HOW STRONG IS ITALY?
CLAIMS 9,000,000 MEN CAN BE MOBILISED. Nine million Italians can be mobilised for war, it is claimed in Italy. More than 1,500,000 have been under arms since the calling up of five more classes in March. The army is divided into 90 divisions and consists of a home and colonial force. It has thousands of parachute troops trained and equipped on the German model. In the last few months this parachute corps has been increased and ’planes have been specially built to carry them. The present strength of the Italian air force is about 2140 front line ’planes and 1800 reserve ’planes of all classes. To man these there are 8000 pilots and 54,000 other ranks.
The Italian Air Force comprises the best men picked from the three fighting services. The 2140 first-line ’planes are made up as follows: 46 bomber squadrons of 10 'planes, 34 flying-boat squadrons of 10 ’planes, 30 reconnaissance squadrons of 12 ’planes. These are Italy's best lighters and bombers, and their top speeds:— Single-seat fighters: Fiat CR 42 (279 m.p.h.); Macchi C2OO (313 m.p.h.) Bombers: Savoia-Marchetti SM79b 4-seater (295 m.p.h.); Piaggin P 32, 4-5 seater (264 m.p.h.). Fighter-Bomber: Breda 88. 2-3 seater. In strength the Italian Navy is the fifth in the world, exceeded only by the fleets- of the British Empire, the United States, Japan and France,
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1940, Page 7
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227HOW STRONG IS ITALY? Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1940, Page 7
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