Fiat CR.32 - WikiHQ

The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. Designed by the aeronautical engineer Celestino Rosatelli, it was a compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable aircraft for its era, leading to it being a relatively popular fighter during the 1930s.

The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in Albania, and in the Mediterranean theatre. It was extensively used in the Spanish Civil War, where it gained a reputation as one of the most outstanding fighter biplanes of all time. During the late 1930s, the CR.32 was overtaken by more advanced monoplane designs; by the start of the Second World War, it was considered to be obsolete. While it had been superseded by a number of newer Italian fighters, including the newer Fiat CR.42 Falco which had been derived from the CR.32, the type continued to be flown throughout the conflict.

Development

The Fiat CR.32 was designed by the aeronautical engineer Celestino Rosatelli. The CR.32 had a smaller and more streamlined fuselage than the CR.30, resulting in a more compact aircraft.

On 28 April 1933, the prototype CR.32, which was designated the MM.201, made its maiden flight from the Fiat company airfield at Turin. The CR.32 bis had a more powerful Fiat A.30R V12 engine and two additional machine guns, while the ter and the quater retained the original armament, differing in the use of improved gunsights and instrumentation. During the development of this design, four CR.32s were converted to serve as prototypes. The armament initially included a pair of 7.7 mm (.030 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns (which was later replaced with a pair of 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT guns), which were fitted on top of the engine cowling; each gun had an ammo capacity of 350 rounds. Later examples were also furnished with a pair of hard points, which could accommodate up to twelve 5lb bombs, a pair of 100lb bombs, or a single 200lb bomb. Further overseas tours by Italian display teams, such as a South American expedition in 1938, were performed using the type. The CR.32's tight turning circle and excellent handling made the type ideal for aerobatic displays.

The stand-out feature of the CR.32 was its remarkable manoeuvrability. It is possible its outstanding performance and popularity amongst its pilots were responsible for a continued attitude within many officials of the Regia Aeronautica that the biplane platform remained a viable concept for further development and deployment even in the face of a new generation of monoplane fighters. At least 380 examples took part in the air battles fought over Spain, proving formidable adversaries to the Soviet Polikarpov I-15 biplane and Polikarpov I-16 monoplane that formed the backbone of the Spanish Republican Air Force. During 1936, the type had its baptism of fire. On 18 August, the first 12 CR.32s arrived in Spain and formed the Squadriglia Gamba di Ferro, Cucaracha, and Asso di Bastoni of 3° Stormo; three days later Tenente Vittorino Ceccherelli, a Gold Medal of Military Valor winner, shot down the first enemy aircraft, a Nieuport 52, over Cordoba. In total, the Italian government dispatched between 365 and 405 C.R.32s to Spain while between 127 and 131 were delivered directly to Nationalist aviation units. During the conflict, six aircraft were captured by Republican forces, according to Nico, one of these was shipped to the Soviet Union, where it underwent a detailed evaluation.

Thanks to the agile CR.32, the Italians managed to achieved air superiority over their Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española opponents, who flew a motley collection of very different and often obsolete aircraft. The Fiat biplane proved to be effective in the theatre, the Aviazione Legionaria claiming 60 (48 confirmed) modern Russian Tupolev SB bombers, which were once believed to be impossible to intercept, as well as 242 Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighters, and 240 Polikarpov I-16 monoplane fighters, plus another hundred aircraft that were not confirmed. In exchange, C.R.32 losses were reportedly only 73.

Spanish aces

The top scoring CR.32 ace was Spaniard Joaquín García Morato y Castaño, who was the leading Nationalist fighter pilot of the Spanish Civil War. He achieved 36 of his 40 victories while flying the Fiat biplane. He used the same aircraft, which carried the number 3-51 on the fuselage, until his death. During April 1939, shortly after the war had finished, Morato fatally crashed his faithful 3-51 while performing low aerobatics.

Another Nationalist CR.32 ace was Capitán Manuel Vázquez Sagastizábal, who claimed 21 victories with Grupo 2-G-3, before he was shot down and killed on 23 January 1939. Comandante Angel Salas Larrazabal, after one kill flying a Nieuport-Delage 52, flew multiple CR.32s, shooting down, on 29 October 1936, the first of the fast Soviet monoplane Tupolev SB-2 bombers to fall to Nationalist fighters. He shot down four more aircraft with the CR.32 before moving to a Heinkel He 51 unit. After two more victories, he joined the new Grupo 2-G-3. With this unit, again flying CR.32s, he raised his score to 16, including three SB-2s and an I-16 in a single sortie on 2 September 1938. Capitán Miguel Guerrero Garcia achieved nine of his 13 victories flying the Fiat biplane: four I-15s, three "Papagayos" (R-5s and Polikarpov-RZs assault bombers), and two I-16s.

Second World War

thumb|A CR.32 in 1940–1942.

The aerobatic characteristics of the CR.32 and its success in Spain misled the Italian air ministry, which was convinced that a biplane fighter still had potential as a weapon of war. The first combat between CR.32s and British aircraft came the following day. Six CR.32s intercepted a formation of Bristol Blenheim bombers attacking the airfield at El Adem, claiming two Blenheims shot down and the remaining four damaged (compared with actual British losses of two Blenheims lost and two damaged), for no losses. According to Cattaneo, instead of focusing on air-to-air dogfighting, CR.32 pilots typically engaged in strafing ground targets, acting as light attack aircraft instead; he stated these activities to have been of "limited effectiveness" in the campaign.

East Africa

Possibly the greatest wartime successes to be achieved by CR.32s were accomplished in Italian East Africa.

On the 7th of July, three CR.32s, escorting as many Caproni Ca.133s, intercepted three Hawker Hartebeests, and shot down the plane flown by Lt N.K. Rankin, killing the pilot and his gunner, Air Sgt D.H. Hughes. On 23 February 1941, while in the process of attacking the airfield at Makale, Maj Laurie Wilmot, who was flying a Hurricane, was bounced by Italian ace Alberto Veronese in a Fiat biplane. Wilmot was forced to crash-land, becoming a prisoner of war (PoW). Soon after, Capt Andrew Duncan hit Veronese, who was wounded and bailed out.

The CR.32s obtained other kills, despite having to face an ever increasing number of more modern aircraft.

The 410<sup>a</sup> Squadriglia alone managed to shoot down 14 enemy aircraft, before being disbanded. But the impossibility of obtaining replacements and spare parts from the motherland caused the gradual thinning of the rows of CR.32s. On 10 January 1941 there were still 22 CR.32s in service, on 31 January there were 14, on 10 February 11 and on 5 March just eight. The last CR.32 survived until mid-April 1941.

Mediterranean

Fourteen CR.32s of 160° Gruppo and nine of 2° Gruppo from 6° Stormo saw action against Greece in the first weeks after the attack of 28 October 1940. Eight more from 163<sup>a</sup>a Squadriglia, based at Gadurrà airport on Rhodes, took part in the invasion of Crete. CR.32s of 3° Gruppo operated in Sardinia, but in the period of July–December 1940 their number fell from 28 to seven serviceable aircraft. Cattaneo observed that ground crews lacked the fuel, ammunition, and spare components to properly maintain their aircraft, often resorting to improvisation due to the poor supply situation, which severely impacted the fighter's operational effectiveness. They were based at Nangahang airport, near Shanghai. Some officers of the Chinese high command disliked the Fiat, but Chinese pilots appreciated that the Italian biplanes in comparative tests proved superior to the American Curtiss Hawk and Boeing P-26. The Chinese Government did not order more CR.32s as it was difficult to import alcohol and benzole to mix with petrol for the engines. In May 1936, only six CR.32s were still operational. In August 1937, the remaining CR.32s were used with some initial success in Shanghai against the invading Japanese. and, after a brief period, the 36 remaining aircraft were handed over to Hungary. and, on 6 May 1941, the Hungarian Air Force still had 69 Fiat CR.32s on line. In June 1941, when the Kingdom of Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union, the CR.32 fighter equipped two of the units that supported the Hungarian Army on the Eastern Front: 1./I Group of 1st Fighter Wing, based in Szolnok, and 2./I Group, of 2nd Fighter Wing, based at Nyíregyháza.

On 29 June, the first aerial combat over Hungary took place, when seven Tupolev SB-2 bombers attacked the railway station at Csap and were intercepted by the Fiat CR.32s from 2/3 Fighter squadron. The Fiat biplanes shot down three of the raiders while incurring no loss to themselves.

Following the acquisition of newer fighters, including the Fiat CR.42 and Reggiane Re.2000, the remaining Hungarian CR.32s were relegated being used for training missions only.

:Revised CR.32ter with reduced weight, added radio and max speed 356 km/h (221 mph) at 3,000 m (9,843 ft); 337 built for the Regia Aeronautica.

;CR.33

: Fiat AC.33RC engine. Maximum speed at . Only three prototypes were built.

;CR.40

:One prototype powered by a Bristol Mercury IV radial engine.

;CR.40bis

:One prototype only.

;CR.41

:One prototype only.

;HA-132L Chirri

:Spanish version; 100 were built and 49 more of those used during the war were rebuilt. A total of 40 were transformed into two-seaters and kept in service as an aerobatic trainer till 1953.

Operators

thumb|Fiat C.R.32 at the Vigna di Valle air museum in 2012.

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Austrian Air Force received 45 CR.32bis aircraft

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Chinese Nationalist Air Force

;

Luftwaffe operated former Austrian aircraft

;

Royal Hungarian Air Force

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Regia Aeronautica
Aviazione Legionaria
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force

;

Paraguayan Air Arm ordered five aircraft in 1938.

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Spanish Air Force

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Operated captured aircraft

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Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana

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Venezuelan Air Force ordered nine aircraft in 1938.

Surviving aircraft

C.1-328 – HA-132L on static display at the Italian Air Force Museum in Bracciano, Lazio. It was donated by the Spanish Air Force in 1955.
Composite – HA-132 on static display at the Museo del Aire in Cuatro Vientos, Madrid.
CR32 MM4666 in colours of 92sqd.on static display at the Italian Air Force in Codroipo, Udine

Specifications (CR.32)

thumb|3-view drawing of Fiat CR.32

References

Citations

Bibliography

Apostolo, Giorgio. Fiat CR 32 (Ali D'Italia 4). (in Italian/English). Torino, Italy: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 1996. No ISBN.
Cattaneo, Gianni. The Fiat CR.32 (Aircraft in Profile Number 22). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.
"Connaissance de l'Histoir Hachette." Avions Militaires 1919–1939 Profils et Histoire (in French). Paris: 1979.
De Marchi, Italo, Enzo Maio, Pietro Tonizzo and Gianfranco Munerotto. Macchi MC.200 "Saetta" – Fiat CR.32 . Modena: Stem Mucchi, 1994.
Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. .
Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Facile Fiat... Rosatelli's Italian Fighter." Air Enthusiast Twenty-two, August–November 1983. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press Ltd., 1983.
Gunston, Bill. The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Salamander Books Limited, 1988. .
Logoluso, Alfredo. Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2010. .
Maliza, Nicola. Il Fiat C.R. 32 – Poesia del Volo . Rome: Edizioni dell'Ateneo & Bizzarri, 1981.
Maslov, Mikhail A. Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2010. .
McCullough, Anson. "La Cucaracha." Airpower, Volume 28, No. 5, September 1998.
Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books, 2006. .
Neulen, Hans Werner. In the Skies of Europe. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. .
Punka, George. Fiat CR 32/CR 42 in Action (Aircraft Number 172). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 2000. .
Sgarlato, Nico. Fiat CR.32 Freccia – CR.42 Falco . Parma, Italy: Delta Editrice, 2005.
Shores, Christopher. Air Aces. Greenwich, CT: Bison Books, 1983. .
Shores, Christopher, Giovanni Massimello and Russell Guest. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume One: North Africa June 1940 – January 1942. London: Grub Street, 2012. .
Sutherland, Jon and Diane Canwell. Air War East Africa 1940–41. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Aviation, 2009. .
Thomas, Andrew. Hurricane Aces 1941–45. Oxford, UK/New York: Osprey Publishing, 2003..
Westburg, Peter. "Dogfight over Ruthenia." Airpower, Volume 13, No. 6, November 1983.

External links

Fiat CR.32 Fighter
Fiat CR.32