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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2046.PDF
ig6 FLIGHT AUGUST iyiH, 1943 TALY'S AIR POWER 'supply of fuel. Before the war practically all her requirements had to be covered by imports. To foster domestic production the A.G.I.P. (Azienda Generate Italiana Petroli) was formed. In 1941 it was entrusted with the control of all fuel supplies, research and the administration of about twenty-four enemy enterprises which had either depots or refineries in Italy. Rumania is a-t present Italy's main source of supply of natural fuel oil. The resources of Albania (near Valona, in the Vojussa Valley, and in the area of the rivers Osum-Devoli) operated by the A I.P.A. (Azienda Italiana Petroli Albanesi) have been consistently expanded, and in 1938 their annual output amounted to 127,000 tons. Experimental drilling in the Po Valley, in Apulia, Sicily, Latium and Abruzzi gave no results. Fuel Shortage The development of large-scale synthetic fuel production wasimpeded . by the lack of adequate coal supplies. The A.N.I.C., a Government-controlled parent company, operatesrefineries in Novara, Bari, Leghorn and Naples. Early this year it was announced that the: hydrogenation plant originallybuilt for the production of automotive fuels had been improved for the manufacture of high-grade aviation fuel and lubricants.But since R.A.F. Bomber Command has paid due attention to these centres it can safely be assumed that that report isby now out of date. The expedient of effecting savings in the general petrol con-sumption by switching a part of it over to producer gas is handicapped by the lack of adequate timber and coal supplies.In this tangle of difficulties the only readily available " Ersatz " was found in methane gas. Endeavours were made to utilisethis for industry, and recently Milan was connected by a pipe- line with the main source of supply at Piacenza. Plans have also been adopted for the exploitation of methanegas from city drainage systems. But all these schemes remain within the. domain of the future, while the present actual-output of methane gas does not exceed 60,000,000 cu. m. per annum, representing a saving of only 78,000 tons of petrol. This shortage of fuel, although not critical hitherto, isundoubtedly the most sensitive spot in Italy's armour, and potentially the most dangerous to the survival of the opera-tional power of Italy's Air Force. Lying, as Italy does, under a criss-cross of Allied air ranges, the question of fuels and lubri-cants must have a paralysing effect on Italy's war machine, addition to the weakness caused by lack of materials,._ _:_ _ i_^1gtn j3 seriousiy impaired by the unfavourable locational distribution of the aircraft industry. Since only few- parts of Italy are more than forty miles distant from the sea, and no real hinterland is available for strategical dispersal, the vulnerability of aircraft plants has been a constant source of worry to the Fascist Government. The most important aircraft works are in the north (Mtlan, Sesto-Calende, Varese, .Turin, Pisa, etc.), but their close proximity to the French border was considered to be too dangerous, even before the war. Ever since Mussolini in the summer of 1937 declared Sicily " the centre of gravity of the Italian World Empire," attempts have been made to move the industry more to the south. In 1938 plans were adopted for the transfer of plants to, and erection of new ones in the vicinity of, Rome and the south. With the change in the strategic situation, caused by the Allied domination of North African air bases, this problem has acquired the dimensions of a predicament. It appears that in these circumstances the senior partner of the Axis had decided to move some precious equipment—lock, stock and barrel—-to some safer regions, as illustrated by the recently reported transfer of Fiat plants away from Italy. . And what of the Regia? '^Vhen I think," answers General Fougier, until recently the C.-in-C. of the Regia, "that our Air Force had, for three years following the wear and tear of preceding wars, to oppose an enemy abundantly provided with aircraft, there is reason to be proud of what has been done." But, setting sentiment aside, the facts are that during these fatal three years the Regia has suffered severe losses. Its man-power has been depleted by the loss of 12,500 men, of whom 2,000 were officers. In addition, since feverish prepara- tions were necessary to make up for losses, training had been accelerated and the accident rate was rather high. Seven hundred officers and about 3,000 N.C.O.s were killed or- wounded as the result of flying accidents during the " feverish preparations for ensuring the efficiency of the Air Force." (Official Italian Report, 14.5.43.) An Italian Prediction With the intensification of air warfare in the Mediterraneanwar zone the depletion of cadres continued unabated, and with the increased calls upon the Air Force, and the correspondingacceleration of training, the accident rate has, if anything" remained the same. ' Nothing can illustrate tetter the future fate of the Regiathan a frank statement by Italy's Under-Secretary for the Navy, dealing with the Air: "We do not possess "the forceswe would like to have to meet possible attacks.". And the Chief of the Regia went right to the core of the matter when,in the recent deliberations on the budget estimates, he declared: "The war in the air is merciless against oldmaterial." A HARMLESS VARIETY : One of the de Havilland civil Mosquitoes now in service with British Overseas Airways for urgent communications about to take off on a night journey.
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