Corpo Aereo Italiano The " Italian Air Corps " ( Corpo Aereo Italiano , or CAI ) was an expeditionary force of the Italian Royal Air Force ( " Regia Aeronautica " ) that participated in the Battle of Britain during the final months of 1940 during World War II . The CAI supported the German Air Force ( " Luftwaffe " ) and flew against the British Royal Air Force ( RAF ) . The CAI achieved limited success during its brief existence . In general , the corps was hampered by the inadequacy of its equipment . Formation . Italian dictator Benito Mussolini insisted on providing an element of the Italian Royal Air Force ( " Regia Aeronautica " ) to assist his German ally during the Battle of Britain . On 10 September 1940 , the CAI was formed , under the formal aegis of the " 1a Squadra Aerea " di Milano ( " First ' Milan ' Air Command " ) . Air Marshal ( " Generale sa " ) Rino Corso - Fougier was appointed Air Officer Commanding . Aircraft . Supporting aircraft included five CANT Z . 1007 used for reconnaissance and Caproni Ca . 133 transport planes . On 25 September , the bombers arrived at their airfield in Melsbroek , Belgium after an eventful journey which saw several planes force land or even crash due to malfunctions and poor weather . The fighter element arrived later at Ursel , also in Belgium . Operations . On the night of 24 October 1940 , the CAI conducted its first raid , when eighteen BR . 20s took off to attack Harwich and Felixstowe . Not all aircraft found their targets and three were lost in accidents or after becoming lost . The next major operation of the CAI was on 29 October . This date is regarded by some historians as the last day of the Battle of Britain . In response to a raid on several northern Italian cities , fifteen BR . 20s with a strong fighter escort bombed Ramsgate by day . The Italian bombers were sighted crossing Kent at a relatively low level . The bombers flew in formation , wing tip to wing tip . The open - cockpit , fixed - undercarriage fighter escorts accompanied them in a similar immaculate order . The Italian aircraft were painted pale green and bright blue . This was camouflage more suitable for a more exotic climate than that found in Britain in late October . Five Italian aircraft suffered damage due to flak . At least one of the bombers was seen at 16 : 40 hours in Deal , Kent that afternoon , some fourteen miles from Ramsgate and dropped three HE bombs , one just outside the Officers ' Mess at the Royal Marines Depot , killing Second Lieutenant Nelson , four Marines , and one Private from the King ' s Shropshire Light Infantry . All but one were buried together in the Hamilton Road Cemetery , Deal , Kent . The next few days saw several small raids . On 11 November 1940 , the day before the battle fleet of the Italian Royal Navy ( " Regia Marina Italia " ) was attacked at Taranto , the CAI saw its first major combat against the RAF . Ten bombers were escorted by forty - two CR . 42s , the G . 50s , and some German Messerschmitt Bf 109 s assigned to them . The mission was aborted due to bad weather . However , Hurricanes from 257 , 46 , and 17 Squadrons intercepted the aircraft and destroyed three bombers and three fighters . In addition , four bombers eventually force landed , two fighters were destroyed on landing , and another eight fighters landed with damage . British losses were two fighters damaged . One of the Fiats was repaired by the British and subsequently evaluated . Of the Italian fighter aircraft , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill later wrote , " They might have found better employment defending the fleet at Taranto . " Fighter to fighter combat was no more successful for the CAI . On 23 November , the Italian biplanes were " bounced " by Spitfire Mk . IIs and two were shot down by Archibald Winskill with several others damaged , in return for one Spitfire damaged . Further bombing raids were carried out by the CAI , mainly on the Ipswich and Harwich areas . Redeployment . Near the beginning of January 1941 , all of the bombers and biplanes were redeployed . This left the CAI with only the Fiat G . 50s , which remained until mid - April 1941 , when they too were redeployed . Impact . The first operation by the CAI was on 28 October . As late as 4 November , a " Time " magazine article only indicated that there was a possibility that an Italian air force unit might be sent to participate in the Battle of Britain . Biplane versus monoplane . Although the main fighter used by the Corpo Aereo Italiano was a biplane , which , in purely technical terms , would be outclassed by more modern monoplanes , this was not the case all the time . On 11 and 23 November 1940 , CR . 42s flew two raids against Great Britain as part of the " Corpo Aereo Italiano " . Although the German " Luftwaffe " aircraft had difficulty flying in formation with the slower biplanes , the " Falcos " , though slower , and with an open cockpit , no radio , and armed with only two machine guns ( a 12 . 7 mm / . 5 in and a 7 . 7 mm / . 303 in Breda - SAFAT ) , could easily out - turn Hurricanes and Spitfires , making them difficult to hit . " The CR 42 turned to fight using all the aeroplane ' s manoeuvrability . The pilot could get on my tail in a single turn , so tightly was he able to pull round . " As the RAF intelligence report stated , the " Falcos " were hard targets . " As I fired he half rolled very tightly and I was completely unable to hold him , so rapid were his manoeuvres . I attacked two or three more and fired short bursts , in each case the enemy aircraft half - rolled very tightly and easily and completely out - turned me . In two cases as they came out of their rolls , they were able to turn in almost on my tail and opened fire on me . " Against British monoplanes , the CR . 42s were not always outclassed . " I engaged one of the British fighters from a range of between 40 to 50 metres ( 130 – 165 ft ) . Then I saw a Spitfire , which was chasing another CR . 42 , and I got in a shot at a range of 150 metres ( 500 ft ) . I realised that in a manoeuvered flight , the CR . 42 could win or survive against Hurricanes and Spitfires , though we had to be careful of a sweep from behind . In my opinion , the English . 303 bullet was not very effective . Italian aircraft received many hits which did no material damage and one pilot even found that his parachute pack had stopped a bullet . "