American Bombers in Italy

[Watchdog]

I stumbled across some interesting information on the Internet.

Apparently, there were US American flyers sent to Italy to complete their flying training there and they actually flew combat missions with Caproni bombers.

Since I plan to buy a Caproni bomber when they are available, and some more Aviatik Berg D.I's, I am now tempted to paint the Caproni as an "American" one to be able to fly against it with Austro-Hungarian planes in a re-creation of the combat highlighted below in bold. Now I only need to find the paint scheme of that Caproni of the 6th Squadron. Maybe our Italian pilots can help me?

Below are some mentions of the US Americans I found:

http://www.historynet.com/world-war-...s-in-italy.htm

Declared fit for service in early October 1918, Lewis was assigned to the Italian 4th Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, based at Padua, 20 miles west of Venice. He began flying night raids on Austrian targets, dropping bombs and propaganda leaflets. The Austrians had bombed Padua, and the city was blacked out at night, making travel to and from the airfield after dark a hazard in itself. By mid-October, Lewis was aware something big was about to break. Planes are being brought in from other fields, he wrote. We are seeing more action every day.

Despite rumors of an impending armistice, Italian and British troops began an offensive on the 24th against the Austrian line along the Piave River. The next day Lewis wrote: All planes out and loaded with bombs. Off at 10 a.m. in big formation over Austrian lines. Bombed a town [Conegliano] about 5 miles beyond the Piave. Heavy gunfire. On the 27th all 11th Group squadrons were sent out on another daylight raid in support of the advancing Allies. Caproni Ca.3 No. 4071, of the 6th Squadron, crewed by Lieutenants Coleman F. DeWitt, James L. Bahl, Jr., and Vincezo Cutello, and Sergeant Jarcisio Cantarutti, was attacked by five Aviatik D.I pursuit planes of Fliegerkompagnie 74J, and shot down by 1st Lts. Roman Schmidt and Imre von Horvath. DeWitt was posthumously awarded the Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Militare, Italy's highest medal.

On October 29 Italian and British troops crossed the Piave and captured Conegliano, and the Austrians fell back in full retreat. As target after target was taken by the advancing Allies, the Caproni missions were halted. On November 3 Austria concluded an armistice with the Allies. Lewis wrote on November 5: My dear Bert, Liberation Day in Italy….Bands playing, flags flying. The Italians, with Allied help, had won their part of the Great War a full week ahead of the November surrender in the West.

On November 15 all the surviving American Caproni pilots assembled at San Pelagio Airfield, Padua, where each was awarded the Italian War Cross. After nearly a month of hurry up and wait, Lewis and his group boarded SS Cartago at Bordeaux, debarking at New York Harbor on December 31.

http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/alliesitaly.htm

In addition to the 332nd and the ARC men (and women), a number of US trainee pilots were sent to Italy under the inspiring leadership of Fiorello La Guardia, at that time a lawyer and recently-elected Congressman for the 14th District of New York, who had learned to fly in 1915 and managed to go solo.

http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww1/air/cou/w1ac-us.html

Army: Italy

Army aviator candidates reached Italy (fall 1917). Among them was New York congressman Fiorello La Guardia. Army aviators flew bombers from Italian bases.

[Baldrick62]

I recall there were USAAS Capronis being ferried to France to join the night bomber force, but I'd imagine that any American crew flying with an Italian sqn would have done so in Italian national-marked aircraft, in the same way as both American volunteer and USAAS pilots did with the British and French air services prior to the activation of USAAS sqns.

[Watchdog]

I would indeed expect them to be in Italian colours, but maybe there was some kind of an emblem or something to indicate the squadron and maybe even the volunteers painted something on their machines?

[gully_raker]

I would indeed expect them to be in Italian colours, but maybe there was some kind of an emblem or something to indicate the squadron and maybe even the volunteers painted something on their machines?

You could let your imagination loose on that , Jan.
Maybe "Old Abe" the American Eagle or a "Uncle Sam" image.

[rote Flügel]

Haha.. a nice Uncle Sam portrait with his 'I want you' finger pointing forward along the fuselage would be awesome

[Coog]

American pilots that saw combat flying Capronis were assigned to Italian Squadrons. They were initially paired with an Italian pilot and when sufficiently trained, given command of their own aircraft with an Italian crew. Hostile Skies: A Combat History of the American Air Service in World War I by James J. Hudson gives an account of USAS pilots with the Italians.

[Zoe Brain]

I would indeed expect them to be in Italian colours, but maybe there was some kind of an emblem or something to indicate the squadron and maybe even the volunteers painted something on their machines?

LaGuardia's personal emblem



See this thread for markings etc: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...s-Caproni-Ca.3

[Watchdog]

Thanks Zoe. I might be able to paint this by freehand.

[Attila57]

Jan,

there are these books that can interest you about American pilots in Italy:

Attachment 33646

Jack B. Hilliard
CAPRONIs, FARMANs and SIAs, U.S. Army Aviation training and combat in Italy with Fiorello LaGuardia, 1917-1918
(English edition) 616 p., ill., 17x24 - LoGisma - ISBN 88-87621-608 - Euro 27,00
The diaries of the american cadets trained how to fly in Foggia with Fiorello LaGuardia during First World War. This book can be associated with Lewis’ photo album about the same story.

Attachment 33645


Edward Davis Lewis,
I FOGGIANI, Gli Aviatori Americani delle Squadriglie Caproni nella Prima Guerra Mondiale
(The Aviators Americani of the Caproni squadrons in World War I)
(Italian edition) 96 p., ill., 21x24 - LoGisma - ISBN 978-88-87621-969 - Euro 15,00
La significativa storia dei piloti americani che impararono a volare alla scuola di Foggia prima di affiancare gli italiani sul fronte austroungarico per le battaglie finali della Prima Guerra Mondiale. In parte riassunto dell’altro volume dello stesso autore e di quello di Jack Hilliard.
(The significant history of American pilots who learned to fly at the school of Foggia first to support the Italians against the Austro-Hungarian
final battles of World War One. In the summary of the other book by the same author and that of Jack Hilliard.)

The publisher (http://www.logisma.it/aeronautica.htm) sells directly also to foregin people (http://www.logisma.it/acquistare.htm)

[Attila57]

Looks at these nice italian web site links:

L'ascesa dei Trimotori Caproni
Impiego operativo
Ulteriori sviluppi tecnici
I Caproni sul fronte francese e le esportazioni
Profili e colori
La tecnica
Discussione ufficiale sul Forum di discussione

and these at National Museum of US Air Force:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/pho...D=529&page=539

[Attila57]

This evening I bougth a wonderful bilingual book (italian-english text) with a lot of photos and drawings b/w or color and info about all Caproni story and planes during WWI.

The book is:

Attachment 34266

Rosario Abate - Giorgio Apostolo Caproni nella Prima Guerra Mondiale/Caproni in the First World War - Vaccari (300 pages)

It's a little expensive: 45 euros but it is a a mine of information and technical details.

Attilio

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Looks like a book to have with the Capronis about to arrive over the front Attilio.
Rob.

[bsmith13]

American pilots that saw combat flying Capronis were assigned to Italian Squadrons. They were initially paired with an Italian pilot and when sufficiently trained, given command of their own aircraft with an Italian crew. Hostile Skies: A Combat History of the American Air Service in World War I by James J. Hudson gives an account of USAS pilots with the Italians.

Good info, and good plug for "Hostile Skies". Anyone interested in USAAS during WWI should pick it up.

[Attila57]

I agree Rob. If you are interestedI'll publish the tabel of contents and some reference of the main drawings of it.

Attilio

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Sounds like a great idea but a lot of work for you Attilio.
Rob.

[Attila57]

The table of contents

Preface
Foreword
Author's note
Colour's plate ( the plates are Original Drawing, An original painting showing bombing mission on West Front, Original Drawing, An original painting showing bombing mission on Italian Front, Emblems of Aircraft Unit at war, A night bombing raid with Caproni - original postcard painted by tenente Luigi Contini, The Ca.748 of Capitano Oreste Salomone, decorated with gold medal (from an original painting), Caproni bombers on the French Front (from a cover of Domenica del Corriere painted by Achille Beltrame, The Ca.36 23174 on display at Aeronautica Militare italiana Museum -Vigna di Valle- with the 11a squadriglia colours, the Ca.36M 25811at Dayton -Ohio- in 1990 after the restoration works and now exibithed in the USAF Air Force Museum, The Ca.11495 as restored by Vojenske Museum in Slovakia, Original painting by a French artist P. Lengelle 1982 showing Caproni tri-motor in the war)
Caproni 300 HP
- The concept of strategic bombing
- The first Caproni enter in action
- 1916: deep bombing raids
- The third year of war
Caproni 450 HP
- More power fro the bombers
- Techinical data of the Caproni 450 HP
- raids over Pola and Cattaro
- Target:Vienna
- Caproni built in France
- Derivations from the Ca.3 until 1926
Caproni 600 HP
- Programmes of international co-production
-1918 the victory
The other users
- Caproni of Regia Marina
- Caproni on the Western front line
- The American Northen Group
- American pilots at Foggia
- Tri-motors in the re-conquest of Lybia
The triplanes
- A giant of the era
The single engine
- From monoplane recoinnaissance aircraft to triplane fighter (with b/w technical drawings - profiles)
Flying on tri-motor
Bibliography
The authors

Photos, drawings and table in the chapter about versions

A review

http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com/feat...irst-world-war

The Official Publisher pdf reivew (in english)

http://www.vaccari.it/pdf/9301.file.2134_ING.pdf

I don't find it on Amazon. This is the page with selling info of the Publisher

http://www.vaccari.it/misc/index.php...654b54b233517c

and contacts

http://www.vaccari.it/misc/index.php?_u=_contatti