ITALY'S POWER IN THE AIR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 166, 31 July 1937, Page 15

ITALY'S POWER IN THE AIR

Force of 2000 Machines

JTALY recently celebrated the fourteeuth anniversary of the fouwling of the Italian Boyal Air Forcc. The. principal ceremony was held in Botne, on the Palatine Hill. The King and Signor Mussolini, both m aviation uniform, vere present at a parade of 8000 pilota and hundreds of thonsands of Air Force men and flying pnpils frqm all centres of Italy. * Begimental flags, squadron bannors, and deeorations won by flying units were ceremoniously conferred. These emblems were handed over to colour parties gathered in the picturesque surroundings of the ancient etadium, The King's post of Uonour was on a Boman marble throne. The ritual was marked with an inno> vation— periodic bursts of machine-gun tire and the explosion of bombs. For two hotlrs the city sounded more like Madrid than Bome. All the Diplomatac Corps and a great number of the pnblie attended the ceremony. Martial music, a glimpse of spring sunshine, iluttering pennants, and colour everywhere created a stirling scene in that historical site. The day also marked the inauguratioa of Italy 'a aviation service. When Signor Mussolini came into power the Italian Air Force was a suhsidiary arm under an Air Commissary. It consisted- only of abont seventy machines and 500 officers and other ranks, with no civil aviation whatever. Created by Signor Mussolini as the "Italian Boyal Air Force" in 1923, it had, after ten years, more than 1500 machines, 22,000 officers and other ranks, a civil aviation covering a national network of 18,600 miles, and a useful total of world records in every dopartment of flying from speed to altitude. Feriodical reforms increased the efficiency and strength of this fighting arm which the Duce considers not only the weapon of the future, bnt also ilaly's, most economie means of teaching the military potency on which her clarnis as a flrst-clasa power must largely Test. The reorganisation, marking a further stage in this evolution of Italy 's ttying strength, has come into force.

'ihis new organisation, as detailed in the official Gazettes, shows that the Air Force now consists of a generai st^tff, four territorial zone commands, on East Africa command, and commands for Sicily, Sardinia, the Aegean if iands, and Libya. Interior organisation consists of: 1. — Boyal Aeronautics, divided into police, fighting services, and speCialists. 2.— Air Force engmeers and tecbnicians. 3.— -Gommissariat and administration. 4. — Medical corps. 5. — Military and war schools. 6. — Schools for applied Air Force arms. 7. — Sehools for specialists 8. — Schools for observers, pilots, parachute work, invisible and stratnsphere flying. 8. — A vast organisation to encourage flying among sthdents and higher schoolboys. Under this new arrangement the Force comprises 93 Aviation Groups, 1,5 Observation Groups, and 5 Assault Groups (Stormi) operating with the Army; 4 Naval Air commands; and Colonial commands. The number of machines is not publifhed, but an Air Force Group consists ox two of more squadrons, and a squadron normally consists of about nine machines. The Air Force alone is, therefore, is shown to have a minimum of 1674 machines. A "Stormi" normally consists of two or more groups. The machines with the Army (between Observation and Assault) are, therefore, shown to be about 450. The strength and composition of the JS'aval and Colonial commands, preeumably, vary with cireumstances. Ir comparison with the 500 all ranks ■\f 1923 and the 22,000 of 1933, the Air fc'orce strength to-day is given as 4087 officers and 8144 N.C.O.'s. The rank and file, plus aviation students, run far mto six figures. Not satisfied with these totals. the i.ew organisation allows for an expan sun within the next four years to 7670 officers and 12,647 N.C.O.'s.