77a Squadriglia
77 formed May 1916 credited with 50v
Unit symbol was the red heart insignia.
History
30 May 1916 the CO Pier Ruggero Piccio to 26 Jan 1917.
31 May 1916 formed at the La Comina airfield. It was issued Nieuport 10 two-seaters and had 8 pilots, ten. Carlo Savio, s.ten. Ferruccio Ranza and
Giovanni Fasoli serg. Giuseppe Tesei, Domenico Piaggo and Cosimo Rizzotto, cpr. Giovanni Bozzetto .
Jun 1916 received N11 fighters
18 Jun 1916 it became operational.
26 Jul 1916 had its first combat
30 Jul 1916 began combat missions
Aug 1916 the unit moved to the Cascina Farello airfield providing protection for the seaplanes based at Grado
05 Aug 1916 assigned to the I Gruppo.
13 Sep 1916 took part in a large air attack against Trieste
14 Sep 1916 a photo shows 7 N11s some appear with a dark mottle over their basic finish.
Oct 1916 flew 109 combat missions.
14 Nov 16 the airfield was bombed, killing two.
1916 unit flew 526 combat missions with 30 air engagments and 3 claims.
01 Jan 1917 partially equipped with N11 until Nov 1917 kept them for balloon busting because they carried Le Prieur rockets.
Jan 1917 cap. Ettore Croce became the CO then Ranza.
Mar 1917 the first Spad VII arrive one of the first units to receive them and moved to Aiello.
May 1917 was equipped with 4 N11’s, 4 N17’s and 3 Spad VIIs and flew this mix of aircraft throughout the summer.
26 Jan 1917 the CO was Ettore Croce.
Mid 1917 a photo shows 2 Spad VIIs, 5 N17s and 3 N11s at Aiello.
Aug 1917 during the 11th Battle of Isonzo the unit flew 398 combat missions and had 20 air engagements with 3 victories.
20 Aug 1917 s.ten. Mario Leggiadri was shot down by Sabeditsch flying an Aviatik 38.01.
29 Sep 1917 serg. Giuseppe Tesio was shot down by three fighters of Flik 55J
09 Oct 1917 Rizzotto was FTL for an engine failure after a duel with Godwin Brumowski.
Oct 1917 had a combo of S7, N11 and N17.
Only the 77 and 91 were fully equipped with SPAD VIIs.
Nov 1917 had to burn 6 Spad VII’s and only had 3 left.
08 Nov 1917 the unit went to Marcon close to Venice with 80a and assigned to XIII Gruppo.
During the retreat of Caporetto it retreated from Aiello, to Comina, and then Arcade.
30 Dec 1917 still used the N11 to shot down 3 balloons.
01 Jan 1918 unit had 10 pilots the CO was cap. Gordesco with ten. Marazzani, s.ten. Ancillotto, Lombardi, Bozzetto, brig. Cabruna, asp Esposti, serg. Rizzotto, Avon and Allasia.
Early 1918 received its first Spad XIII
15 Jun 1918 unit had 18 Spads
24 Jul 1918 Giovanni Ancillotto scored Italy's first night victory
Sep 1918 had 1 Ansaldo Balilla but, on 26 Sep it was wrecked by Cabruna
23 Oct 1918 assigned to the Massa da Caccia.
Battle of Vittorio Veneto it flew 243 missions and was credited with 9 victories.
EOW unit had 13 efficient Spads and 17 pilots cap. Serafini (3v), ten. Amendolito, Corbo, Morganti, Cussino, s.ten. Lombardi, Cabruna (8v), Molino, Ostali, serg Malaspina, Albertazzi (1v), Corti (2v), Ferrario, cpr. Padovan, Abba, Oladini, sold. Capitani.
The squadron had flown more than 5,000 combat sorties, engaged its aerial enemies about 250 times
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