WW2 Italian Air Force order of battle on June 10th, 1940

1st Air Region (Milano)

4th Bomber Division “DRAGO” (Dragon) (Novara)

43rd Bomber Wing, with:
98th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Cameri)
99th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Cameri)

7th Bomber Wing, with:
4th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Lonate Pozzolo)
25th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Lonate Pozzolo)

13th Bomber Wing, with:
11th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Piacenza)
43rd Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Piacenza)

2nd Fighter Division “BOREA” (Boreas, poetic name of the Noth Wind)(Torino-Caselle)

3rd Fighter Wing, with:
18th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Novi Ligure)
23rd Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Novi Ligure)

53rd Fighter Wing, with:
150th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Torino-Caselle)
151st Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Torino-Caselle)

6th Bomber Division “FALCO” (A Hawk) (Padova)

9th (independent) Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Gorizia)

16th Bomber Wing, with:
50th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.1007bis – Vicenza)
50th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.1007bis – Vicenza)

18th Bomber Wing, with:
31st Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Aviano)
37th Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Aviano)

47th Bomber Wing, with:
106th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.1007bis- Ghedi)
107th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.1007bis- Ghedi)

2nd Air Region (Palermo)

3rd Bomber Division “CENTAURO” (Centaur) (Catania)

11th Bomber Wing, with:
33rd Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Comiso)
34th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Comiso)

41st Bomber Wing, with:
59th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Gela)
60th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Gela)

24th Bomber Wing, with:
52nd Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Catania)
53rd Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Catania)

11th Bomber Brigade “NIBBIO” (Kite) (Castelvetrano)

96th Independent Bomber Squadron (SM-95c – Reggio Calabria)

30th Bomber Wing, with:
87th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Sciacca)
90th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Sciacca)

36th Bomber Wing, with:
108th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Castelvetrano)
109th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Castelvetrano)

1st Fighter Division “AQUILA” (Eagle) (Palermo)

6th Independent Fighter Squadron (MC.200 – Comiso)

30th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Palermo)

1st Fighter Wing, with:
17th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Palermo)
157th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Palermo)

3rd Air Region (Roma)

5th Bomber Division “EOLO” (Aeolus – Latin God of the winds) (Viterbo)

46th Bomber Wing, with:
104th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Pisa)
105th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Pisa)

9th Bomber Wing, with:
26th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Viterbo)
29th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Viterbo)

8th Fighter Brigade “ASTORE” (Goshawk) (Roma-Ciampino)

7th Independent Fighter Squadron (Ba.88 – Campiglia)

51st Fighter Wing, with:
20th Fighter Squadron (G.50 – Roma-Ciampino)
21st Fighter Squadron (G.50 – Roma-Ciampino)

52nd Fighter Wing, with:
22nd Fighter Squadron (G.50 – Pontedera)
24th Fighter Squadron (G.50 – Pontedera)

4th Territorial Air Zone (Bari)

116th Independent Bomber Squadron (BR.20 – Grottaglie)

2nd Independent Fighter Squadron (CR.32 – Grottaglie)

35th Bomber Wing, with:
86th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.501 – Brindisi)
96th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.506bis – Brindisi)

37th Bomber Wing, with:
54th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Lecce)
29th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Lecce)

Sardinia Air Command (Cagliari)

10th Bomber Brigade “MARTE” (Mars – Latin God of war) (Cagliari)

3rd Independent Fighter Squadron (CR.32 – Monserrato)

19th Independent Ground Attack Squadron (Ba.88 – Alghero)

124th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Cagliari-Elmas)

8th Bomber Wing, with:
27th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Villacidro)
28th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Villacidro)

31st Bomber Wing, with:
93rd Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.506bis – Cagliari-Elmas)
94th Bomber Squadron (Cant Z.506bis – Cagliari-Elmas)

32nd Bomber Wing, with:
88th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Decimomannu)
89th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Decimomannu)

Albania Air Command (Tirana)

38th Independent Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Tirana)

160th Independent Fighter Squadron (CR.32 – Tirana)

120th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Tirana)

Aegean Air Command (Rhodes)

161st Independent Fighter Squadron (Ro.44 – Leros)

163rd Independent Fighter Squadron (CR.32 – Maritza)

39th Bomber Wing, with:
56th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Gadurra)
92nd Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Maritza)

Lybia Air Command – West (Tripoli)

1st Sahara Recon Squadron (Ca.309 – Mellaha)

26th Independent Recon Squadron (Ca.309 – Hon)

122nd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Mellaha)

136th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Tripoli)

15th Bomber Wing, with:
46th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Tarhuna)
47th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Tarhuna)

33rd Bomber Wing, with:
35th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Bir Bhera)
37th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Bir Bhera)

50th Ground Attack Wing, with:
12th Ground Attack Squadron (Ba.65 – Sorman)
16th Ground Attack Squadron (Ca.310bis – Sorman)

2nd Fighter Wing, with:
13th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Castel Benito)
1st Recon Squadron (Ca.309 – Mellaha)

Lybia Air Command – East (Bengasi)

2nd Sahara Recon Squadron (Ca.309 – El Adem)

127th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – El Adem)

137th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – El Adem)

13th Bomber Division “PEGASO” (Pegasus – Mytological winged-horse)(Bengasi)

14th Bomber Wing, with:
44th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – El Adem)
45th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – El Adem)

10th Bomber Wing, with:
30th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Benina)
32nd Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Benina)

14th Fighter Brigade “REX” (King, in Latin) (Tobruk)

8th Fighter Squadron (CR.32 – Tobruk)
10th Fighter Squadron (CR.42 – Tobruk)

Italian East Africa Air Command – North (Assab)

25th Bomber Squadron (Ca.133 – Bahar Dar)
26th Bomber Squadron (Ca.133 – Gondar)
27th Bomber Squadron (Ca.133 – Assab)
28th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Zula)
118th Bomber Flight (Ca.133 – Assab)
Recon Flight “North” (Ca.133 – Agordat)
409th Fighter Flight (CR.42 – Massaua)
413th Fighter Flight (CR.42 – Assab)

Italian East Africa Air Command – Central (Addis Abeba)

4th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Scenele)
29th Bomber Squadron (SM.81 – Assab)
44th Bomber Squadron (SM.79 – Ghiniele)
49th Bomber Squadron (Ca.133 – Gimma)
41st Recon Flight (Ca.133 – Addis Abeba)
110th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Dire Daua)
410th Fighter Flight (CR.32 – Dire Daua)
411th Fighter Flight (CR.32 – Dire Daua)

Italian East Africa Air Command – South (Mogadiscio)

31st Bomber Squadron (Ca.133 – Neghelli)
Recon Flight “South” (Ca.133 – Mogadiscio)

Special Air Services Command (Militarized airlines long-rangeairplanes)

147th Squadron (SM.75)
148th Squadron (SM.73)
149th Squadron (SM.82)
604th Flight (SM.75)
608th Flight (SM.82)
610th Flight (SM.75)
615th Flight (SM.83)
616th Flight (SM.74)
604th Flight (SM.75)
Italian East Africa Detachment (SM.73/Ca.148c/Ca.133T/Fokker F.)
Lybia Parachutist School Detachment (SM.81)

Air Force Command for the Army

Under Army GHQ control:

27th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Casabianca)
42nd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Bari)
121st Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Airasca)
131st Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Napoli-Capodichino)

Under Army Group West control:

31st Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Venaria Reale)
33rd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Bresso)
34th Recon Flight (Ca.311 – Cervere)
39th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Venaria Reale)
40th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Venaria Reale)
114th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Tornino-Mirafiori)
118th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Levaldigi)
119th Recon Flight (Ca.311 – Bologna)
123rd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Levaldigi)
129th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis/Ca.311 – Mondovi’)
132nd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Levaldigi)

Under Army Group East control:

24th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Verona-Boscomantico)
25th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Jesi)
28th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Lucca-Tassignano)
29th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Arezzo)
32nd Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Udine-Campoformido)
34th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Parma)
35th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Verona-Boscomantico)
36th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Padova)
38th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Gorizia-Merna)
87th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Padova)
113th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Bologna-Borgo Panigale)
115th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Verona-Boscomantico)
116th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Gorizia-Merna)
125th Recon Flight (Ro.37bis – Udine-Campoformido)
128th Recon Flight (Ro.37 – Parma)

Air Force Command for the Navy

Under Upper Adriatic Sea Department control:

4th Recon Section (Cant Z-501 – Pola)

Under Ionian & Lower Adriatic Sea Department control:

142nd Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Taranto)
145th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Brindisi)
171st Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Brindisi)
3rd Recon Section (Cant Z.501 – Taranto)

Under Upper Thyrrenhian Sea Department control:

141st Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – La Spezia-Cadimare)
187th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – La Spezia -Cadimare)
1st Recon Section (Cant Z.501 – La Spezia-Cadimare)

Under Lower Tyrrenhian Sea Department control:

182nd Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Nisida)

Under Sardinia Naval Command control:

146th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Cagliari-Elmas)
148th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Vigna)
183rd Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Cagliari-Elmas)
188th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Cagliari-Elmas)
199th Recon Flight (Cant Z.506 – Santa Giusta)
5th Recon Section (Cant Z.501 – Olbia)

The Sardinia flights were grouped under the 85th Recon Squadron

Under Sicily Navy Command control:

144th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Stagnone)
170th Recon Flight (Cant Z.506bis – Augusta)
184th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Augusta)
186th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Augusta)
189th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Siracusa)

The Sicily flights were grouped under the 83rd Recon Squadron

Under Albania Naval Command control:

288th Recon Flight (Cant Z.506bis – Brindisi)

Under Lybia Naval Command control:

143rd Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Menelao)

Under Aegean Sea Naval Command control:

147th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Leros)
185th Recon Flight (Cant Z.501 – Leros)

The Aegean Sea flights were grouped under the 84th Recon Squadron

All Military aircraft in Italy during WW2 were part of the AirForce and with Air Force crews. To provide direct air recon capabilitiesto the Army and Navy, two separate Commands (“Air Force for the Army” and”Air Force for the Navy”) were established, to act as a go-between the”owner” of the airplanes and crews (i.e. the Air Force) and the “users”(i.e. the Army and the Navy). The Army and Navy assigned airplanesusualy had an “Air Spotter Officer” provided by the “user” (respectivelyan Army or a Navy officer).