Global InformationList of World War II aces from Italy information
This is a list of aces in World War II from Italy. A flying ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. For other countries see List of World War II aces by country.
| Name | Wartime victories | Rank | Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adami, Ranieri | 7 | Maggiore | retired as a Colonnello | |
| Annoni, Emanuele ("Ele") | 9 | Capitano | retired as a Generale di Squadra Aerea | |
| Arcangeletti, Paolo | 5 | |||
| Aurili, Giuseppe | 5 | |||
| Baldi, Loris | 5 | Sergente Maggiore | died October 7, 2015 | |
| Bandini, Luigi | 5 | KIA April 29, 1944 | ||
| Barcaro, Giovanni | 9 | |||
| Baron, Luigi ("Gino") | 12 | Sergente Maggiore | ||
| Bartolacchini, Osvaldo | 6 | |||
| Bartolozzi, Osvaldo | 6 | |||
| Baschirotto, Gianlino ("Giri") | 11 | Maresciallo Pilota | Retired in 1970 as a Colonnello | |
| Bassi, Livio | 6 | Tenente | GMMV | KIA April 2, 1941 (DOW)[1] |
| Baylon, Giuseppe | 5[2] | Tenente Colonnello | ||
| Bellagambi, Mario | 13 | Capitano | Retired in 1967 as a Generale di Brigata Aerea | |
| Benati, Amedeo | 10 | |||
| Bernardi, Duilio | 5 | |||
| Biagini, Bruno | 7 | |||
| Biagini, Lucio | 5 | KIA April 25, 1944 | ||
| Bianchi, Manfredo | 5 | |||
| Bianchi, Pietro | 5 | KIA August 2, 1943 | ||
| Biron, Giuseppe ("Bepi") | 10 | Maggiore | Retired in 1971 as a Generale di Brigata Aerea | |
| Bladelli, Alessandro | 5 + 7 shared, 1 shared damaged | 2x SMMV, 2x BMMV | ||
| Bonet, Giovanni | 8 | Capitano | 4x SMMV, GIC2c | KIA April 29, 1944 |
| Bonannini, Pietro | 8 + 2 prob. | Aiutante di Battaglia | Turret gunner on Cant Z.506B and Fiat RS.14 floatplanes (top turret). Credited with 4x Spitfires, 3x Blenheims and 1x Hurricane[3] | |
| Bonfatti, Pietro | 6 + 7 shared, 2 + 3 shared probably, 4 shared damaged | 2x SMMV, 1BMMV | KIA November 22, 1941 | |
| Bonzano, Mario | 17[2] | Maggiore | SMMV | retired as a Colonello |
| Bordoni-Bisleri, Franco ("Robur") | 19 | Tenente | 3x SMMV (during WWII), GIC2 | KIFA[4] September 15, 1975 |
| Botto, Ernesto | 8 + 20 shared, 7 shared probably . 1 + 4 shared damaged. | GMMV | ||
| Buogo, Egidio | 5 | |||
| Buvoli, Aldo | 6 | |||
| Camaioni, Antonio | 8 | |||
| Canella, Carlo | 7, 27 + 5 shared on ground | SMMV | ||
| Canfora, Antonio | 7 | |||
| Caselli, Gilberto | 5 | |||
| Cavalli, Evasio | 5 | KIA July 21, 1943 | ||
| Celentano, Agostino | 6[2] | |||
| Cenni, Giuseppe | 9 | Maggiore | GMMV, 6x SMMV, GIC2 | KIA September 4, 1943 |
| Ceoletta, Giovanni | 10[2] | Sergente Maggiore | Retired in 1981 as a Generale di Brigata Aerea | |
| Chiarini, Guglielmo | 5 | Capitano | GMMV, 2x SMMV | KIA February 4, 1941 |
| Covre, Tullio | 5 | Sergente Maggiore | 2x SMMV, GIC, SMCV | |
| Cucchi, Carlo | 5 | |||
| Cuscuna, Francesco | 5, 1 shared probable, 2 shared damaged. | 2x SMMV | ||
| Daffara, Vittorino | 13 + 1 shared, 4 damaged. | |||
| Damiani, Rinaldo | 6 + 3 shared, 4 shared damaged, 1 damaged on the ground. | |||
| Dell'Innocenti, Giovanni | 12[2] | KIA July 3, 1943 | ||
| Bert, Cesare Di | 6 | Sergente Piloti | 3x SMMV | |
| Briona, Giorgio Di | 11 | Capitano | SMMV, GIC2 | |
| Doglio, Furio | 7 | Capitano | GMMV (3x during WWII), LBM (1936), SMA, SMMV, 2x BMMV, GIC2 | KIA July 27, 1942, on Gozo, by Canadian top aceGeorge Beurling |
| Drago, Ugo | 17 + 3 shared, 1 shared damaged on the ground. | Capitano | 4x SMMV, CMV | 11 victories with RSI[5]: 93 |
| Ettore, Domenico | 5 | |||
| Facchini Dotta, Domenico | 5 | |||
| Fanali, Duilio | 15[2] | Tenente Colonnello | 5x SMMV, 2x BMMV, CMW | Retired 1971 as a Generale di Squadra Aerea |
| Ferazzani, Giuseppe | 5 | |||
| Ferla, Germano La | 13[2] | GMV, SMMV | ||
| Ferrulli, Leonardo | 21 (+ 1 in Spain) | Sottotenente | GMV, SMMV | KIA July 5, 1943[5] |
| Fibbia, Guido | 6 (+ 3 in Spain) | Maresciallo Pilota | 2x SMMV, BMMV, WMC, GIC2 | |
| Filippi, Fausto | 8 | KIA January 23, 1945 | ||
| Filippi, Luigi | 7 + 1 shared. | SMMV, BMMV | KIA February 20, 1943 | |
| Fissore, Giuliano | 3 shared | |||
| Forlani, Dino | 7 | |||
| Fornaci, Fausto | 9 | Maresciallo Pilota | KIA February 6, 1945 | |
| Foschini, Ettore | 7 | |||
| François, Armando | 7 + 3 shared | SMMV, BMMV, SMA, BMA, WMC | ||
| Frigerio, Iacopo | 5 + 4 shared, 1 probably, 4 + 4 shared damaged | SMMV, BMMV, GIC2 | ||
| Gaucci, Roberto | 7 | |||
| Giannella, Luigi | 12 | Capitano | Retired in the 1960s as a Colonnello | |
| Giardina, Antonio | 5 | 2x SMMV, 1BMMV | ||
| Giudice, Eber | 5 | SMMV, BMMV | ||
| Gorrini, Luigi | 19 | Sergente Maggiore | GMMV (in 1958), BMMV, GIC1, GIC2 | (4 victories with RSI air force)[5]: 93 |
| Graffer, Giorgio | 5 | Capitano | GMMV, BMMV | KIA November 28, 1940 |
| Guarnaccia, Filippo | 7[2] | |||
| Guerci, Mario | 5 | |||
| Guidi, Amedeo | 6 + 3 shared, 1 + 2 shared probable, 2 + 2 shared damaged. | SMMV, 2x WMC | ||
| Guiducci, Spiridone | 5 | |||
| Incerto, Enrico | 8, 2 probably, 3 damaged (Spain) | GMV, SMMV | ||
| Iellici, Luigi | 5 | |||
| Laiolo, Domenico | 6 | Sergente Maggiore | ||
| Lauri, Furio | 11 (approx.)[6] | GMV, 2x SMMV, CMV | ||
| Leotta, Eugenio | 5 | |||
| Locatelli, Bruno | 5 | |||
| Longhi, Felice | 6 + 4 shared, 4 shared damaged. | 3x SMMV, CMV, GIC2 | ||
| Longhini, Antonio | 8 | Tenente | KIA November 16, 1944 | |
| Lucchini, Franco | 21 + 6 shared (+ 5 in Spain + 52 shared) | Capitano | GMMV(Posthumous), 5x SMMV, BMMV, GIC(2c) | KIA July 5, 1943, on Sicily[5]: 83–93 |
| Magnaghi, Carlo | 11 | Maresciallo Pilota | ||
| Magrini, Vasco | 11 | KIFA[4] July 1961 | ||
| Malagola, Willy | 11 | |||
| Malvezzi, Fernando | 10 | Capitano | ||
| Mandolini, Orlando | 7 + 1 shared, 1 + 1 shared damaged, 1 armoured car on the ground. | SMMV, WMC, GIC2 | ||
| Mantelli, Adriano | 10 + 6 shared (including in Spain) | 2x SMMV, WMC | ||
| Marconcini, Giuseppe | 6 | |||
| Mariotti, Luigi | 5 + 10 shared, 1 shared damaged on the ground. | Maggiore | 4x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | KIA on December 27, 1944, in Bell P-39Q by German Flak[7] |
| Martinoli, Teresio | 22 + 14 shared | Sergente Maggiore | GMV, SMMV, GIC2 | KIFA[4] in Bell P-39 (1 victory with Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force)[5]: 93 |
| Mastroagostino, Angelo | 11[2] | |||
| Maurer, Sergio | 5 | KIA May 6, 1943 | ||
| Mazzitelli, Orfeo | 8 + 14 shared | Tenente | ||
| Mecatti, Mario | 6 | |||
| Melis, Mario | 5 | |||
| Miani, Carlo | 7 | Capitano | Ritired in 1962 as a Tenente Colonnello. Died April 16, 1994. | |
| Minguzzi, Vittorio | 13 | |||
| Miotto, Elio | 5 + 8 shared, 2 shared probably. | 3x SMMV | KIFA[4] March 21, 1945, during a training flight in a Bell P-39 | |
| Montagnani, Gianfranco | 5 | |||
| Montegnacco, Brunetto Di | 15, 1 on the ground. | SMMV | KIA April 13, 1938. All victories during the Spanish War | |
| Monterumici, Amleto | 6 | |||
| Monti, Luigi | 8 + 19 shared, 3 shared probably, 3 + 1 shared damaged | SMMV, BMMV, WMC | ||
| Moretto, Enrico | 5 | |||
| Morosi, Luigi | 5 | |||
| Mottet, Giuseppe | 6 + at least 4 shared, 2 damaged. | BMMV | KIFA[4] March 30, 1950 | |
| Nioi, Clizio | 7 + 1 shared, 1 probably, 1 damaged | Capitano | 3x SMMV | |
| Nobili, Guido | 9 + 2 shared, 1 probably. | Colonello | 3x SMMV, WMC | Died July 10, 1943, during the 1st day of Operation Husky. |
| Noveli, Raffaello | 5 | |||
| Oblach, Giuseppe ("Garolla") | 7, 2 probably, 1 + 1 shared damaged | Tenente | GMV, 2x SMMV | KIA December 1, 1942 |
| Ocarso, Dante | 5 | KIA November 28, 1942 | ||
| Omiccioli, Enzo ("Cioli") | 5 + 2 shared | Maresciallo di terza classe | GMV | KIA February 3, 1941. Brother of Walter Omiccioli.[8] |
| Omiccioli, Walter ("Valterino"/"Ciulìn"/"Tigre 18"[9]) | 9 | Sergente Piloti | Brother of Enzo Omiccioli. Died January 30, 2009[9][10] | |
| Palazzeschi, Antonio | 5 | |||
| Pecchiari, Francesco | 5 | KIA July 6, 1942, by Canadian top aceGeorge Beurling | ||
| Perdoni, Luciano | 5 + 3 shared, 2 shared probable, 1 shared damaged. | SMMV, 2x BMMV, 3x WMC | ||
| Pergameni, Antonio | 7 + 5 shared, 1 probably, 1 + 7 shared damaged. | 4x SMMV | KIA June 26, 1942 | |
| Petrosellini, Costantino ("Pedro") | 5 | Sottotenente | 3x SMMV, 2x WMC | Left the Aeronautica Militare in 1956 as a Tenente Colonnello, and started flying for Alitalia. Died January 21, 2015 |
| Pinna, Mario | 5 + 6 shared, 1 probably, 1 damaged, 3 armoured cars shared | 2x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | ||
| Pluda, Mario | 5 | KIA November 8, 1941 | ||
| Pocek, Giorgio | 5 | |||
| Poggio Suasa, Carlo di | 11 | Maggiore | ||
| Presel, Guido | 12 + 10 shared, 2 probably, 2 on the ground (all in Spain). | GMV, 2x SMMV, 2x BMMV | KIA June 5, 1937 | |
| Querci, Alvaro | 6 + 5 shared, 1 + 1 shared probably, 3 shared damaged. | SMMV, BMMV | ||
| Reiner, Giulio | 10 + 57 shared, 7 + 23 shared probably, 2 + 9 shared damaged, 3 + 3 shared on the ground. | Capitano | SMMV;BMMV;GIC2 | Retired in 1949 as a Maggiore. Died September 6, 2002 |
| Remondino, Aldo | 5 | |||
| Ricci, Corrado | 5 + 7 shared, 1 + 1 shared probable, 4 on the ground | 2x SMMV, WMC | Died 1995 | |
| Robetto, Giuseppe | 10 + 20 shared + 4 probably + 2 on the ground | Capitano | GIC1, GIC2, 3x SMMV, BMMV | Died in Argentina in 1984 |
| Rodoz, Diego | 6 | |||
| Romagnoli, Carlo | 11 | GMV | KIA September 7, 1941 | |
| Roveda, Riccardo | 5 | Tenente Colonnello | ||
| Ruspoli, Carlo | 11 | Born in 1906, Ruspoli is recorded as probably the oldest Italian fighter pilot to become an ace in World War II, achieving his 11 victories first in North Africa and then on the Russian front. | ||
| Ruzzin, Giuseppe | 5 + 6 shared, 8 + 4 shared damaged | 2x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | Died February 6, 2009 | |
| Sajeva, Giovanni | 5 | |||
| Salvatore, Massimo | 10 + 6 shared, 3 probably) | SMMV, BMMV | ||
| Sanson, Attilio | 12 | |||
| Sant'Andrea, Vincenzo | 7 | |||
| Savini, Angelo | 7 + 7 shared, 1 + 1 shared probable | SMMV, 2x BMMV | ||
| Scarpetta, Per | 6 | Maggiore | 3x SMMV, 2x BMMV, WMC | KIA August 14, 1942 |
| Schiappacasse, Lombardo | 7 | |||
| Seganti, Carlo | 5 | Tenente | GMMV (Posthumous) | KIA July 12, 1942, North of Malta, by Canadian aceGeorge Beurling, while searching for a Missing In Action fellow pilot. |
| Seidl, Ricardo | 6 | GMV | KIA September 27, 1941 | |
| Serafini, Ferruccio | 9 | Sergente Piloti | ||
| Serini, Pietro | 11[2] | Maggiore | ||
| Simionato, Olindo | 5 | |||
| Soffritti, Aroldo | 8, 5 probably, 1 damaged, 11 shared on the ground, 5 shared damaged on the ground | Maresciallo Pilota | 2x SMMV | Died February 18, 1977 |
| Solaro, Claudio | 12 + 14 shared, 1 + 1 shared probable, 8 shared damaged, 20 on the ground | Capitano | 2x SMMV, 3x BMMV, 3x WMC, GIC2 | Retired as a Generale di Squadra Aerea |
| Solaroli, Giorgio | 11 | |||
| Spigaglia, Alberto | 6 + 4 shared | 2x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | ||
| Squarcia, Vittorio | 5 | |||
| Stabile, Natalino | 10 + 2 shared | |||
| Sterzi, Annibale | 5 | |||
| Talamini, Renato | 5 + 4 shared, 3 + 5 shared damaged. | Tenente | SMMV, BMMV | KIA April 10, 1944[11] |
| Tarantola, Ennio ("Banana") | 11 + 4 shared, 1 probably, 1 on the sea + 1 in Spain with Aviazione Legionaria | Maresciallo Pilota | 2x SMMV(during WWII, + 2 in Spain), 2x BMMV | Died July 30, 2001 |
| Tessari, Arrigo | 5 | 3x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | ||
| Torchio, Luigi | 5 | SMMV, WMC | KIA January 30, 1944 | |
| Torresi, Giulio | 10 + 10 shared, 5 + 2 shared probable, 11 shared damaged | Capitano | 4x SMMV, GIC2 | KIA July 1, 1944 |
| Tugnoli, Giorgio | 6 + 4 shared, 1 probable | 3x SMMV, BMMV, WMC | ||
| Valenzano, Raffaele | 8 | |||
| Valtancoli, Tito | 8 | |||
| Vanzan, Virgilio | 7 | |||
| Veronese, Alberto | 6 | 2x SMMV | KIA November 4, 1944 | |
| Veronesi, Mario | 11 + 6 shared, 2 + 2 shared probably, 1 damaged. | SMMV, BMMV, GIC2 | ||
| Visconti di Lampugnano, Adriano | 10 | Maggiore | 7 victories with RSI Shot in the back by Russian guard after surrender April 29, 1945[5]: 93 | |
| Visintini, Mario | 16 (+ 2 in Spain), 5 probable, 32 on the ground (solo + shared) | Capitano | GMMV, SMMV, BMMV | Highest scoring biplane pilot of the war and most successful pilot of the East African campaign KIFA[4] February 11, 1941[5]: 93 |
| Zemella, Celso | 5 + 1 shared | 3x SMMV, BMMV, GIC2 | ||
| Zotti, Andrea | 9 + 3 shared, 1 damaged | KIA March 16, 1940 | ||
| Zotti, Nicola | 5 | |||
| Zuccarini, Gian | 5[2] |
- ^ died of wounds received in action
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Controversy regarding exact number of victories. Some victories are probably confirmed, but the exact number is unknown. Sources might have included some pilots among the aces based on a misinterpretation of official documents.
- ^ Warhistoryonline.com The forgotten aces; air gunner aces of WWII, visited March 20, 2018
- ^ a b c d e f killed in flight accident
- ^ a b c d e f g Shores, Christopher, "Air Aces", Greenwich, CT, Bison Books, 1983. ISBN 0-86124-104-5.
- ^ Shores 1983, p. 93.
- ^ derived during World War II from the German Flugabwehrkanone, for "aircraft defence cannon"
- ^ (in Italian) Il Portale delle Memorie - Enzo Omiccioli, Visited March 21, 2018
- ^ a b (in Italian) La Tribuna di Treviso Aeronautica in lutto é morto Omiccioli, un mito del 51 Stromo (Omiccioli died, Air Force mourns a myth of the 51st Wing) (1 February 2009), Visited March 21, 2018
- ^ (in Italian) Il Portale delle Memorie - Walter Omiccioli, Visited March 21, 2018
- ^ Biplane fighter aces – Italy - Tenente Renato Talamini, visited March 20, 2018