page_title: Franco Bordoni
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Franco Bordoni / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: Italian Fiat CR.42 fighter
context_page_description: Franco Bordoni-Bisleri was an Italian aviator and racing car driver. He is one of the top-scoring aces of the Regia Aeronautica, with 19 air victories. His nickname was "Robur" and was painted on most of his aircraft and racing cars.
context_section_description: When Italy entered the war in June 1940, he rejoined the Regia Aeronautica and was sent to 95ᵃ Squadriglia of 18° Gruppo, based in Albenga airfield, during the fighting against France and was then assigned to the Italian Air Corps (Corpo Aereo Italiano) and in October arrived in Belgium for the last part of the Battle of Britain.
  He recalled: "My first visit to Libya was in August 1940... I returned on 29 January 1941 when I served with 18° Gruppo (3° Stormo) until 14 August 1941."
  Bordoni, who had his nickname "Robur" (related to the family brand) painted on his plane, obtained his first air victory on 10 March 1941: flying a Fiat CR.42 for 95ᵃ Squadriglia, he shot down a Bristol Blenheim, 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of Benghazi. On 14 April, still flying a CR.42, he attacked – together with some FIAT G.50 from 155° Gruppo Autonomo C.T. – the Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 from Fighter Squadron 73 that were bouncing the Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" in action on Tobruk bay. During the dogfight, Bordoni-Bisleri downed the Hurricane flown by Pilot Officer Lamb. According to other sources, Bisleri shot down the Hurricane Mk.I V7553 "TP-E" of Flight Sergeant Herbert Garth Webster (RAF No. 519739), who was killed. Three days later, 17 April, he claimed another Blenheim, destroyed 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Derna.
  In May, while his unit was stationed in Benghazi, he was promoted to Tenente and was awarded his first Medaglia d'argento al valore militare and the German Iron Cross. 
  On 2 June he shot down two more Blenheims, on the Port of Benghazi and 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the coast, but his CR.42 was damaged by defensive fire. For these claims he was awarded his second Medaglia d'argento al valore militare. On the evening of 28 July 1941 he and one other CR.42 took part in an attack on a British submarine south of Benghazi together with five Ju 87s. It is possible that the submarine was HMS Union, which was claimed to have been sunk.
  "In 1941 – he remembered – the CR.42 was a good aircraft, easy to fly. strong and manoeuvrable, but it lacked sufficient speed and armament. It was possible to fight Gladiators, Blenheims and Wellingtons in this aircraft, but against other aircraft it was outclassed."
  Upon returning to Italy in August of the same year, 18° Gruppo was re-equipped with Fiat G.50. By the time they were moved to Greece, the 18° had shifted to Macchi C.200 "Saetta". But here the unit never encountered any enemy planes.
  In the beginning of October 1942 the 3° Stormo pilots started to receive their first MC.202s as replacements for lost MC.200s. 
  "The situation became very different – he recalled –  as with this new aircraft it was possible to successfully combat Hurricanes and P-40s and it was easier to intercept bombers." The score of Bisleri started to rise. On 20 October he claimed a twin-engined bomber over Fuka. In fact, during the day a Martin Baltimore was lost over El Daba and a Martin Maryland from 203 Squadron was also lost and it is possible that Bordoni-Bisleri's claim matches these losses.
  Six days later, on 26 October, Bordoni-Bisleri (83ᵃ Squadriglia, 18° Gruppo) with eleven other pilots of 3° Stormo and seven from 4° (all flying 202s) attacked a wide formation of thirty Kittyhawks and seventeen Spitfires covering twelve Bostons and six Baltimores, in the Fuka and Daba areas. Bordoni-Bisleri claimed one of the Kittyhawks, which crash-landed about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast of Fuka (Flying Officer J. G. Meredith) but according to some sources the same pilot was claimed by Tenente Vittorio Squarcia (73ᵃ Squadriglia). Bisleri claimed another Kittyhawk, on 30 October, over El Kattara, in El Alamein area, while returning from a reconnaissance flight. On 1 November 1942, he and his wingman Tenente Caetani attacked 15 P-40s on the road Sidi el Barrani – Marsa Matrouh. Bordoni-Bisleri shot down two P-40s and Caetani claimed a third. For this achievement they were awarded a Medaglia d'argento al valore militare (Bordoni-Bisleri's third).
  Three days later on 4 November, Bordoni-Bisleri, with Capitano Mario Pinna of 74ᵃ
caption: A Fiat CR.42 in Regia Aeronautica service – Bordoni achieved his first air victory flying the nimble Fiat biplane, shooting down a Bristol Blenheim, 100 km (62 mi) east of Benghazi on 10 March 1941
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