Osprey Publishing

Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War II

by  Hakan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $22.95 USD ISBN: 978-1-84603-427-5 Website: www.ospreypublishing.com The Fiat CR.42 was the ultimate fighter biplane development of the "Warren Truss" biplanes developed by Fiat during the twenties and thirties. Although Russia, England, and Italy, not to mention the U.S. Navy, stuck with the fighter biplane long after monoplanes were replacing them, Italy was the only country to continue producing them almost up to the end of World War II. The CR.42 was one of the classic fighter biplanes of all time, and it is remarkable that its pilots were as successful as they were, considering that they were up against Hurricanes, Spitfires, Kittyhawks, and other modern types. But the Fiat had maneuverability, a controllable pitch prop, and an open cockpit which offered excellent all around vision. It did lack speed, heavy armament, range, and armor protection, and its producers could never build enough of them when they were most sorely needed. Later, after they were replaced by more modern types, they continued to be used for ground attack and night operations right up until the end of the war. Examples were used by Italy, Sweden, Belgium, and Hungary, and late production models were even ordered by the Luftwaffe. This book is not really about the airplane, but about the pilots who actually flew it, especially those who "made ace" in the type. The authors did an incredible amount of research and interviewing to come up with accurate information, as fighter pilots' claims tended to be higher than actual victories. And sometimes, several pilots would fire on an enemy plane and be totally convinced that they alone caused the demise of the victim. Some pilots claimed "probables", and the issue of shared victories also arose. In addition, the Italians didn't always credit a kill to a particular pilot, but to the unit as a whole, so keeping an accurate count of who did what to who, especially nearly seventy years later, is almost impossible, especially as some units' records were lost in the course of the war. Of course, loss records from the other side are helpful, as these tend to be more realistic. The actual developmental and technical history of the airplane is left to other writers, although there is certainly enough information here for the modeler or historian to get a good grasp of the story. CR.42's were first delivered to the Regia Aeronautica in 1939, and later to the Belgians, Swedes, and Hungarians. And late in the war, the Luftwaffe took delivery of over 100. The Belgians were the first to use the type in combat against the Luftwaffe, and later the RA flew them against the French in Mussolini's "Stab in the Back" invasion of France in 1940. The Italians then used the type in North and East Africa as well as other areas in the Middle East, , usually fighting second line aircraft such as Blenheims, Battles, Wellesleys, Harts, and Gladiators. And they did quite well, considering that it took a while to develop sand filters to increase engine life. But when the Hurricanes and later types started coming, and some of the more experienced pilots were killed, the type's operational success diminished, and it was eventually replaced by more modern equipment. This book gives a battle by battle account of the use of the CR.42 in combat. It is very complete, and shows how competent pilots, even when given obsolete types, can prevail against pilots flying better performing airplanes, developing tactics that make use of the best features of the aircraft. The book also contains listings of the pilots who flew the CR.42 and scored victories with the type. In addition, 40 color plates illustrate the airplanes in their various color schemes and markings, and two pages of 1/48 scale drawings and a bibliography of 12 sources are also provided. This book will be a welcome addition to any library dealing with World War II aviation history, and the color plates alone are worth the price. It follows the usual Osprey format, and provides extensive information, not only in the text, but also in photo and drawing captions. If you have any modeling or historical interest in World War II fighter aviation, this book is the one to get. Highly recommended. Thanks to Dave Morrissette of IPMS/USA and Kerry Serini of Osprey Publishing for the review copy.