Corpo Aeronautico Militare
| Corpo Aeronautico Militare | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Active | 1915–1923 |
| Country |
.svg){kind=small} Kingdom of Italy
|
| Allegiance | Victor Emmanuel III |
| Branch |
.svg){kind=small} Royal Italian Army
|
| Role | Air Force |
| Size | 20,000 aircraft produced |
| Engagements | World War I |
| Disbanded | 1923 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Maurizio Moris |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack |
SPAD S.VII Hanriot HD.1 Nieuport 11 |
| Bomber | Caproni Ca.1 |
| Reconnaissance |
Pomilio PE Ansaldo SVA |
The Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Aviation Corps) was formed as part of the part of the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) on 7 January 1915, incorporating the Aviators Flights Battalion (airplanes), the Specialists Battalion (airships) and the Ballonists Battalion. Prior to World War I, Italy had pioneered military aviation in the Italo-Turkish War during 1911–1912. Its army also contained one of the world's foremost theorists about the future of military aviation, Giulio Douhet; Douhet also had a practical side, as he was largely responsible for the development of Italy's Caproni bombers starting in 1913. Italy also had the advantage of a delayed entry into World War I, not starting the fight until 24 May 1915, but took no advantage of it so far as aviation was concerned.
Italy entered World War I with an air force technologically comparable to a force on the Western Front in 1914. Lacking fighter aircraft, throughout the war the Italians resorted to airplanes supplied by the French either directly or built under license. The early air force was also woefully tactically deficient; basically, its fighter craft were scrambled into the air only when enemy planes were spotted overhead. However, the Caproni bombers developed to operational status, flying their first sorties on 20 August 1915.
After the war the Corpo Aeronautico Militare became the basis of the Regia Aeronautica, which became an air force independent of the Royal Italian Army on 28 March 1923.
Italy was a pioneer in pre-World War I military aviation, using aircraft in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911. It also had one of military aviation's prophets within its army's ranks, in Giulio Douhet. In June 1911, even before the fighting began in Libya, Douhet predicted that the most effective opponent of military aircraft would be other aircraft. He also predicted the greater vulnerability to enemy action of lighter-than-air machines.
The Libyan flight experiment may have delivered only four small bombs, but the potential of air power was explicit enough that both the Regio Esercito and the Regia Marina established air units in 1912. The naval air unit was dubbed the Sezioni Idrovolanti (Seaplane Section). The army's Battaglione Aviatori (Aviation Battalion) for heavier-than-air craft was established on 27 June. On 28 November 1912, the two new units were collectively dubbed the Servizio Aeronautico Militare.
...
Wikipedia