Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
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The Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force was an air force formed in 1943 in Southern Italy, whose pilots flew with the Allies after the Italian Armistice.
Part of the Italian Royal Air Force - the Regia Aeronautica - remained under northern (German) control after the Italian Armistice in 1943. This was known as the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana.
By the end of 1943, 281 Italian warplanes had landed at Allied airfields, but most were no longer useful for combat. Their crews were re-equipped with Allied planes, and engaged in transport, escort, reconnaissance, sea rescue and limited tactical ground support operations flying 11,000 missions during 1943-1945.
The ICBAF never operated over Italian territory, its objectives being always on the Balkans (Yugoslavia, Albania). This was to avoid any possible encounter between Italian-manned aircraft fighting on opposed sides. During the entire history of ICBAF, no such encounter, let alone combat, was ever reported.
The ICBAF was later renamed Aeronautica Militare Italiana.
External link
- Italian Air Force (http://www.ww2wings.com/wings/italy/italymain.shtml)