Lictorian Fasces over England: Regia Aeronautica in action against England 1940-41
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: Marek Sobski
Publisher: Kagero
ISBN: 978-83-62878-96-3
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 60
The story of the Battle of Britain is well known, pitting the German Luftwaffe against the RAF in pitched battles over the skies of England. What is not as well known is that there were other participants in that conflict. This book in the Kagero Air Battles series takes a look at one of those other participants, the Italians.
Having sided with Germany at the opening stages of the Second World War, Italy declared war against Britain in 1940, and soon turned their attention to North Africa and the Balkans. Taking a strong offensive stance, they left their country open to attack from the British, and the first air raids took place in June 1940. Mussolini in turn took the battle to the British, and started retaliatory strikes against targets in England.
This book breaks down that operation by first looking at the status of the Regia Aeronautica in 1940, followed by an overview of the aircraft used. The rest of the book details the specific operations, from their operations in Belgium to the skies over England to their ultimate return to Italy. Throughout the book there are plenty of photographs showing the equipment and personnel of the Regia Aeronautica during this period. Completing the book are several pages showing these aircraft in color profile illustration.
For those interested in one the lesser-known aspects of the Battle of Britain, this is a very nice book to have. The information is useful, and the visual reference material is excellent. My thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review copy.