List of World War II aces from Italy

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]

See also

• Regia Aeronautica, the air force of the Kingdom of Italy
• Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud), the air force of the Royalist Badoglio-government in southern Italy during the last years of World War II
• Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of the Italian Social Republic
• Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, the army of the Italian Social Republic
• Marina Nazionale Repubblicana, the navy of the Italian Social Republic
• Aviazione Legionaria, an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica Italiana), set up in 1936 and sent to provide support to the rebel faction in the Spanish Civil War.
• in Italian , List of World War II aces from Italy in Italian language.

Notes

Abbreviations

• "KIA" – Killed in action (dates are included where possible).
• "KIFA" – Killed in Flying Accident.
• "MIA" – Missing in action.
• "WIA" – Wounded in action.
• "DOW" – died of wounds received in action (WIA).
• "POW" – taken Prisoner of war.

Awards

Award	Title
BMA	Medaglia di bronzo commemorativa d'impresse aeronautiche (Bronze Medal of Aviation)
BMMV	Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (Bronze Medal of Military Valor)
CMV	Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare (War Cross for Military Valor)
GIC1	Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (German Iron Cross 1st Class)
GIC2	Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (German Iron Cross 2nd Class)
GMMV	Medaglia d'oro al Valore Militare (Gold Medal of Military Valour)
LBM	Médaille Louis Blériot (FAI's Louis Blériot medal)
SMA	Medaglia d'argento commemorativa d'impresse aeronautiche (Silver Medal of Aviation)
SMCV	Medaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare (Silver Medal of Civil Valor)
SMMV	Medaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare (Silver Medal of Military Valor)
WMC	Croce al Merito di Guerra (War Merit Cross (Italy))

References

Citations

1. died of wounds received in action
2. 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.
3. Warhistoryonline.com The forgotten aces; air gunner aces of WWII, visited March 20, 2018
4. killed in flight accident
5. Shores, Christopher, "Air Aces", Greenwich, CT, Bison Books, 1983. ISBN 0-86124-104-5.
6. Shores 1983, p. 93.
7. derived during World War II from the German Flugabwehrkanone, for "aircraft defence cannon"
8. (in Italian) Il Portale delle Memorie - Enzo Omiccioli, Visited March 21, 2018
9. (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
10. (in Italian) Il Portale delle Memorie - Walter Omiccioli, Visited March 21, 2018
11. Biplane fighter aces – Italy - Tenente Renato Talamini, visited March 20, 2018

Bibliography

• Beurling, George and Leslie Roberts. Malta Spitfire: The Story of a Fighter Pilot. New York/Toronto: Ferrar & Rinehart, Inc. 1943. NO ISBN.
• Gustavsson, Håkan and Ludovico Slongo. Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2. Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford /New York, Osprey Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84603-427-5.
• Gustavsson Håkan.URL "Italy Capitano Mario Visintini Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare." Biplane fighter aces on Håkan's aviation page. Retrieved: November 12, 2009.
• Massimello, Giovanni and Giorgio Apostolo. Italian Aces of World War Two. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978-1-84176-078-0.
• Saintes, Philippe; Garello, Giancarlo (May–June 2007). "Les as de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale: Giuseppe "Bepi" Biron, le doyen de la Regia Aeronautica". Avions (in French). No. 157. pp. 15–23. ISSN 1253-5354.
• Shores, Christopher, Air Aces, Greenwich, CT, Bison Books, 1983. ISBN 0-86124-104-5.
• Skulski, Przemysław: Fiat CR.42 Falco. Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. ISBN 83-89450-34-8.
• Massimello, Giovanni (1998). Furio Niclot Doglio: Un pilota indimenticabile (in Italian and English). Milan: Giorgio Apostolo.
• Spick, Mike: The complete fighter ace - All the World's Fighter Aces, 1914–2000. London, Greenhill Books, 1999. ISBN 1-85367-255-6.
• Sutherland, Jon & Diane Canwell: Air War East Africa 1940-41 The RAF versus the Italian Air Force. Barnsley (South Yorkshire) Pen and Sword Aviation, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84415-816-4.
• (in Italian) Il Portale delle Memorie del combattenti Decorati al Valor Militare della Provincia di Pesaro Urbino [1] (Memorial site for the soldiers of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino decorated for Military Valor)