Giovanni Sabelli Tenente Giovanni Sabelli was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories . At the start of World War I , he was already an experienced combat pilot . Early life . On 23 September 1886 in Napoli , Giovanni Sabelli was born into a wealthy family . He studied engineering in New York . Sabelli was a pilot even before World War I , having learned to fly at Brooklands , England in 1912 . He was awarded his pilot ' s certificate by the Royal Aero Club on 30 January 1912 . During the First Balkan War , he volunteered to fly combat for the Bulgarians against the Turks . Indeed , he was reputed to be one of the organizers of the air effort versus the Ottoman Empire . Flying career . Sabelli volunteered for military service when Italy finally entered World War I . He was a reserve sotto - tenente in the Engineering Corps . Although already a licensed pilot and a combat veteran , he had to pass new flying examinations to fly for his country ; he passed both basic and advanced military licenses for Aviatik s in August 1915 . After being assigned on 30 August , he flew familiarization flights with the Adriatic Defense Flight before being sent to France to train on Nieuport 11 s in mid - October 1915 . He returned to Italy to fly combat for a while , being posted on 1 February 1916 to 2a Squadriglia Caccia , but without scoring any aerial victories , but winning a Silver Medal of Military Valor . While assigned here , he also served temporary duty as a Nieuport test pilot at Malpensa between 29 May and 2 July 1915 . On 9 September 1916 , he was promoted to tenente . He was also transferred in September . His next assignment was command of a Nieuport Defence Section ( later to become " 85a Squadriglia " ) in Albania . Being eager to score victories , he wished to return to the fighting in Italy ; he mentioned this to Francesco Baracca . On 23 March 1917 , Baracca alerted Sabelli that his return to Italy was imminent . When the orders came through in April , Sabelli managed a return surface journey from Albania to Italy in only 22 hours . He rejoined his old unit , now denoted as 71a Squadriglia . He would spend only a few days there . On 9 May 1917 , he was assigned to 91a Squadriglia at the request of Baracca , who was amassing a squadron of the best Italian fighter pilots , although he did not physically join it until 23 June . Sabelli had an insignia of a ladder painted on his Spad . In company with Michele Allasia , Sabelli scored his first victory on 10 August 1917 , shooting down a Hansa - Brandenburg C . I trailing leader ' s streamers . On 6 September , Sabelli launched such an impetuous attack on a Hansa - Brandenburg C . I that he nearly collided with Barraca ; the Austro - Hungarian plane crashlanded with the observer dead and the pilot wounded , for Sabelli ' s second triumph . On 17 September , he singlehandedly shot down another C . I . On 23 September , his best friend Ferruccio Ranza joined him in killing an Austro - Hungarian crew from Flik 35 . On 29 September , he finished his string of five , joining Giorgio Pessi and Cosimo Rizzotto in killing another Austro - Hungarian air crew . He was awarded another Silver Medal . Death in action . On 25 October 1917 , he was flying as a wingman to Pier Piccio near the Battle of Caporetto when Piccio attacked an enemy two - seater . Piccio ' s guns jammed , and Sabelli took his place as the shooter . An enemy patrol surprised Sabelli from behind and shot him down trailing smoke . Sabelli ' s body was never found . Ferruccio Ranza adopted Sabelli ' s ladder insignia , having it painted on his own Spad VII in remembrance of his friend .