Folgore: CLIII of 153 Gruppo. Red or Blue?

[Graham Boak]

The new Osprey shows this with blue codes, whereas these are red on other representations I've seen.  Is this just a complete aberration (like the Danish Condor in blue trim rather than red in the Warpaint) or a result of more up-to-date information?

[Giorgio N]

The codes CLIII were most likely in a dark colour, probably black with a white outline. This is the interpretation given in the Ali e Colori book on the subject, that moreover shows this aircraft with a blue stripe over the white band instead of the red often seen in older profiles.

May be worth mentioning that the other aircraft in the Group also had black unit numbers with red individual numbers, the commander aircraft likely also followed this pattern.

A couple pictures can be seen in this page:

 

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/MC-202/MC-202-153G.html

 

Regarding an attempt at interpreting the colours, the Gruppo insignia was white on a medium blue shield, the CLIII codes sure look darker than this medium blue.

[MDriskill]

The Asisbiz shot of "CL III" is actually from an original wartime color photo. (It may have come from the 2006 book Wings of Italy - a compilation of photos commissioned by the government for a special magazine, "Nei Ciele di Guerra," published in March 1943.)

 

I took this one straight from the book, with no editing (beyond what the iPhone thinks, ha). Still not the best quality, but I would agree with dark blue for the stripe, and black for the "CL III." Both could be argued, but definitely no red.

 

Other interesting details are the small white rectangle over the tailplane root (common within 153 Gruppo), the late-type elevators with offset tip counterweights, the black protective coating in the nose gun troughs, and the camo "smoke ring" extending onto the sand filter housing.

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by MDriskill

[Phoenix44]

On 16/06/2022 at 16:45, MDriskill said:

The Asisbiz shot of "CL III" is actually from an original wartime color photo. (It may have come from the 2006 book Wings of Italy - a compilation of photos commissioned by the government for a special magazine, "Nei Ciele di Guerra," published in March 1943.)

 

I took this one straight from the book, with no editing (beyond what the iPhone thinks, ha). Still not the best quality, but I would agree with dark blue for the stripe, and black for the "CL III." Both could be argued, but definitely no red.

 

Other interesting details are the small white rectangle over the tailplane root, the late-type offset elevator tips, the black protective coating in the nose gun troughs, and the camo "smoke ring" extending onto the sand filter housing.

 

I hate to day it but is that colourised? The version that seems to be b&w is more convincing, not least where the smoke rings fade away on this colour photo, to nothing on the starboard elevator. Looking at the photos I'd say (guess) that there's actually two white bands and no stripe. It looks to me very like the underlying colour with a hint of smoke ring here and there.

[Graham Boak]

A wide single white band on the fuselage is entirely normal for the MC.202.  Two separate white bands would be very odd.

 

Xtradecal 72162 includes CLIII with black codes and blue surround to the badge.  It isn't clear on my screen what colour the fuselage band divider is, other than dark.

[Mark Proulx]

The dark color of the single narrow band appears darker than the red cross immediately ahead of it, at least in my opinion.

 

Mark Proulx

[GiampieroSilvestri]

The frame of the"asso di bastoni" badge most probably was not red but blue.

 

Saluti

 

Giampiero

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Phoenix44]

19 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

A wide single white band on the fuselage is entirely normal for the MC.202.  Two separate white bands would be very odd.

 

Xtradecal 72162 includes CLIII with black codes and blue surround to the badge.  It isn't clear on my screen what colour the fuselage band divider is, other than dark.

Why would it be odd? If there are photos that show it (and I'm not saying they definitely show it) then why is it odd? Why is a stripe down the middle in blue not odd? 

[Graham Boak]

Photos?  Photo, I think.  Is there any other example known?  Of a different aircraft?  If you don't like odd, try unique?  A dangerous presumption, I would agree. However, if the regulations called for a white band, then painting two such is distinctly odder than later adding something to a single white band already present before the unit received the aircraft.  After all, unit insignia and such are known to have been painted on the band, so a single dark band is not completely without precedent.

[MDriskill]

The aircraft belonged to the commanding officer of 153 Gruppo. The simple blue stripe - easily painted on top of the same wide white band seen on all Regia Aeronautica C.202's - was intentionally "odd." It, the Roman numeral "153," and small command pennant were unique recognition markings for this machine.

 

Here is Angelo Brioschi's rendition from the "Ali d'Italia" series, that Georgio N mentioned above.

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by MDriskill