CR. 42 Falco with Italian pilots in tropical uniform
The Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica), as an independent type of armed forces, was created back in 1923. In the period between the two world wars, they were considered the most progressive in Europe. However, insufficient attention to modern types of aircraft, as well as the industrial and technical weakness of Italy led to the loss of a leading position in comparison with the Air Force of other countries. During the war, Regia Aeronautica pilots fought the enemy in various theaters of operations. In the Mediterranean, their opponents were French and English pilots. One of the brightest pages of the confrontation in the Mediterranean was the Battle of Malta. In North Africa, Italian pilots fought against the British Air Force. Also, parts of the Italian combat aircraft were sent to the Eastern Front to fight the Soviet Union. Such dispersion of forces and means, as well as insufficient compensation for losses, forced the Italian command to switch from active offensive actions to defense.
