Looking for documents

gianni · Post by **gianni** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:00 am

I read the topic about macchi C202 flown by 79a Sq. on Martuba. I am very intrested in, as a relative of mine was a fighter of that "squadriglia". He was the Captain Giuseppe Pesola, on Internet there is the description of his fight over Malta versus "Timber" Wood...He got 3 silver medals, 2 bronze ones and a third class iron cross from germans.
I know that during a british attack on the airfield, early in 1941, I succeed to take off with a Macchi C 202, the 79-5, and to shot down a P 40 before to be obliged to land because of a oil leakage of the engine of the aircraft. I'm collecting as much news and documents as I can about this uncle, so I hope that someone can help me with a photo or news about that airplane, the 79-5 (What "serie" of production it was, what MM...).
I'm a modeller and it would be great for me to reply that airplane...
If no news are avaiable, do anyone knows if I can use painting scheme and the information about the other airplanes in the squadron, or there were great differences among them?
I apologize for my poor english, and I thanks in advance anyone who wants to help me.

Gianfranco Pesola

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:38 am

Sorry but up to now I was not able to find any image of 79-5; let me have some more time
Riccardo Trotta

gianni · Post by **gianni** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:41 am

Grazie Riccardo. Se hai qualsiasi documento, anche testimonianze non fotografiche, mi farai un grande favore.

Thanks to everybody for attention.

Post by **Editor** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:05 am

If a photo of C202 79-5 can't be found, I don't think its unreasonable to use photos of C202s 79a Sq 1941 as references for building 79-5. I'll try to look around for photos also.

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:51 am

Giovanni Massimello wrote an article in Italian historical magazine Storia Militare (no. 90, Mar 01) about the first 1° Stormo NA duty tour on MC202. A list shows that 79^ Sq had 14 '202s, 6 Macchi-built and 8 Breda. Ten. Pesola had MM7880 at the departure on early December 1941 (I signed with the pencil the individual no. "10" and a question mark beside it, but sadly I can't recall the source). Those aircraft had been delivered with an overall Verde Oliva Scuro 2 camo, but received an overspray of camo yellow when passing at Ciampino. This pattern differed greatly by each aircraft (see for instance Lucchini's 84-1). The 79^ Squadriglia damaged four Macchi during the transfer. These aircraft, and those lost in combat in the following months, were later replaced with new arrivals from Italy, i.e. Macchi III Serie with a C2B/D2B camo scheme and Breda I Serie D2A camo scheme, and, moreover, received some Folgores from 4° Stormo painted with C8 scheme.
It's hard to establish, lacking more info, how was actually 79-5.
I should also point that, when Ten. Pesola shot down a P-40 in early 1942 (not 1941!), easily he hurriedly scrambled with the first fighter available. So, if not stated elsewhere, we're not sure that 79-5 was his personal mount.

Stefano

gianni · Post by **gianni** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:54 am

Thank you for informations, Stefano. I also think the 79-5 was the first airplane at hand, not the personal one (if he ever had) of my uncle. So, I was thinking, as I discovered for 79-6, 79-8 and other aircrafts of that Sq., there could be more information about that airplane, too.
From your data, I understand the aircraft my uncle used for sure (79-10, is it?) should have been a Breda I serie: I think this aircraft should not have sand filter, and it should hane the short radio antenna (not the more diffused wire type, with high "pole"...). Anyway, I am happy for the little piece of personal story of my relative that came out!

Gianfranco Pesola
N.B. I read some times ago a nice article about a C 202 model made from Stefano Zaghetto from Padova ....are you? If so, I couldn't find a better information source!

Vincent Biondi · Post by **Vincent Biondi** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:20 am

Hi Gianni,
Try this email link below.
I have had good sucess when I emailed them on various occasions regarding historical facts and figures.
Vincent.

ufficiostorico@aeronautica.difesa.it

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:50 pm

I could find a photo of the C202 coded 79-7, taken in Lybia in January 1942; the photo is visible on the first page of the Profile publications n°28; the airplane has the MM 7770, so it belongs to the 3rd series build by Aermacchi in the period June 1941 - April 1942 and including the MM 7719-7858; the camouflage is of the same type of 79-6.
About the overspraied camouflage, I agree with Stefano, because in the last page of the same booklet there is the photo of the MM 7731 (same series) and it is camouflaged in overall Verde oliva scuro; the MM7770 has the sand filter while the MM 7731 has not, so it is credible an activity for the adaptation to the desert.
Riccardo

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:32 pm

Gianni wrote:

From your data, I understand the aircraft my uncle used for sure (79-10, is it?) should have been a Breda I serie: I think this aircraft should not have sand filter, and it should have the short radio antenna (not the more diffused wire type, with high "pole"...).

You're right, in "Wings of Italy" (Nei Cieli di Guerra, Apostolo Editore) there is an image of Breda-built MM 7879 "81-4" (S.Ten. Guido Beggiato, 3 kills in WWII + 3 previously in Spain), which short antenna mast and, after modifications, desert camo and sand-filter.

I read some times ago a nice article about a C 202 model made from Stefano Zaghetto from Padova ....are you? If so, I couldn't find a better information source!

No, my surname is Lazzaro, but I know Zaghetto, who lives nearby me. I met him in a contest of his club. He is a kind guy and let me to examinate some interesting original chip he had from Vito Tosco, an artist who took RA paint samples during the war (see Zaghetto's article on Vitocharts in this site).

About the individual no., I'll try to recover the source.

Stefano

gianni · Post by **gianni** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:21 am

Thanks to everybody for the great interest and help.
For Vincent Tassone: I'll try the e-mail address you gave, but I know it's very difficult to obtain something from archivio storico. I have two uncles (capt. Pesola was my Dad's uncle) who were in the Army, they tried several times to discover more news but, after a long time and a personal visit to that office in Rome, one of them could obtain the official Service Record, with all the recorded events during the capt. life in the italian Air force, his military "matricola" and few more. Anyway, I'll try again.

For Stefano: a great thank you for a splendid image of a Breda-built C 202 I serie, I belive it can be a good base for a reply, as correct as possible, of one of the aircraft used from my relative.
Greetings to everybody.

Vincent Biondi · Post by **Vincent Biondi** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:48 am

Hello Gianni,
I think you meant me Vincent Biondi, not Tassone.
Anyway, as I mentioned before, I have had good corespondence with Ufficio Storico.
If you live in the Rome area, maybe you can visit in person.
Take care,
Vincent.

gianni · Post by **gianni** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:04 pm

I apoligize for mistake! I was writing in a hurry, so I confused the second name with that of a modeller the article of which I was reading.
I had a private message from a boy very intrested in my relative's story, and he gave me a long report of that day of fighting (15/03/1942), from original documents coming from Ufficio Storico and british sources, too.
I'll try to write to that e-mail address, thank you for the tip!

Gianfranco Pesola

Looking for documents

Looking for documents

C202 79-5

C202- 79° Sq

For Vincent