Fiat BR.20 Cicogna
BR.20 Cicogna | |
---|---|
A Fiat BR.20 on the ground just prior to Italy's declaration of war in 1940. | |
Role | Medium bomber |
Manufacturer | Fiat |
Designer | Celestino Rosatelli |
First flight | 10 February 1936 |
Introduction | 1936 |
Retired | 1945 |
Primary users | Spanish Air Force
|
Number built | Fiat BR.20 (233)[1]
Fiat BR.20M (279)[2] |
The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna ('stork') was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber that was developed and manufactured by Italian aircraft company Fiat. It holds the distinction of being the first all-metal Italian bomber to enter service;[3] at the time, it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bombers in the world.[4] The British mistakenly identified this as a Fiat-Nichi Army TB-98.[5]
The BR.20 has its origins in a request by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) issued during 1934 for a new medium bomber capable of high speeds, long range, and satisfactory payload, reliability, and flight characteristics compared to contemporaries. Among the companies that chose to respond was Fiat, which completed its design for the competition during 1935. On 10 February 1936, the first prototype (serial number M.M.274) conducted its maiden flight. Flight testing proceeded at a rapid pace; during September 1936, initial deliveries of the type commenced to the Regia Aeronautica.
During summer 1937, the BR.20 received its baptism of fire when a number were operated by the Aviazione Legionaria during the Spanish Civil War; the BR-20 came to form the backbone of Nationalist bombing operations, along with the German-built Heinkel He 111.[6] It was also used in combat during the 1930s with relative success by the licence built[7] Japanese examples during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[8] During 1939, a modified long-range BR.20 version (designated BR.20L) named Santo Francesco under the command of Maner Lualdi performed a highly publicised non-stop flight from Rome to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Upon the entry of Italy into the Second World War during mid-1940, the BR.20 served as the standard medium bomber of the Regia Aeronautica, however, by that point, the type was already approaching obsolescence. By 1942, the aircraft was mostly used for maritime patrol and operational training for bomber crews.[8] The BR.20 was produced from the mid-1930s until the end of the Second World War. More than 500 were produced before the end of the war.[9]
Development
Background
During 1934, the
Fiat's design team, headed by
Into flight
The BR.20 moved swiftly through its design and development phases, the design itself being finalized during 1935. On 10 February 1936, the first prototype (serial number M.M.274) performed its maiden flight from Turin, flown by Fiat test pilot Rolandi.[11][12] Following the first flight, it was transferred to Guidonia Montecelio within the Metropolitan City of Rome for an accelerated evaluation programme.[11]
Production orders for the type were quickly placed and authorised by the Regia Aeronautica; during September 1936, initial deliveries of the BR.20 commenced to 13° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre of the Regia Aeronautica.[11] Testing of the aircraft continued even after this point; during June 1937, three aircraft were dispatched to a pair of bases in Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, to conduct test flights under tropical conditions. The initial production bombers differed from the earlier prototype in various area, particular in the finer details of the nose, fuselage, and tail.[11]
Cicogna vs. Sparviero
Despite the BR.20 being the winner of the 1934 new bomber competition, the
The reasons for the Sparviero's success lay in its flying characteristics. The Sparviero was a more difficult aircraft to fly with a heavier wingload, but overall its three engines provided more power than the twin-engine arrangement of the BR.20. The Sparviero, weighing around the same, had a reserve of power and was capable of performing acrobatic manoeuvers, even rolls. Its engines were more reliable than those of the BR.20 and had enough power to return to base even with one shut down. The Sparviero's superior agility enabled it to perform as a torpedo-bomber, while the Cicogna was never considered for that role.[10] Over 1,200 Sparvieros were constructed, at least twice as many as the Cicogna.
Further development
Upon its introduction, the BR.20 was a cutting-edge aircraft and benefited from an overall good design, however, the bomber quickly became obsolete in the face of rapid advances made in the field during this era. The scarcity of improved versions of the aircraft condemned the BR.20 to be only viable in the role of a second-line machine, being underpowered and lacking in defensive firepower by the outbreak of the Second World War. By the time Italy had entered the Second World War, a new variant of the bomber, designated as the BR.20M, had been produced and put in service.
The final production variant was the BR.20bis, which was effectively a complete redesign of the aircraft. There is no evidence that any of these were deployed under operation circumstances.
Various experimental versions were developed. These included the BR.20C, a gunship with a 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon in the nose, while another aircraft was modified with a
Design
Overview
The Fiat BR.20 was a twin-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane medium bomber.[19] The primary mission of the aircraft was to perform medium-range bombing runs. The BR.20 was provided with a large number of design features that were very advanced for its time: the aircraft was capable of a maximum speed in excess of 400 km/h (250 mph) and a relatively high cruise speed of 320 km/h (200 mph), being as fast as the better of its international competitors, such as the Tupolev SB light bomber. In spite of this, both the range and payload of the bomber were also comparatively favourable for the era.
The engines were a pair of
Armament
In terms of its self-defence capability, the BR.20 was fitted with a
The offensive payload of the BR.20 was carried entirely in the bomb bay, which was isolated from the rest of the aircraft by an aluminium sheet.
Structure
The BR.20 had a relatively robust main structure which featured mixed-construction; the slab-sided
The BR.20 possessed a twin-
Operational history
Early service
When, near the end of 1936, the 13° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre (in
During 1939, a modified long-range BR.20 version, designated as the BR.20L, named Santo Francesco under the command of Maner Lualdi performed a highly publicised non-stop flight from Rome to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during which an average speed of 390 km/h (240 mph) was recorded.[24][25] The modified aircraft carried 5,000 L (1,321 US gal) of fuel which increased its range from 3,000 km (1,864 mi) to 4,500 km (2,800 mi). The BR.20L was also used to test a newly developed autopilot built by Microtecnica.[19]
Spain
During the mid- to late- 1930s, the Spanish Civil War was waged between right-wing nationalist and left-wing Republican factions. However, the conflict quickly led to the Great Powers of the era participating to various degrees in support of their favoured side.[11] The civil war became a testing ground for the latest military equipment of the Italians, Germans, French, British, Americans, and Soviets. As a by-product of this involvement, rapid advances in bomber development were achieved during this period.[11]
During June 1937, Italy deployed six of its newly delivered BR.20 bombers to
During July 1938, a further seven aircraft were dispatched to Spain.[24][13] During the civil war, the type had frequently participated in bombing raids across various areas of the nation, including the Teruel and Ebro; during these engagements, the BR.20 proved to be a sturdy and accurate bomber. When flown at an operational altitude of 13,000 ft, the BR.20s were fast enough to generally avoid interception by Republican-aligned aircraft such as the Polikarpov I-15 and Polikarpov I-16 fighters that were unable to challenge the BR.20.[13]
Losses were very low; nine of the 13 BR.20s sent to Spain survived to the end of the war when they were handed over to the
Japan
In July 1937, when Japan entered into full-scale war with China (the Second Sino-Japanese War), the Japanese Army Air Force found itself short of modern long-range bombers, pending the delivery of the Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally", which was undergoing prototype trials at the time, and thus required the interim purchase of aircraft from abroad. Italy was willing to give priority to any Japanese orders over its own requirements, and offered both the Caproni Ca.135 and the BR.20 bombers in order to meet their needs.[27]
Following an evaluation of both aircraft by the Japanese, it was determined that while the Caproni could not meet the Japanese requirements, the BR.20 closely matched the specification.[27] In addition, the BR.20 had acquired a positive reputation as a relatively fast and durable aircraft in combat during the Spanish Civil War.[13] Accordingly, during late 1937, an initial order was placed by Japan for 72 BR.20s; this was soon followed by another order for a further 10 bombers.[27]
During early 1938, the first BR.20 were shipped to Dalian, Liaoning, in Japanese-controlled Northeast China, after which they were transported on for assembly and flight testing purposes.[13] In Japanese service, the BR.20 (designated the I-Type (Yi-shiki)) was used to supplement and eventually replace the obsolete Mitsubishi Ki-1, equipping a pair of bomber groups (the 12th and 98th Sentai) located in Manchuria. The I-Type was heavily deployed on long-range bombing missions against Chinese cities and supply centers during the winter of 1938–39. The BR.20s were operating with no fighter cover at the extremes of their range and consequently incurred heavy losses from Chinese fighters, as did the early Ki-21s that shared the long-range bombing tasks.[27]
The fabric-covered surfaces were viewed as vulnerable, even if the main structure of this aircraft was noticeably robust. Apostolo stated of the negative coverage: "This may not have in fact been true, as the BR.20s had a metal-skinned wing and not fabric covering as claimed in the Japanese Press at the time".[13] Amongst Japanese pilots, the aircraft was considered to possess unsatisfactory range and defensive armament;[13] however, the first Ki-21s that entered service were not much better, except for their all-metal construction and the potential for further development when better engines became available (both types initially used two 746 kW/1,000 hp engines).
The 12th Sentai was redeployed to the
Second World War
France
Following Nazi Germany's invasion of France in May 1940, and with German forces pushing deep into France, Italy declared war upon both France and the United Kingdom on 10 June 1940. At this time, only four wings operated BR.20s compared to the 14 wings equipped with SM.79s, with 172 Cicognas being in service with the Regia Aeronautica including those not yet delivered to operational squadrons.[29][13] The units equipped with the Cicogna were the 7°, 13°, 18° and 43° Stormo (Wing), all of which were based in Northern Italy; the decision to base the type in the north of the country was due to the general strength of the aircraft and its excellent flight performance upon encountering turbulence.[30]
The aircraft of the 7°, 13° and 43° Stormo fought in the brief
On 15 June, one BR.20M (Matricola Militare MM. 21837) of the newly formed 172a Squadriglia Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre based on Bresso airfield, was shot down over
Britain
It was during the Battle of Britain, in which Axis aircraft flew over the English Channel to directly challenge the British mainland itself, that the BR.20 showed its limitations for the first time.[32][30] On 10 September 1940, the Corpo Aereo Italiano was formed, with 13° and 43° Stormi equipped with 80 brand-new BR.20Ms, to fight in the Battle of Britain.[31] During the ferry operation from Italy to their bases in Belgium, five aircraft crash-landed because of technical failures and a lack of navigational training, while a further 17 BR.20s were forced to land en route due to poor visibility.[30][33] On the night of 24 October, the 13° and 43° took off for their first bombing mission, over Harwich, deploying eight BR.20s each. One bomber crashed on takeoff, as a result of engine failure, while two more got lost on their return, failing to find their airfield and their crews bailing out. On 29 October, 15 aircraft of 43° Stormo bombed Ramsgate, in daylight, with no loss.[33][30]
During a famous battle on 11 November, a formation of 10 BR.20s from 43° Stormo, escorted by
The BR.20s of the Corpo Aereo Italiano nevertheless bombed both
North Africa
On 27 February 1941, 14 Cicogne of 98° Gruppo, 43° Stormo, that had been in service with Corpo Aereo Italiano in Belgium, led by commander De Wittembeschi, left Italy bound for
While North Africa was never considered to have been a
One of the last sorties occurred on 7 March 1942, when two BR.20s strafed
Malta
BR.20s were used in the Malta campaign in 1941, 1942 and 1943.[39] On 7 May 1941, 19° Gruppo from 43° Stormo, left Lonate Pozzolo with eight aircraft and arrived in Gerbini, Sicily. On 22 May, the BR.20s started to carry out raids against the besieged island almost nightly.[39] While British fighter defences were initially weakened, operational effectiveness was regained via the adoption of improved anti-bomber combat techniques, which involved pursuing the bombers but only engaging them directly at critical phases of the flight.[39]
Consequently, the first BR.20 loss occurred on 8 of June. On 9 June, the 31° Gruppo arrived from Aviano, equipped with a total of 18 bombers,[40] but, in less than three months, the units had lost 12 BR.20s. In addition to bombing missions, the BR.20s also performed anti-submarine patrols in the theatre.[39] During October, the 37° Stormo arrived in Sicily with the 116° Gruppo, based on Fontanarossa airfield, and the 55° Gruppo, in Gerbini.[41] But within the first month those units too lost nine aircraft as a result of accidents or to enemy fire.[42]
The attrition rate of the bombers remained relatively high; as such, BR.20-equipped units continued to be rotated to bases on Sicily to continue the offensive against Malta though 1941 and 1942.[10][43] On 1 May 1942, the 88° Gruppo landed in Castelvetrano with 17 new machines (one crash landed on the Appennini Mountains); the units started operational service on 8 May, dropping 4AR mines.[41] Before the end of August, five aircraft were lost and that same month the BR.20s departed Sicily. In the 16 months of their Malta campaign, 41 “Cicognas” were shot down or lost through accidents. The Fiat bombers returned for a short time in 1943 with attacks on Malta.[40]
Soviet Union
Several BR.20s were sent to the Soviet Union in August 1942, to perform long-range reconnaissance and bombing sortie in support of CSIR, Italian Army on Eastern Front. On 3 August 1941, two BR-20s arrived in Ukraine and were assigned to 38a Squadriglia osservazione aerea (reconnaissance squadron) of 71° Gruppo. Three days later they had their baptism of fire, bombing enemy troops at Werch Mamor, along
Other fronts
During the course of the war, BR.20s were used in
After the first year of war, the limitations of this type were evident. It was highly vulnerable to enemy attacks, as Japanese experience had shown in 1938, and the aircraft was replaced by the
While the main front line task remained that of night bombing, especially against Malta, other roles included reconnaissance and the escort of convoys in the Mediterranean. For escort duties, aircraft were fitted with bombs and possibly depth charges, but with no other special equipment. They were used in this role from 1941, with 37° Wing (Lecce), 13° Wing (end of 1942), 116°, 32 Group (Iesi, from 1943), and 98° (based in Libya) from 1941. One of the 55° aircraft was lost in August 1941 against British torpedo bombers, while between 9 August–11 September 1941, 98° escorted 172 ships from Italy to Libya. In almost all these units, the Cicogna was operated together with other aircraft, such as the Caproni Ca.314. This escort task was quite effective, at least psychologically, although the Cicogna was hampered by the lack of special equipment and, consequently, no submarines were sunk.
At the time of the September 1943
Variants
- BR.20
- Initial production model, 233 built.[45]
- BR.20A
- De-militarised conversion of two BR.20s for air racing.
- BR.20L
- Long ranged civil version, one built.
- BR.20M
- Improved bomber version with lengthened nose, 264 produced.[45]
- BR.20C
- Single aircraft converted by Agusta fitted with 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon in revised nose.
- BR.20bis
- Major re-design with more powerful engines (two Fiat A.82 RC.42 rated at 932 kW/1,250 hp each), increased dimensions and new, fully glazed nose.
Operators
- A single captured BR.20 entered service with the Republic of China Air Force in 1939.[46]
- Regia Aeronautica
- Aviazione Legionaria
- Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
- Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
- Spanish Air Force
- Royal Hungarian Air Force
- Venezuelan Air Force – A single BR.20 was sold to Venezuela.[45]
Specifications (Fiat BR.20M)
Data from The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II,[47] The Fiat B.R.20: Aircraft Profile No. 110[48]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Length: 16.68 m (54 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 21.56 m (70 ft 9 in)
- Height: 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 74 m2 (800 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 10,100 kg (22,267 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Fiat A.80 R.C.4118-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 746 kW (1,000 hp) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 440 km/h (270 mph, 240 kn)
- Cruise speed: 340 km/h (210 mph, 180 kn)
- Range: 2,750 km (1,710 mi, 1,480 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 3× 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns
- Bombs: 1,600 kg (3,530 lb) of bombs
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Bloch MB.210
- Douglas B-18 Bolo
- Heinkel He 111
- Ilyushin DB-3
- Junkers Ju 86
- Martin B-10
- Mitsubishi G3M
- Mitsubishi Ki-21
- Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero
Related lists
- List of aircraft of World War II
- List of bomber aircraft
- List of interwar military aircraft
- List of Regia Aeronautica aircraft used in World War II
References
Citations
- ^ Fiat BR cicognaalieuomini.it Archived 2014-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Fiat BR cicognaalieuomini.it Archived 2014-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bignozzi, p. 10.
- ^ a b Gunston 1994, p. 221.
- ^ Lawrence 1945, p. 198.
- ^ Ethell 1995, p. 66.
- ^ Munson 1960, p. 18.
- ^ a b Ethell 1995, p. 67.
- ^ Matricardi 2006, p. 257.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Lembo 2003, p. 8-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Apostolo 1966, p. 3.
- ^ a b Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 291.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Apostolo 1966, p. 6.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, pp. 6–7.
- ^ a b Apostolo 1966, p. 13.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, pp. 13–14.
- ^ a b c Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 312.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d Apostolo 1966, p. 4.
- ^ a b c d e f g Apostolo 1966, p. 5.
- ^ Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 292.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, pp. 3–4.
- ^ a b Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 307.
- ^ Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) – General Aviation World Records: History of General Aviation World Records List of records established by the 'Fiat B.R.20.' Archived 2006-05-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 1 December 2007.
- ^ Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 293.
- ^ a b c d e Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 294.
- ^ Taylor 1980, p. 384.
- ^ a b c Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 308.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Apostolo 1966, p. 7.
- ^ a b c d De Marchi 1976, p. 6.
- ^ Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 197.
- ^ a b c d De Marchi 1976, p. 7.
- ^ "David Scott Malden." Archived 2007-12-12 at the Wayback Machine skynet.be. Retrieved: 7 December 2007.
- ^ a b c Apostolo 1966, p. 10.
- ^ Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 310.
- ^ a b De Marchi 1976, p. 10.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b c d e f g Apostolo 1966, p. 11.
- ^ a b De Marchi 1976, p. 8.
- ^ a b Apostolo 1966, p. 12.
- ^ De Marchi 1976, p. 9.
- ^ a b Green and Swanborough 1982, p. 311.
- ^ De Marchi 1976, p. 12.
- ^ a b c Donald 1997, p. 407-408.
- ^ Andersson 2008, p. 266.
- ISBN 0-7607-1022-8.
- ^ Apostolo 1966, p. 16.
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