Question: Capt. Faggioni's SM.79bis in the ANR

flyingbabydoc · Post by **flyingbabydoc** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:07 am

Hello friends

I am starting the preliminary works on my Italeri Sm79bis from the ANR. I am planning on building the second Faggioni Airplane (after 281-4 in the RA) and I know it was a part of the Gruppo Buscaglia (18-??). Does anyone know exactly which number did his aircraft have? I have tried the ADI 28 and some websites but no conclusive info. I would appreciate your help.

Thanks a lot

Alex

Capitano · Post by **Capitano** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:59 pm

Sorry Doc, but I don't have anything for you. The only reference I have on SM.79s is the junky Squadron in Action series. There is one bis in the color plate section, plane #204-10, but no mention of the chap you desire. There is a short write up near the end about the demise of Faggioni, but nothing on the 411 you seek. Sorry.

flyingbabydoc · Post by **flyingbabydoc** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:32 am

Hi Capitano!

I appreciate your looking into that question. I have also run into "nothingness" until now, not even one indication. I will probably use a 18-01 or 18-04 identification.

Thanks again for trying.

Alex

Post by **Editor** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:13 am

Also try checking with Stefano, he has an enormous amount of information collected on SM.79 Torpedo Aces.

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:38 pm

Alex,

Cap. Carlo Faggioni flew just two active missions with ANR, on 10 March and on 10 April 1944 (when he was shot down and killed), both on Anzio-Nettuno area. He flew two S.79bis, respectively MM 24174 (landcrashed on 22 March) and MM 24158. Both aircraft carried the code B1-01. "B" stood for Gruppo Buscaglia, and "1" for 1st Squadriglia; "01" was the individual no., usually assigned to CO.
No photos are known for those aircraft. However, according to the excellent Camouflage & Markings of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana by D'Amico-Valentini, fuselage letterings were 300 x 150 mm blue carachters, with a 100 x 40 mm hyphen; fuselage and rudder flags had been softly oversprayed by Verde Oliva Scuro 2. Undersides were black. The appearance of those aircraft should have been like B1-09 (MM 22285) you can see at p. 85 of ADI no. 28.

Stefano

flyingbabydoc · Post by **flyingbabydoc** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:14 am

Hi Stefano!

Thank you so much for this invaluable info. I have seen that picture on ADI 28 and I did wonder if that was not his machine, since I knew the insignias were oversprayed. I will work on the info you have given me and I will see if I can find more on the MM 24158. In any case, I have enough info to continue now.

Thanks once again!

Alex

Vince: that was a good suggestion. Thank you also very much!