I work as a Journalist on the Capodichino Navy base at the Capodichino Airport in Naples, Italy. This was the same airport used as the Mediterranean supply hub during WWII. We recently had a veteran send us a package of original photos which I have scanned in, and I am trying to identify the aircrafts contained within, as well as the nationality of the soldiers. It is my belief that the photos were taken in 1944, due to the photos of Mt Vesuvius erupting, although it is possible that they were also taken in the surrounding years. It is my speculation that this aircraft could be a Lancaster (comparison here )
If anyone could help that would be great. The photos can be found here.
Also, if this is anyone’s grandmother please let me know =)
Though Capodichino was bombed by B-17’s this couldn’t be one because you can see the double-winged tail. That, as well as the nose and 4 props are what seem to make it a Lancaster.
I’m not sure about the star though. Was it a symbol used by more than just American forces? Perhaps it was an allied symbol.
It’s very hard to make out any detail, but it looks like it has radial engines and is sitting on a tricycle undercarriage. Lancs had inlines (Merlins) and were taildraggers. It’s not a Stirling or a Halifax either. Could it be a Liberator (B-24)? They had radials, tricycle undercart and twin rudders.
I think that the shots of the tail fin with the swastika on them might be of a bomber of some sort, however I can’t seem to find a picture of a tail online with such sharp edges. I assume the “FW” on them might mean Focke-Wulf? This photo might well be an FW 190, but I have my doubts.
The twin-tailed plane that is difficult to see in front of the building that has been reduced to a frame is a B-24 Liberator. It is a B-24D or B-24E based on the fact that it lacks the tail turret they slapped on the nose to give better defense against head-on attacks. The B-24 was the most common heavy bomber flown by the 15th Air Force that operated in the Mediterranean.
Photo “8 of 13” appears to be taken in a scrap yard. The tail appearing object in the foreground has the German swastika (and looks vauguely like a Junkers JU-52 transport tail) but in the background is a wing section with the Italian markings. (The Italians might have flown some JU-52s, but I do not recall ever seeing swastikas on Italian planes. Swastikas were not the national emblem carried on German planes, which used a tetragammadion–4 L-shaped characters facing away from each other–but some German planes carried swastikas as unit designators)
Photo “10 of 13” looks a lot like an AT-6 Texan advanced trainer, but it might be some Italian plane with which I am not familiar. The Texan was used as an artillery spotter in Korea; I had not heard that they were used that way in Italy, but it might have been a trainer used as a trainer. Fiat built some radial engined fighters, but the wings look too far forward for the models with which I am familiar.
The tail that I identified as a JU-52 and that scm1001 identifies as a JU-87 might be either. In either case, it is most likely built by Junkers (aircraft designers having a tendency to re-use similar shapes).
In the “tenting” photgraph, we see a couple more, along with what appears (to me) to be the tail of a U.S. G-4 glider (with tha large N and small G on it), but that might be some Italian plane with which I am unfamiliar.
I think you are right - they would certainly have been flying more ju52s than ju87 by 1944 as the latter was pretty obsolete by then. The upper tail shape is definitely more reminescent of a 52.
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your help. I have updated the gallery captions here to reflect what I have learned, and I might be framing the photos and putting them in the corridor!
You still have the B-24 notated as British. It is an American built aircraft and the star insignia is definitely American.
I don’t think the other one is a Macchi. If you look at this modern example, you’ll see that the wing is smooth on the top and bottom (aside from the landing gear). Your photo has a ridge going around the wing. The Fiat has that ridge so that would be a more likely candidate.
Also, the cowling of the Macchi has numerous bulges, it’s hard to tell, but I think those would be visible on your photo if they were there.
(thanks)
