How were joint German-Italian Air Operations Coordinated?

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Indianapolis
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How were joint German-Italian Air Operations Coordinated?

Post by Indianapolis » Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:27 pm

I posted this in another forum several weeks ago but no one seemed to have an answer. From time to time the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica flew sorties in coordination with one another. How were these coordinated? I am wondering how they worked around the language barrier? Did bilingual pilots coordinate things in the air or were missions coordinated from a joint Italian/German unit on the ground? I am wondering if anyone has any ideas.

Thanks in advance

Indianapolis

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Vincent Biondi
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Post by Vincent Biondi » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:12 pm

Try this book that just came out, entitled,
Germany and the Axis Powers: From Coalition to Collapse
by Richard L. DiNardo
ISBN 07006141-5

It might have what you are looking for.
Here is the link to read the review on it.
http://stonebooks.com/archives/060219.shtml
Vincent.

Indianapolis
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Post by Indianapolis » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:45 pm

Vincent,

I think you are right, it looks like exactly what I was looking for! Thanks very much for the info!

Indianapolis

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Alex T.
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Post by Alex T. » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:03 am

AFAIK there wasn't much coordination, at least in the MTO.

I had the luck to meet Giosue' Carillo some years ago, and he told me how, although both based in Sciacca, the JG26 and 365^ Sq. didn't collaborate much: he told me some funny anecdoctes on the "airfield sharing" life, but once airborne they would be coordinated by their respective controllers, and even when they met in the air they limited to waggle their wings and leave. I assume the main obstacle was the language, even if several Italian pilots (Carillo himself talks German and actually looked a bit like Marseille!) did actually speak German.

The same lack of collaboration and scarce interaction is testified by Johannes Steinhoff in his book "Messerschmitts over Sicily: Diary of a Luftwaffe Fighter Commander", where he also mentions his meetings with Adriano Visconti in his last Regia Aeronautica days, described as a fine and brilliant pilot (not surprisingly!) and a not specified "italian officer" that was more of a grotesque character than anything else..

A.

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