Country of origin:

Italy

Description:

Torpedo bomber, bomber and transport

Power Plant:

Three 582 kw (780 hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

Armament:

Three Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns and two 7.69 mm (0.303 in) machine guns; two 500 kg (1,100 lb) or five 250 kg (550 lb) bombs

History:

The SM.79 series was one of the most successful Italian bombers of World War II, being a three-engine monoplane which was noted for its high wing loading, most aircraft delivered to the Italian Air Force having the Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 engine, which was a Bristol Pegasus built under licence.  It had Handley Page slots and slotted flaps. Armament consisted of one fixed 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine gun, a similar machine gun on a flexible mounting on top of the fuselage, and a third below the fuselage.

Designed by Allessandro Marchetti, the SM.79 was developed from the SM.81 and the prototype (I-MAGO) was first flown in October 1934, having 455 kw (610 hp) Piaggio P.IX Stella RC2 nine-cylinder radial air-cooled engines driving three-blade SIAI Marchetti propellers, the Certificate of Airworthiness being issued on 20 July 1935.  It was intended to fly the prototype in the MacRobertson England to Australia Air Race in 1934 but it was not completed in time.  During initial testing this aircraft, known as the SM.79P, achieved a speed of 354 km/h (220 mph) at sea level and on 14 June 1935 it flew from Milan to Rome in Italy in 1 hr and 10 mins at an average speed of 409 km/h (254 mph).  It subsequently set a number of world records over closed circuits.

Later the prototype was re-engined with 582 kw (780 hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC34 engines and achieved a 1,000 km (621 miles) closed circuit record with a 1,996 kg (4,400 lb) payload at 420 km/h (260.9 mph).  The Italian Air Force then took interest in the aircraft and the second prototype was built as a military aircraft with armament.  Development of civil variants continued and models were produced for participation in prestige international flights and international air races, most of these being powered by the 746 kw (1,000 hp) Piaggio P.XI RC40 fourteen-cylinder radial engines, one of the most notable being the first three positions in the 1937 Istres – Damascus – Paris race.

In military service the type made its operational debut in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, with 730 bombers comprising the SM.81, SM.79 and Fiat BR.20 being supplied to the Aviacion del Tercio.  Aircraft were supplied to the Italian Air Force fast bomber groups and in extensive operational use were involved in neutralising the Government fleet of ships in port, carrying out 5,318 bombing sorties and delivering 11,850 tons of bombs.

Development then lead to the SM.79B, a twin-engined variant with two 768 kw (1,030-hp) Fiat A.80 RC41 18-cylinder radial engines and this was supplied to a number of foreign air forces, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Iraq, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Yugoslavia.  The Romanian aircraft were powered by Gnome-Rhone K.14 Mistral major radial engines and a later batch of SM.79s had Junkers Jumo 211Da 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engines.

In Italy tests were taking place in 1937 as to the suitability of the aircraft to operate with the 450 mm (17.7 inch) torpedo then available and these tests were so successful a dual torpedo installation was developed at Gorizia. However, the depreciation of performance due to the drag and weight of the torpedoes led to the installation of 642 kw (860 hp) Alfa Romeo 128 RC18 engines.  By 1939 eleven Stormi (Wings), each comprising four Squadriglie (Squadrons), were based in Italy, Albania and the Aegean Islands with a total of 389 aircraft. When Italy entered World War II on the side of the Axis on 10 June 1940 there were 14 Stormi with 594 aircraft.

Many of these units were involved in the North African campaign where four Stormi with 125 bombers were deployed in Libya but such was the attrition rate in that theatre the Italian Air Force was unable to increase the size of its fleet.  In the Mediterranean Theatre the type came to the fore and achieved success against merchant convoys, naval vessels and in attacks on the island fortress of Malta. They sank a number of British Navy ships and caused major damage to the battleship HMS Malaya, and to the aircraft carriers HMSs Indomitable, Victorious and Eagle, although it would seem most of the damage to the latter was caused by a German submarine.  By the time of the Battle of El Alamein the Italian units were supported by German units but by November 1942 the tide was turning and the units were reduced in numbers due to losses of aircraft and crews.

However, the type continued in service until the end of the war when Italy capitulated on 8 September 1943 and surviving units with their aircraft which managed to reach the Allied lines formed part of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, by this time operating as bombers, torpedo-bombers and transports.

Records vary as to the number completed but it is believed to be either 1,330 or 1,458.  At least two examples survive, one at the Museo Aeronautico Caproni in Italy, this being MM24499, an ex-Lebanese Air Force machine and ex-civil machine which saw service as LR-AMC. Another MM45508 (ex LR-AMB), also from the Lebanese Air Force, has been restored at the Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militaire at Vigna di Valle.

Four former Yugoslav Air Force SM.79s were obtained for and operated by No 117 Squadron RAF from April 1941 from Khartoum in the Sudan.  These aircraft were allotted RAF serials AX702 (ex 3712), AX703 (ex 3713), AX704 (ex 3714) and AX705 (ex 3712).  They were modified for British service by No 102 MU and operated freight services between Takoradi and Khartoum.  AX703 and AX705 suffered forced landings on 29 November 1941 and 27 February 1942.  AX703 later was transferred to No 173 Squadron RAF and was retired in January 1944.  The fate of the fourth aircraft is not known.  Another was recovered by Allied forces in airworthy condition in Ethiopia in March 1944 and, as HK848, was operated in South Africa.

During operations by No 3 Squadron, RAAF in North Africa during World War II an SM.79-II torpedo bomber was captured at Castel Benito in Tripolitania in January 1943.  It appears it was painted in the squadron code CV and was used in the transport role but it is believed not to have seen much service due to a lack of spare parts and was abandoned when Australian forces left.