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Balbo's Amazing Flight by Stan Stokes.
Italo Balbo, the father of the Italian Air Force, appointed undersecretary for air in 1926, was truly amazing. His first task was to complete a study that concluded that the Aeronautica was woefully inadequate in terms of ground support facilities, supplies, spare parts, fuel, and ammunition. In addition his study concluded that the 551 aircraft of record included only 200-300 combat ready planes. Balbo, like Billy Mitchell in America, believed that a powerful argument for an air force independent from the control of either the army or the navy could be made. Many of Balbos beliefs were derived from conversations with Giulio Droughet, the famous Italian air combat theorist. In Balbos view the Aeronautica should have a first strike capability, and he shared Droughets view that the days of single plane raids were over. Future air attacks would involve waves of hundreds, if not thousands, of aircraft. By 1926 Italy had its share of accomplished aviators including De Pinedo, De Bernardi, and Ferrarin, but Balbo did not appreciate the prima donna image of these record setters. He conceived the idea of record setting massed flights to show the collective heroism of the Regia Aeronautica, and as a way to sway public opinion of his belief, and in the process earn a larger budget. The first massed flight of 61 seaplanes toured ports in the western Mediterranean in May and June of 1928. As the tour progressed the formation flying skills of the pilots improved and wherever they went they were received enthusiastically. A second massed flight of the eastern Mediterranean, utilizing 35 aircraft, took place later, and both these flights increased the prestige of the fascist regime in Italy. In December of 1928 Balbo visited America, and he immediately began planning in his mind the possibility of a massed flight to America. In 1931 Balbo took 12 SM.55X flying boats to Brazil, and by 1933 he was ready for his trip to America. Utilizing 25 aircraft Balbo once again chose the reliable SM.55X. The route would include stops in Amsterdam, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Montreal, and finally Chicago. On July 15, 1933 Balbos aerial armada arrived over Lake Michigan. Hundreds of thousands of spectators jammed the Chicago shoreline to welcome the aviators. Four days later Balbo lead his team to New York, where they made several passes over Manhattan before landing at the Coney Island seaplane base. The Italians drew huge crowds in New York, and Balbo traveled to Washington to meet with President Roosevelt and Wiley Post. Mussolini grew jealous of the attention Balbo was receiving and wired him to return to Italy. He later removed him as head of the Aeronautica and sent him to Libya as Governor. Balbos epic flights were a watershed in the transition of aviation from the pioneering efforts on single aviators to the discipline and organization required to operate a modern air force. |
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