Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete - Part II

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davenport49
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Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete - Part II

Post by davenport49 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:42 am

This is a 1/48th Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete (“Ram”) by Italeri (No. 2670). I added a resin cockpit from Vector (VDS48-085), resin wheel wells, landing gear and covers by Vector (VDS48-084), and resin fuselage spine by Quickboost (QB 48 321). The model is finished with Model Master enamels and represents Regia Aeronautica. 239Ma. Squadrigilia, 102º Gruppo Reggio Emilia, Italy, February 1943.
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Re: Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete - Part II

Post by Editor » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:50 pm

Nice work Richard send ion a short article for the Gallery.

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Re: Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete - Part II

Post by davenport49 » Fri Dec 25, 2020 9:19 am

Vince,
I've been doing research for the write-up and discovered 102º Gruppo transitioned from Stukas to Ariete while still operating over Malta. Would there be any way to determine whether this aircraft might have been involved in that operation? I would love to move it over to my "Malta" collection.

Merry Christmas,
Richard

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Re: Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete - Part II

Post by Editor » Fri Dec 25, 2020 11:47 am

Merry Christmas Richard.

After action with the Ju.87B over Malta, 102o Gr (239a Sq and 209a Sq) returned to Italy to re-equip with Ju.87D3s, two Ju.87s were detached to Alghero for anti-shipping sorties between 8 and November 20 1942. On December 27 1942 239a Sq was detached to Reggio Emilia (in Northern Italy halfway between Parma and Modena) for training on the G.50bis and then the Re.2002. 209a Sq received its Re.2002s in March 1943. By the end of that month 102o Gr had 18 Re.2002s. On June 19 1943 102o Gr was at Tarquinia (north of Rome) with 22 Re.2002s. 102o Gr then moved to Sicily in July 1943 for operations against the Husky landings (supporting German paratroopers at Catania) and then in support of the withdrawal through the Messina straits. The unit was also used to intercept enemy bombers (the Re.2002 was a fighter-bomber).

As an interesting side note, 239a Sq was the unit of magg. G. Cenni CO, a highly decorated pilot in the RA credited with having first introduced the skip bombing technique well before its use in the Pacific. There's a well known photo of 2-239, I don't know if it was Cenni's plane (that's something Vince Biondi would probably know, I believe he has Cenni's biography with first hand accounts and documents). There's a Re.2002 that was recently restored at Vigna di Valle AF museum as "Cenni's plane" 5-239 and finished in Italian Co-Belligerent AF markings but it should be pointed out that Cenni never flew with the Italian Co-Belligerent AF (only the RA) and therefore those markings (roundels) are not correct (strictly speaking) - see the link below:

Re.2002 at Vigna di Valle AF Museum

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