, thanks 👍 I have seen the CR42 at Hendon, a graceful bi-plane.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for commenting, I hope to go to Hendon someday!

[@luckyguy600]

I liked that video! Thanks for all the effort you put into the production. Something different. I have seen the fighter at Hendon, but I didn't know the history of it. I always thought them rather cool bi-planes from another era.

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much for the positive feedback!

[@denerumsby6789]

Great video which you obviously put a lot of hard work and research into- thank you You also do an admirable job pronouncing our sometimes almost indecipherable spelling! Just an observation that i hope you will take in the spirit with which it's sent regarding RAF squadron reference convention If the squadron is a single digit number then the convention is to put the word "number" in front of it eg Number One squadron For double digit numbers the convention is to say them as the counting number eg 23 squadron is referred to as twenty three squadron Once you get past 100 ( which is still referred to as one hundred squadron they are referred to by the separate numbers only eg 617 squadron the Dambusters is known as six-one-seven squadron I don't mean to be rude, only helpful Finally they never have the definite article in front of them; it's never the 617 squadron, just 617 squadron

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the comment and pronunciation guidance!

[@denerumsby6789]

@showtime112 thanks for your reply, as I said I wasn't being a smart arse, just trying to help Your videos are really good

[@soumadip_banerjee]

Another awesome video by my favourite Croatian! :)

[@showtime112]

Thank you, glad you liked this one!

[@1joshjosh1]

The internet in my work lunchroom is so sh**y I will have to wait till later to view this video. Oh the humanity. 😭 But watch it later I will !!

[@DraftySatyr]

Another pronunciation thing: in British and Commonwealth forces, the rank 'Lieutenant' is pronounced 'lef-tenant' rather than 'loo-tenant'.

[@rickwalker2]

Something that often gets overlooked is that in the English speaking world, the US is the only nation to pronounce it “loo”. We often think of the UK & commonwealth pronunciation as being the exception but it’s actually the opposite.

[@joeshmoe9978]

Luigi sees Spitfires: "Mama Mia!!!"😯

[@lorenzodelfino5894]

Excellent video (as usual)

[@showtime112]

I'm happy you think so, thanks!

[@gemellodipriapo]

Great vid! Thank you! But I think you need to highlight the obsolescence of the Italian aircraft ... biplanes with no radios etc ... otherwise you run the risk of this inadvertently becoming a wankfest for flag waving triumphalists ... What is interesting though is the success the Italian air force had in North Africa, the Med and East Africa with a variety of planes. There were several Italian biplane aces such as Tenente Carlo Canella and the better known Capitano Mario Visintini

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the comment! This video is pretty much intended to be watched after part one in which more details about the airplanes themselves are given. I made a video about Mario Visintini too, a while ago, maybe this will encourage people who missed it to watch it.

[@grahvis]

It was the end of the idea that agility would overcome speed. The Soviets made the same mistake at the start of their air battles.

[@gemellodipriapo]

@@showtime112 I must watch! Thank you!

[@sixgunsymphony7408]

Brits were still using Gloster Gladiator fighters in the early years of WWII

[@gemellodipriapo]

@@sixgunsymphony7408Yawn! The RAF was indeed employing knackered old Glads but not over “this green and pleasant land”, They were employed in secondary theatres like East Africa where pilots like Visentini were shooting them down with gusto.

[@exocet1]

Check out the book "Chianti Raiders" The British loved going through downed Br.20 because they carried loaves of bread and Chianti..funny now looking at video you can see British pilots holding captured Chainti bottles and italian helmets :)

[@Anton-qf9ft]

Invece gli italiani, negli aerei inglesi abbattuti, trovavano la….. zuppa di porridge 😂.

[@bjornsmith9431]

The unknown Battle of Britain the Italian Air force vs the British Air force.

[@showtime112]

Exactly. Thank you for another comment!

[@0ldb1ll]

Faith, Hope and Charity. The RAF took delivery of Gloster Gladiators in 1938 and there was also the Fairey Swordfish, which helped sink the Bismark.

[@benwilson6145]

As mentioned in the Video this was the same day that Swordfish carried out the attack on Taranto where 3 battleships, one heavy cruiser and two destroyers were damaged.

[@jandoernte3312]

The battle of britian was over by november correct? They were like the JV squad entertaining the crowd during half time?

[@jmccallion2394]

That night FAA attacked RIN in Taranto!

[@jebblinne3273]

Excellent video!

[@showtime112]

Thank you very much!

[@kensimdall705]

Some of the best Pilots in the world flying in the RAF at that time. Battle of Britain records state 2450 British and 500 foreign pilots flew in the RAF during the Battle of Britain. They saved the world !

[@georgefox4982]

Those totals are RAF fighter pilots and did not include bomber command pilots,coastal command pilots and fleet air arm pilots which took part in Bob. It has been said the few flew against the fewer

[@fritzlange7934]

Fantastic graphics.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the comment!

[@kruno1861]

Great video as always

[@showtime112]

Appreciate that, thank you!

[@cricket-lt8nc]

Based on the info at the end it seems like this wasn't quite the slaughter it was frequently reported as. Still, the Italians definitely did lose this engagement in terms of planes shot down. I wonder what would have happened had weather permitted the G.50s and 109s to enter the fight...

[@showtime112]

RAF hugely overclaimed but still, the losses were unsustainable for the Italians. As for the G.50s and Bf-109s, they would have probably been very significant if the RAF component remained the same.

[@cricket-lt8nc]

@@showtime112 Yeah. The Italian industry could not handle these losses even if they were "small" for other major powers at the time.

[@ryanbluer6098]

You have to admire the bravery of any pilot who is willing to get into a dogfight flying a Biplane again Hurricanes and Spitfires or like our brave Swordfish pilots attacking a modern battleship like the Bizmarck or the Italian fleet at Torantto

[@geoffreypiltz271]

Well done with the pronunciation of Harwich, particularly when the "w" IS pronounced in Ipswich. So may non Brits don't bother to get such things right.

[@showtime112]

I was only corrected about fifty times in the first video 😁

[@geoffreypiltz271]

@@showtime112 Guessed as much. Here's one that almost no Brit gets right - Tintwhistle - the locals say Tinsel!

[@leighrate]

Well I'd say that anyone who thought the Italians weren't formidable antagonists had just been disabused of that notion.

[@jeannezehner9450]

Very interesting part II, this period is called the Blitz, it takes place until the begining of the year 41. After the axis forces will move to Greece, and the Luftwaffe had prepared the Barbarossa operation the USSR invasion. The italians were not ready for this war, and their planes had not the tecnical level for attacking a SPITFIRE or a HURRICANE. But they have built some good planes during this war.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for always being among the first! Italians with their aviation started the mid-1930s really well but then they couldn't keep up anymore.

[@dominiqueroudier9401]

Salut Jeanne, j'aurais aimé savoir ce qui se serait passé si les G50 et Bf 109 étaient restés. Il y aurait eu une tactique d'attaque différente et peut être plus de chasseurs en vol car les radars anglais en auraient détecté plus

[@jeannezehner9450]

@@dominiqueroudier9401 Après octobre 40, les allemands ont commencé à replier leurs gaules, à cause des pertes aériennes encaissées par la Luftwaffe qui étaient très conséquentes. Un débarquement était impossible à cause des conditions météorologiques en automne et de toute manière ils n'ont jamais possédé une force de débarquement digne de ce nom, l'Allemagne restant une puissance militaire terrestre avant tout et l'Angleterre une puissance maritime historique. Le Blitz sur l'Angleterre a continué mais plus de façon nocturne jusque début 1941, puis la Luftwaffe pris la direction de la Grèce, de la Crète pour déloger les anglais que l'Italie avait du mal à réaliser et après avril 41, Goering a préparé les objectifs de Barbarossa pour réaliser l'invasion de la Russie prévue au mois de juin 41. Les erreurs tactiques allemandes concernant la bataille d'Angleterre ont été manifestes, on peut parler d'une accumulation d'étourderies dramatiques, bref de l'incompétence caractérisée. Fin aout 40, après six semaines de duels aériens, les britanniques étaient pratiquement exsangues, pénurie de pilotes, aérodromes militaires flingués par les bombardements allemands ainsi que pas mal de stations radars, des avions restaient disponibles puisque les usines de production n'étaient pas touchées car hors d'atteinte du rayon d'action des bombardiers allemands. Ce qui manquait c'était les pilotes à cause de la longueur de la formation, les anglais n'arrivaient pas à remplacer leurs pertes. C'est pourquoi il y eut tant de nationalités qui pilotaient les avions anglais. Ce fut l'erreur britannique, ne pas avoir formé assez de pilotes pendant la période de la drôle de guerre. Avec leur empire colonial immense, il étaient disséminés un peu partout. Quand Hitler décida de bombarder les villes anglaises en réponse au bombardement anglais de Berlin qui lui même étant en réponse à un HE-111 égaré qui avait déchargé sa cargaison mortelle par erreur sur Londres. Il décida début septembre que tous les ME 109 escorteraient dorénavant les bombardiers sur les raids des villes anglaises. Ce fut le tournant de la bataille. Fin octobre, les anglais avaient sauvé la face et retourné les crêpes aux allemands qui se sont offerts comme cible aux avions anglais.

[@dominiqueroudier9401]

@@jeannezehner9450 Dis donc Jeanne, tu aurais pu être historienne et enseigner. La bataille d'Angleterre à été limite pour tous. La RAF a eu le renfort des pilotes de la FAA: Royal navy et même des pilotes civils ( anciens de la RAF et âgés : + de 30ans, t'es vieux)des différents constructeurs. L'opération SeeLowe de débarquement était risque car peu de plages anglaises le permettent. Falaises, galets, etc... Après tout à bascule sur la décision d'un homme. Heureusement la RAF avait une force de réserve en Ecosse, loin.. après me rappelle plus de tous les détails de cette histoire

[@jeannezehner9450]

@@dominiqueroudier9401 Les allemands guidaient leurs bombardiers de nuit pendant leurs raids sur l'Angleterre avec des faisceaux d'ondes croisés comme un système de goniométrie qui leur permettait de se diriger vers leurs objectifs de bombardement. Seulement les anglais arrivaient à les brouiller, et les bombardiers allemands dérivaient du fait de l'imprécision pour faire le point précis pendant leur vol et bombardaient à côté ou des villes que les anglais choisissaient. Ainsi ils évitaient de bombarder les sites stratégiques qui auraient paralysé la production industrielle. On retrouve un peu la même chose avec le décryptage du code ENIGMA utilisé par les sous marins allemands qui flinguaient les convois alliés dans l'Atlantique Nord. Les anglais mirent un peu plus de deux ans à le décrypter et à partir de fin 42, ils choisissaient les convois que les allemands devaient flinguer et faisaient passer les primordiaux à travers les meutes de U-BOOTS. Durant l'année 43 la couverture aérienne alliée fut assurée tout le long de la traversée, ce qui rendit les choses encore plus difficile pour les allemands qui se doutaient que quelque chose se passait et avaient ajouté une quatrième molette à leur machine de cryptage ENIGMA. Mais les britanniques réussirent à le déchiffrer une nouvelle fois.

[@lesterbuckman5493]

Awesome! look forward to more great content

[@showtime112]

I appreciate your positive feedbaack!

[@dillonhunt1720]

"WITNESS ME!!!!" -Flight Lieutenant Blachford probably

[@brainyskeletonofdoom7824]

14:10 WOW! Ruzzin was a family friend and ive left a comment about his Memories of the Battle under the First video of the series! This shows that the videos are very well researched

[@showtime112]

Thank you for your comment! I was using research of other people but there is a lot of info regarding this battle.

[@danhubert-hx4ss]

Very interesting vid as per usual.

[@showtime112]

Thank you for the feedback!