Franco Lucchini
Encyclopedia
Franco Lucchini, MOVM
, (24 December 1917 – 5 July 1943) was an Italian World War II fighter pilot in the Aviazione Legionaria
and in the Regia Aeronautica
. During World War II he achieved 21 (22, according to other sources) individual air victories, plus 52 shared, to add to the five kills in Spain, during the Civil War.
He was born in Rome
, son of a railway officer. When he was sixteen, he got a glider
pilot license. In 1935, he enrolled in Regia Aeronautica
as a Reserve Officer, with the rank of Sottotenente Pilota di Complemento. In July 1936 he gained the military flight license at Foggia
flying school.
He was then commissioned (in Servizio Permanente Effettivo) on 13 August 1936 and was in the same month assigned to the 91a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, 4° Stormo C.T. in Gorizia
.
, he claimed five air victories over Russian-built aircraft. He shot down his first enemy aircraft on 12 October 1937. That day, the 23° Gruppo, while transferring to Sanjurio (Zaragoza
), attacked four Polikarpov R-Z
“Natachas” escorted by nine I-16s “Ratas” and 15 I-15 “Curtiss”. At the end of the dogfight, that lasted about fifteen minutes, the Italians claimed seven (eleven according to other sources) fighters destroyed for no losses, although several Fiat CR.32s were hit and damaged. Lucchini was credited with one kill. On 7 January 1938, he claimed a shared Polikarpov R-Z.
On 21 February, he clashed - along with 23 others Fiat CR.32 - with about 40 Republican I-15 “Chatos” and I-16 “Moscas” fighters, already in combat with 17 Messerschmitt Bf109s. Germans and Italians claimed 10 enemy aircraft - and Lucchini was credited with one kill - but the Republican losses, in fact, were two destroyed and two damaged.
In Spain he was twice shot down. The second time, on 22 July 1938, he fell to escorting I-16s after shooting down a Tupolev SB
-2 bomber, and bailing out to become a prisoner.
, in Buk Buk area. A week later, on 21 June, he shot down a Short Sunderland
flying boat, in Bardia
area. On 27 June 1941 he claimed a Hawker Hurricane
, and shared in many more victories. Still in Bardia area, on 24 July he shot down individually another Gloster Gladiator and damaged three Blenheim
bombers.
In mid 1941 he operated over Malta
, from Sicily
, now flying C.200
monoplanes. But on 27 September he was wounded and was out of action for some time.
On 30 November 1941, Capitano Lucchini took command of the 84a Squadriglia of 4° Stormo. By the end of 1941, 10° Gruppo was re-equipped with the new, more effective, C.202. On 2 April 1942 Capitano Lucchini was leading the unit in its flight back to Castelvetrano
, Sicily, from Rome/Ciampino airfield, with 26 new C.202.
In the combats over Malta, he added two more victories to his total. He claimed his first kill on 9 May 1942, a Spitfire, while escorting five CANT Z.1007
bis from the 210a Squadriglia BT. The second - another Spitfire - was claimed on 15 May, while escorting three Savoia-Marchetti SM.84
bis of 4° Gruppo BT. But - according to some sources - the RAF did not suffer any losses in those air combats. On 26 May 1942 4° Stormo moved back to Libya for a second tour of desert operations in North Africa.
Here he was involved in many air combats throughout the second half of 1942, claiming at least 14 air victories and sharing many others. He claimed his first kill on 4 June, a P-40 over Bir Hakeim. He shot down another P-40 on 17 June, over Sidi Rezegh. On 10 July, Capitano Lucchini led eleven C.202s from 84a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, in a free hunt mission in El Alamein
area, attacked a formation of 15 P-40s. The Curtiss P-40s formed a defensive Lufbery circle. The combat ended after 30 minutes when the Macchis had no more ammunition and
Lucchini claimed a P-40. Three more were claimed buy other Italian pilots.
On 16 July 1942, Lucchini and other pilots from 84a, 90a and 91a Squadriglia clashed with 25 P-40 and six Spitfires over Deir el Qattara. He shared in the destruction of a Curtiss fighter but his aircraft was hit by five bullets, one of them piercing a fuel tank in left wing root but he was able to land at El Quteifiya, although stunned by fuel vapour. But he was shot down on 24 October, after claiming a Curtiss P-40
and a Douglas Boston. He was hospitalized and then evacuated home with his score at 25 kills. He rejoined the 10° Gruppo once more in June 1943, just in time to take part in Home Defence. His unit was then based in Sicily.
, escorted by 20 Spitfire
from 72 and 243 Squadrons. Lucchini was leading 10° Gruppo that consisted of the 84a Squadriglia, the 90a Squadriglia and 91a Squadriglia. The Italian made a frontal attack to the bombers over Gerbini, ignoring the escorting Spitfires.
In the sky of Catania, Lucchini was last seen to damage – with other pilots – three bombers and then to shoot down a Spitfire. But was later himself shot down by heavy defensive fire and dived into the ground east of Catania.
At the time of his death Lucchini was credited with 22 air victories, making him one of the highest-ranking Italian ace. These kills were claimed in 70 aerial combats, during 294 missions (alternatively 262 missions). He was also credited with 52 shared claims.
). He had also been awarded with five Medaglie d'argento al valore militare
, one Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
, four Croce di guerra al valor militare
, the Croce al Merito di Guerra, the Medaglia commemorativa della campagna di Spagna, the Medaglia di benemerenza per i volontari della guerra Spagna and a German Iron Cross
2nd Class, during the war.
He was mentioned in the Bollettino di Guerra (War Bulletin) on 5 September 1942 and 6 July 1943.
It has to be remembered that Regia Aeronautica
was not willing to award individual claims from 1940 well into 1942, favouring "collective" victories. All this makes it very difficult to state Lucchini's final number of kills.
Gold Medal of Military Valor
The Gold Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia "....per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra" .The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king, and on its reverse was a flag...
, (24 December 1917 – 5 July 1943) was an Italian World War II fighter pilot in the Aviazione Legionaria
Aviazione Legionaria
The Legionary Air Force was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force. It was set up in 1936 and sent to provide logistical and tactical support to Francisco Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, alongside its German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground...
and in the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
. During World War II he achieved 21 (22, according to other sources) individual air victories, plus 52 shared, to add to the five kills in Spain, during the Civil War.
He was born in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, son of a railway officer. When he was sixteen, he got a glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
pilot license. In 1935, he enrolled in Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
as a Reserve Officer, with the rank of Sottotenente Pilota di Complemento. In July 1936 he gained the military flight license at Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
flying school.
He was then commissioned (in Servizio Permanente Effettivo) on 13 August 1936 and was in the same month assigned to the 91a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, 4° Stormo C.T. in Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
.
Spain
He first saw action in in Civil Spain War in 1937, with the 23° Gruppo CT. During the conflict, flying Fiat CR.32Fiat CR.32
The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. This nimble little Fiat was compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable and gave impressive displays all over Europe in the hands of the Pattuglie Acrobatiche. The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in...
, he claimed five air victories over Russian-built aircraft. He shot down his first enemy aircraft on 12 October 1937. That day, the 23° Gruppo, while transferring to Sanjurio (Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
), attacked four Polikarpov R-Z
Polikarpov R-Z
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
“Natachas” escorted by nine I-16s “Ratas” and 15 I-15 “Curtiss”. At the end of the dogfight, that lasted about fifteen minutes, the Italians claimed seven (eleven according to other sources) fighters destroyed for no losses, although several Fiat CR.32s were hit and damaged. Lucchini was credited with one kill. On 7 January 1938, he claimed a shared Polikarpov R-Z.
On 21 February, he clashed - along with 23 others Fiat CR.32 - with about 40 Republican I-15 “Chatos” and I-16 “Moscas” fighters, already in combat with 17 Messerschmitt Bf109s. Germans and Italians claimed 10 enemy aircraft - and Lucchini was credited with one kill - but the Republican losses, in fact, were two destroyed and two damaged.
In Spain he was twice shot down. The second time, on 22 July 1938, he fell to escorting I-16s after shooting down a Tupolev SB
Tupolev SB
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934....
-2 bomber, and bailing out to become a prisoner.
World War II
In 1940 he was posted in with 10° Gruppo of the 4° Stormo CT, flying Fiat C.R.42 biplanes, in North Africa. Here, on 14 June 1940, he shared in the destruction of a Gloster GladiatorGloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
, in Buk Buk area. A week later, on 21 June, he shot down a Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
flying boat, in Bardia
Bardia
Bardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
area. On 27 June 1941 he claimed a Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
, and shared in many more victories. Still in Bardia area, on 24 July he shot down individually another Gloster Gladiator and damaged three Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bombers.
In mid 1941 he operated over Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, now flying C.200
Macchi C.200
The Macchi C.200 Saetta was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica . The MC.200 had excellent manoeuvrability and general flying characteristics left little to be desired...
monoplanes. But on 27 September he was wounded and was out of action for some time.
On 30 November 1941, Capitano Lucchini took command of the 84a Squadriglia of 4° Stormo. By the end of 1941, 10° Gruppo was re-equipped with the new, more effective, C.202. On 2 April 1942 Capitano Lucchini was leading the unit in its flight back to Castelvetrano
Castelvetrano
Castelvetrano is a town and comune in the province of Trapani, Sicily, Italy. The archeological site of Selinunte is located within the territory of the comune. It was the birthplace of Giovanni Gentile, the key philosopher of the Fascist movement in Italy.The town is predominantly a farming town,...
, Sicily, from Rome/Ciampino airfield, with 26 new C.202.
In the combats over Malta, he added two more victories to his total. He claimed his first kill on 9 May 1942, a Spitfire, while escorting five CANT Z.1007
CANT Z.1007
The Cant Z.1007 Alcione was a three-engined medium bomber, with wooden structure. Designed by ingegner Filippo Zappata, the "father" of the CANT...
bis from the 210a Squadriglia BT. The second - another Spitfire - was claimed on 15 May, while escorting three Savoia-Marchetti SM.84
Savoia-Marchetti SM.84
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.84 was an Italian bomber aircraft of World War II. It was designed by Savoia-Marchetti as a replacement for its successful SM.79, and shared its three-engine layout...
bis of 4° Gruppo BT. But - according to some sources - the RAF did not suffer any losses in those air combats. On 26 May 1942 4° Stormo moved back to Libya for a second tour of desert operations in North Africa.
Here he was involved in many air combats throughout the second half of 1942, claiming at least 14 air victories and sharing many others. He claimed his first kill on 4 June, a P-40 over Bir Hakeim. He shot down another P-40 on 17 June, over Sidi Rezegh. On 10 July, Capitano Lucchini led eleven C.202s from 84a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, in a free hunt mission in El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
area, attacked a formation of 15 P-40s. The Curtiss P-40s formed a defensive Lufbery circle. The combat ended after 30 minutes when the Macchis had no more ammunition and
Lucchini claimed a P-40. Three more were claimed buy other Italian pilots.
On 16 July 1942, Lucchini and other pilots from 84a, 90a and 91a Squadriglia clashed with 25 P-40 and six Spitfires over Deir el Qattara. He shared in the destruction of a Curtiss fighter but his aircraft was hit by five bullets, one of them piercing a fuel tank in left wing root but he was able to land at El Quteifiya, although stunned by fuel vapour. But he was shot down on 24 October, after claiming a Curtiss P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
and a Douglas Boston. He was hospitalized and then evacuated home with his score at 25 kills. He rejoined the 10° Gruppo once more in June 1943, just in time to take part in Home Defence. His unit was then based in Sicily.
Last Mission
On 5 July 1943, he took off on his Macchi C.202 with 26 other pilots of 4° Stormo to intercept 52 USAAF Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress", probably from 99th Bomber Group, that were heading to bomb the airfields around CataniaCatania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, escorted by 20 Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
from 72 and 243 Squadrons. Lucchini was leading 10° Gruppo that consisted of the 84a Squadriglia, the 90a Squadriglia and 91a Squadriglia. The Italian made a frontal attack to the bombers over Gerbini, ignoring the escorting Spitfires.
In the sky of Catania, Lucchini was last seen to damage – with other pilots – three bombers and then to shoot down a Spitfire. But was later himself shot down by heavy defensive fire and dived into the ground east of Catania.
At the time of his death Lucchini was credited with 22 air victories, making him one of the highest-ranking Italian ace. These kills were claimed in 70 aerial combats, during 294 missions (alternatively 262 missions). He was also credited with 52 shared claims.
Awards
He received a posthumous Medaglia d’Oro al Valor Militare (Gold Medal of Military ValorGold Medal of Military Valor
The Gold Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia "....per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra" .The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king, and on its reverse was a flag...
). He had also been awarded with five Medaglie d'argento al valore militare
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on May 21, 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal...
, one Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
The Bronze Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on March 26, 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold and Silver Medals for Military valor...
, four Croce di guerra al valor militare
Croce di Guerra
The Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare is an Italian decoration for military valour.- Past recipients :* Edouard Izac, Lieutenant, United States Navy* Douglas MacArthur, General, United States Army...
, the Croce al Merito di Guerra, the Medaglia commemorativa della campagna di Spagna, the Medaglia di benemerenza per i volontari della guerra Spagna and a German Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd Class, during the war.
He was mentioned in the Bollettino di Guerra (War Bulletin) on 5 September 1942 and 6 July 1943.
It has to be remembered that Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
was not willing to award individual claims from 1940 well into 1942, favouring "collective" victories. All this makes it very difficult to state Lucchini's final number of kills.