Fiat BR . 20 The Fiat BR . 20 " Cicogna " ( Italian : " stork " ) was a low - wing twin - engine medium bomber produced from mid - 1930s until the end of World War II by the Turin firm . When it entered service in 1936 it was the first all - metal Italian bomber and it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bomber of the world . It had its baptism of fire in summer 1937 , with Aviazione Legionaria , during the Spanish Civil War , when it formed the backbone of Nationalist bombing operations along with the Heinkel He 111 . It was then used successfully by Japanese during the Second Sino - Japanese War . When Italy entered war in 1940 , the BR . 20 was the standard medium bomber of Regia Aeronautica ( Italian Air Force ) but it was already showing its age . By 1942 , it was mostly used for maritime patrol and operational training for bomber crews . More than 500 were produced before the end of the war . Design and development . In 1934 , " Regia Aeronautica " requested Italian aviation manufacturers to submit proposals for a new medium bomber ; the specifications called for speeds of 330 km / h ( 205 mph ) at 4 , 500 m ( 15 , 000 ft ) and 385 km / h ( 239 mph ) at 5 , 000 m ( 16 , 400 ft ) , a 1 , 000 km ( 620 mi ) range and 1 , 200 kg ( 2 , 600 lb ) bombload . Although Piaggio , Macchi , Breda , Caproni and Fiat offered aircraft that mainly exceeded the speed requirements ( but not range ) , not all exhibited satisfactory flight characteristics or reliability . Accepted among the successful proposals , together with the trimotor Savoia - Marchetti SM . 79 and Cant Z . 1007 , was the BR . 20 " Cicogna " designed by Celestino Rosatelli , thus gaining the prefix BR , ( for " " Bombardiere Rosatelli " " ) . The BR . 20 was designed and developed quickly , with the design being finalised in 1935 and the first prototype ( serial number " M . M . 274 " ) flown at Turin on 10 February 1936 . Production orders were quickly placed , initial deliveries being made to the " Regia Aeronautica " in September 1936 . Technical description . The BR . 20 was a twin - engine low - wing monoplane , with a twin tail and a nose separated into cockpit and navigator stations . Its robust main structure was of mixed - construction ; with a slab - sided fuselage of welded steel tube structure having duralumin skinning of the forward and centre fuselage , and fabric covering the rear fuselage . The 74 m² ( 796 ft² ) metal - skinned wings had two spars and 50 ribs ( also made of duralumin ) , with fabric - covered control surfaces . The hydraulically actuated main undercarriage elements retracted into the engine ' s nacelles , and carried 106 x 375 x 406 mm wheels . The takeoff and landing distances were quite short due to the low wing loading , while the thickness of the wing did not compromise the aircraft ' s speed . The twin tail allowed a good field of fire from the dorsal gun turret . The engines were two Fiat A . 80 RC 41s , rated at 1 , 000 cv at 4 , 100 m ( 13 , 451 ft ) , driving three - blade Fiat - Hamilton metal variable - pitch propellers . Six self - sealing fuel tank s in the centre fuselage and inner wings held 3 , 622 Ls ( US gal ) of fuel , with two oil tanks holding 112 L ( 30 US gal ) . This gave the fully loaded bomber ( carrying a 3 , 600 kg / 7 , 900 lb payload ) an endurance of 5½ hours at 350 km / h ( 220 mph ) , and 5 , 000 m ( 16 , 400 ft ) altitude . Takeoff and landing distances were 350 m ( 1 , 150 ft ) and 380 m ( 1 , 250 ft ) respectively . The theoretical ceiling was 7 , 600 m ( 24 , 930 ft ) . Crewed by four or five , the BR . 20 ' s two pilots sat side by side with the engineer / radio operator / gunner behind . The radio operator ' s equipment included a R . A . 350 - I radio - transmitter , A . R . 5 receiver and P . 3N radio compass . The navigator / bomb - aimer had a station in the nose equipped with bombsight s and a vertical camera . Another two or three crewmembers occupied the nose and the mid - fuselage , as radio - operator , navigator and gunners . The radio operator was also the ventral gunner while the last crew member was the dorsal gunner . Armament . The aircraft was fitted with a Breda model H nose turret carrying a single 7 . 7 mm ( . 303 in ) Breda - SAFAT machine gun , and was initially fitted with a Breda DR dorsal turret carrying one or two 7 . 7 mm ( . 303 in ) machine guns . This turret was unusual because it was semi - retractable : the gunner ' s view was from a small cupola , and in case of danger , he could extend the turret . This was later replaced by a Fiat M . I turret carrying a 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Breda , then by a Caproni - Lanciani Delta turret mounting a 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Scotti machine gun ( although this was unreliable ) , and finally by a more streamlined Breda R , armed with a 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Breda ; this was a much better system that did not need to be retracted because of the lower induced drag . The aircraft was fitted with a further 7 . 7 mm ( . 303 in ) machine gun in a ventral clamshell hatch that could be opened when required . The original defensive armament weighed 220 kg ( 480 lb ) . The BR . 20 ' s payload was carried entirely in the bomb bay in the following possible combinations : 2 × 800 kg ( 1 , 760 lb ) bombs as maximum load , 2 × 500 kg ( 1 , 100 lb ) , 4 × 250 kg ( 550 lb ) , 4 × 160 kg ( 350 lb ) , 12 × 100 kg ( 220 lb ) , 12 × 50 kg ( 110 lb ) , 12 × 20 kg ( 40 lb ) , or 12 × 15 kg ( 30 lb ) bombs . Combinations of different types were also possible , including 1 × 800 kg ( 1 , 760 lb ) and 6 × 100 kg ( 220 lb ) , 1 × 800 kg ( 1 , 760 lb ) and 6 × 15 or 20 kg ( 30 or 40 lb ) , or 2 × 250 kg ( 550 lb ) and 6 × 50 or 100 kg ( 110 or 220 lb ) bombs . The BR . 20 could also carry four dispensers , armed with up to 720 × 1 or 2 kg ( 2 or 4 lb ) HE or incendiary bomblets . All the bombs were loaded and released horizontally , improving the accuracy of the launch . No torpedoes were used . By the time Italy had entered World War II , a new variant , the BR . 20M , had been produced and put in service . The BR . 20M had a different nose with added glazed sections for the bombardier and a slightly longer fuselage . Also , the weight was increased because part of the fabric was substituted with metal , improving the resistance to flutter while reducing speed from 430 km / h ( 270 mph ) to 410 km / h ( 260 mph ) . Cicogna vs . Sparviero . Despite the BR . 20 being the winner of the 1934 new bomber competition , the Savoia Marchetti SM . 79 " Sparviero " , a non - competitor which was developed at practically the same time , gained a reputation that overshadowed the " Cicogna " , partly because of its performance in air - racing . The performance differences between the two aircraft were minimal : both were rated at about 430 km / h ( 270 mph ) , with maximum and typical payloads of 1 , 600 kg ( 3 , 630 lb ) and 1 , 250 kg ( 2 , 760 lb ) respectively for a range of 800 – 1 , 000 km ( 500 - 620 mi ) . Both also had three to four machine guns as defence weapons , but almost totally lacked protective armour . The reasons for the " Sparviero " s success lay in its flying characteristics . The " Sparviero " was a more difficult aircraft to fly with a heavier wingload , but overall its three engines gave more power than the two of the BR . 20 . The " Sparviero " , weighing around the same , had a reserve of power and was capable of performing acrobatic manoeuvers , even rolls . Its engines were more reliable than those of the BR . 20 and had enough power to return to base even with one shut down . The " Sparviero " s superior agility enabled it to perform as a torpedo - bomber , while the " Cicogna " was never considered for that role . Over 1 , 200 " Sparvieros " were built , at least twice as many as the " Cicogna " . Operational history . When , at the end of 1936 , the " 13° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre " ( in Lonate Pozzolo ) was equipped with the " Cicognas " it was probably the most modern bombing unit in the world . Shortly after entering service with the " Regia Aeronautica " , the aircraft became central to the propaganda campaign lauding Italian engineering . In 1937 , two stripped - down BR . 20s ( designated BR . 20A ) were built for entry into the prestigious Istres – Damascus air race gaining sixth and seventh place when S . M . 79s scored the first place , leaving the Fiats far behind . They had a rounded nose similar to civil aircraft , and had all military hardware , such as defensive turrets , removed . The internal fuel capacity was increased to 7 , 700 L ( 2 , 034 US gal ) , bringing the maximum range to 6 , 200 km ( 3 , 850 mi ) . In 1939 , a modified long - range BR . 20 version ( designated BR . 20L ) named " Santo Francesco " under the command of Maner Lualdi made a highly publicised nonstop flight from Rome to Addis Ababa at an average speed of 390 km / h ( 240 mph ) . It carried 5 , 000 l ( 1 , 321 US gal ) of fuel , increasing the range from 3 , 000 km ( 1 , 864 mi ) to 4 , 500 km ( 2 , 800 mi ) . The main task of the BR . 20 was medium - range bombing . It had many features that were very advanced for its time : with a maximum speed of over 400 km / h ( 250 mph ) and a high cruise speed of 320 km / h ( 200 mph ) , it was as fast as aircraft like the Tupolev SB light bomber s . The range and payload were also very good . Spain . Italy deployed six BR . 20s to Spain in June 1937 for use by the " Aviazione Legionaria " to fight in support of Francisco Franco ' s Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War , with a further seven aircraft sent to Spain in July 1938 . They took part in bombing raids over Teruel and at the Battle of the Ebro , proving to be sturdy and accurate bombers . The BR . 20s were fast enough to generally avoid interception from the Republican Polikarpov I - 16 s and I - 15s . Losses were very low ; nine of the 13 BR . 20s sent to Spain survived to the end of the war when they were handed over to the Spanish State to serve with the " Ejército del Aire ( EdA ) " . While the " Cicognas " were successful , just 13 examples were sent to Spain compared to at least 99 SM . 79s , which meant that the " Sparviero " was almost the Italian standard bomber , especially on day missions . Japan . In July 1937 , when Japan entered into full scale war with China ( the Second Sino - Japanese War ) , the Japanese Army Air Force found itself short of modern long - range bombers pending delivery of the Mitsubishi Ki - 21 " Sally " , which was undergoing prototype trials , and so required an interim purchase of aircraft from abroad . Italy was willing to give priority to any Japanese orders over its own requirements , and offered the Caproni Ca . 135 and the BR . 20 . While the Caproni could not meet the Japanese requirements , the BR . 20 closely matched the specification , and so an initial order was placed in late 1937 for 72 Br . 20s , soon followed by an order for a further 10 aircraft . Deliveries to Manchuria commenced in February 1938 , with the BR . 20 ( designated the I - Type ( " Yi - shiki " ) ) replacing the obsolete Mitsubishi Ki - 1 , equipping two Air Wings ( the 12th and 20th " Sentai " ) , which were heavily deployed on long - range bombing missions against Chinese cities and supply centres during the winter of 1938 – 39 . The BR . 20s were operating with no fighter cover at the extremes of their range and consequently incurred heavy losses from Chinese fighters , as did the early Ki - 21s that shared the long - range bombing tasks . The fabric - covered surfaces were viewed as vulnerable , even if the main structure of this aircraft was noticeably robust . The aircraft had unsatisfactory range and defensive armament , but the first Ki - 21s that entered service were not much better , except for their all - metal construction and the potential for further development when better engines became available ( both types initially used two 746 kW / 1 , 000 hp engines ) . The 12th " Sentai " was redeployed to the Mongolian - Manchurian border to fight in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol , but when this conflict ended , in September 1939 , the BR . 20s were progressively withdrawn and replaced by the Ki - 21 . Despite having been phased out from operational service , the BR . 20 was allocated the Allied reporting name " " Ruth " . " World War II . Following Nazi Germany ' s invasion of France in April 1940 , and with German forces pushing deep into France , Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom on 10 June 1940 . At this time , only four wings operated BR . 20s compared to the 14 wings equipped with SM . 79s , with 172 " Cicognas " being in service with the " Regia Aeronautica " including those not yet delivered to operational squadrons . The units equipped with the " Cicogna " were the 7° , 13° , 18° and 43° " Stormo " ( Wing ) , all based in Northern Italy . France . The aircraft of the 7° , 13° and 43° " Stormo " fought in the brief campaign against France . On the night of 12 June 1940 , eight bombers from 13° attacked Toulon dockyard . The next day , 10 Fiat BR . 20s dropped bombs on Hyères and Fayence airfields ; two aircraft ( commanded by Catalano and Sammartano ) were shot down and one was badly damaged . The same day , 28 BR . 20s from 43° and 7° " Stormo " bombed Toulon again , with no losses . On 15 June , one BR . 20M ( " Matricola Militare " MM . 21837 ) of the newly formed 172a " Squadriglia Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre " based on Bresso airfield , was shot down on Provence by Dewoitine D . 520 s , the French air defences in the south having not been defeated by the German attack in the north . Small - scale air raids continued until the French surrender , with many BR . 20s also used in support for the Army - bombing Briançon , Traversette and Cap San Martin fortresses on the Alps - and as reconnaissance aircraft . At the end of the French campaign , five BR . 20s had been lost and 19 airmen killed . Britain . It was against the British on the Channel that for the very first time the BR . 20 showed its limitations . On 10 September 1940 , was formed the " Corpo Aereo Italiano " , with 13° and 43° " Stormi " equipped with 80 brand - new BR . 20Ms , to fight in the Battle of Britain . During the ferry operation from Italy to their bases in Belgium , five aircraft crash - landed for technical failures and a further 17 were forced to land en route due to poor visibility . On the night of 24 October , the 13° and 43° took off for their first bombing mission , on Harwich , with eight BR . 20s each . A plane crashed taking off , because of engine failure , while two more got lost on their return , failing to find their airfield and their crews bailing out . On 29 October , 15 aircraft of 43° " Stormo " bombed Ramsgate , in daylight , with no loss . In a famous battle on 11 November , a formation of 10 BR . 20s from 43° " Stormo " , escorted by Fiat CR . 42 biplane fighters – but not by the Fiat G . 50 s - on a daylight raid on Harwich , was intercepted by Royal Air Force Hurricanes . Despite the escort , three bombers were downed ( together with three CR . 42s ) and three more damaged , with no loss to the Hurricanes . Winston Churchill commented on this raid , which occurred on the same day as the Fleet Air Arm ' s attack on Taranto : " " They might have found better employment defending their Fleet at Taranto . " " The BR . 20s of the " Corpo Aereo Italiano " still bombed Ipswich and Harwich during the nights of 5 , 17 , 20 , 29 November , three times in December and two at the beginning of January , with no loss . On 10 January 1941 , the 43° " Stormo " flew back to Italy , followed by the 13° before the end of the month . During 12 days of bombing missions , the “ Cicognas ” dropped 54 , 320 kg ; three aircraft were lost to enemy fire , 17 more for other reasons and 15 airmen were killed . Still , almost 200 modern aircraft were involved , weakening the " Regia Aeronautica " s presence in the Mediterranean . North Africa . On 27 February 1941 , 14 " Cicogne " of 98° " Gruppo " , 43° " Stormo " , that had been in service with " Corpo Aereo Italiano " in Belgium , led by commander De Wittembeschi , left Italy bound for Tripolitania , in Libya . On 11 March they landed on Castel Benito airfield . Subsequently they were allocated to Bir Dufan base , where they replaced the Savoia - Marchetti SM . 81 s . The BR . 20s were tasked to bomb the British forces , in particular the key port of Tobruk . North Africa was never a primary theatre for the " Cicogna " , but 13 " Stormo " ( Wing ) was sent there to continue the night attacks against the British in July 1941 – April 1942 . One of the last sorties occurred on 7 March 1942 , when two Fiats machine - gunned some Arabians servicing with British troops , near Oberdan village , subsequently 11° and 43° " Gruppi " started withdrawal to Italy . On 12 April the whole " Stormo " was back to Reggio Emilia base : during the African campaign , with the type suffering many mechanical troubles because of the desert sand , losses amounted to 15 " Cicogne " . The last use over Africa was when 55° " Gruppo " aircraft contested Operation Torch . Malta . BR . 20s were used in the Malta campaign in 1941 , 1942 and 1943 . On 7 May 1941 , 19° " Gruppo " from 43° " Stormo " , left Lonate Pozzolo with eight aircraft and arrived in Gerbini , Sicily . On 22 May the BR . 20s started to carry out raids against the besieged island almost nightly . The first loss occurred on 8 of June . On 9 June , the 31° " Gruppo " arrived from Aviano , with 18 bombers , but in less than three months the units lost 12 BR . 20s . In October the 37° " Stormo " arrived in Sicily with the 116° " Gruppo " , based on Fontanarossa airfield , and the 55° " Gruppo " , in Gerbini . But in the first month those units too lost nine aircraft , due to accidents or enemy fire . Attrition remained high , and BR . 20 units continued to be rotated to bases on Sicily to continue the offensive against Malta though 1941 and 1942 . On 1 May 1942 , the 88° " Gruppo " landed in Castelvetrano with 17 new machines ( one crash landed on the Appennini Mountains ) . The units started operational service on 8 May , dropping 4AR mines . Before the end of August , five aircraft were lost and that same month the BR . 20s left Sicily . In the 16 months of their Malta campaign , 41 “ Cicognas ” were shot down or lost through accidents . The Fiat bombers returned for a short time in 1943 with attacks on Malta . Russia . Several BR . 20s were sent to Russia in August 1942 , to perform long - range reconnaissance and bombing sortie in support of CSIR , Italian Army on Eastern Front . On 3 August 1941 , two BR - 20s arrived in Ukraine and were assigned to 38a " Squadriglia osservazione aerea " ( reconnaissance squadron ) of 71° " Gruppo " . Three days later they had their baptism of fire , bombing enemy troops at Werch Mamor , along Don river . More BR . 20s arrived on 5 September from 43° " Stormo " . Three of them were assigned to 116a " Squadriglia " . They usually flew alone bombing sorties , carrying 36 small - baskets of incendiary bombes to drop on enemy troops in urban areas . On 5 October , three Mikoyan Mig - 1 s and a Yakovlev Yak - 1 attacked the BR . 20 flown by " Capitano " Emilio d ’ Emilei . The Fiat crew claimed two Soviet fighters and the bomber managed to land back to airfield , in Kantemirovka ( Кантемировка ) , in Voronež Oblast ' , but the pilot was wounded . The BR . 20s were withdrawn from eastern Front in spring 1943 , at first to Odessa and , subsequently , to Italy , on 13 April . Other fronts . During the course of the war , BR . 20s were used in Albania and Greece as well . They were also used extensively in Yugoslavia against Josip Broz Tito ' s partisans . Other BR . 20s were used to drop food and other material to the Italian Army , often trapped in the Balkans , faced with Yugoslavian resistance . After the first year of war , the limitations of this type were evident . It was highly vulnerable to enemy attacks , as Japanese experience had shown in 1938 , and the aircraft was replaced by the Cant Z . 1007 and Savoia - Marchetti SM . 84 in almost all operational units that had employed the BR . 20 . By 1943 , when the Italian armistice was signed , many had been relegated to training , although 81 were with operational units , mostly in the Balkans and Italy ; also later serving on the Eastern Front . Italy invaded Greece in October 1940 , and deployed increasing numbers of BR . 20s in attacks on Greece from bases in Italy and Albania in support of the Italian Army while it was being driven back into Albania . They were involved in heavy battles with the Greeks and British , often facing fierce RAF opposition , as happened on 27 February 1941 , when four BR . 20s were lost or heavily damaged . This force was redeployed against Yugoslavia during the more successful German and Italian invasion in April 1941 , using a strong detachment ( 131 aircraft ) in four groups . While the main front line task remained that of night bombing , especially against Malta , other roles included reconnaissance and the escort of convoys in the Mediterranean . For escort duties , aircraft were fitted with bombs and possibly depth charges , but with no other special equipment . They were used in this role from 1941 , with 37° Wing ( Lecce ) , 13° Wing ( end of 1942 ) , 116° , 32 Group ( Iesi , from 1943 ) , and 98° ( based in Libya ) from 1941 . One of the 55° aircraft was lost in August 1941 against British torpedo bomber s , while between 9 August – 11 September 1941 , 98° escorted 172 ships from Italy to Libya . In almost all these units , the " Cicogna " was operated together with other aircraft , such as the Caproni Ca . 314 . This escort task was quite effective , at least psychologically , although the " Cicogna " was hampered by the lack of special equipment and , consequently , no submarines were sunk . At the time of the September 1943 Armistice between Italy and the Allies , 67 BR . 20s were operational with front line operational units , mainly being used on anti - partisan operations , although most aircraft had been relegated to the training role . During the final years of the war , some surviving aircraft remained in use as trainers and transports . A small number were used by the RSI after the Armistice , with only one retained by the Italian Co - Belligerent Air Force , which used it for communications duties . The last BR . 20 was retired on 7 June 1946 and none survive today . Final developments . BR . 20 was a good overall design , but it soon became obsolete , and the lack of improved versions condemned it to be only a second - line machine , underpowered and lacking in defensive firepower . The final production variant was the BR . 20bis which was a complete redesign . It had a fully glazed nose , a retractable tail wheel , and more streamlined fuselage , pointed fins , although the main change was increased engine power from two 932 kW ( 1 , 250 hp ) Fiat A . 82 RC 42 radial engines and improved and heavier armament . The nose held a simple machine gun position rather than the turret used on earlier aircraft and two waist blisters were fitted over the wing trailing edge while the dorsal turret was a Breda Type V instead of the earlier Caproni Lanciani type . While this was considered to be an improvement over the previous versions , planned production was limited , as the " Regia Aeronautica " had placed large orders for the CRDA CANT Z . 1018 . Originally , 98 were ordered , but only 15 BR . 20bis were built from March to July 1943 , with heavy Allied bombing of Fiat ' s Turin factory preventing further production . There is no evidence that they were used operationally . Experimental versions included the BR . 20C , a gunship with a 37 mm ( 1 . 46 in ) cannon in the nose and another aircraft was modified with a tricycle undercarriage . Another was modified to guide radio - commanded unmanned aircraft filled with explosives , but this was never used in combat . Including those sold to Japan , at least 233 standard BR . 20s were made , along with 264 – 279 BR . 20Ms being built from February 1940 .