Italian Dewoitine D.520s

[Sagittario64]

Does anyone know about the D.520's combat service history with the Regia Aeronautica? All i heard was that 60 were recieved in 1943 and they were used as interceptors in Northern Italy. Is there anything more specific about the combats they took part in?

 

[le_steph40]

Found this
STORMO! Dewoitine D520 Red-6 in Regia Aeronautica Service by Ing. R. Trotta
Dewoitine D.520 - Wikipedia

HTH
Steph

 

[Sagittario64]

well yes i read the wiki and i liked the other site you referred me to, but im interested in hearing about how the pilots fought in the dewoitines, since they were different from native italian fighters, namely with the better armament

 

[davebender]

Seems hardly worth the bother if the D.520s were powered by Hs12Y engines. But I suppose if you are desperate for aircraft anything is worth a try.

 

[Sagittario64]

I think they used them mainly because of the cannon. which is better equipped to take down a four engined bomber, a C.202, or a D.520?

 

[davebender]

1943 Germany was producing the superior Mg151/20 cannon like hot rolls. Why didn't Italy just import a few hundred?

 

[Sagittario64]

They did. the put them on some Re.2001s, and were the core armament of all the 5 series fighters. im saying that there were less than 200 n5 series fighters around during mid early 1943. and the heavies were starting to pound north italy. they needed a WELL ARMED fighter to fight them, and that couldnt be provided by the C.202s(1=2 x 12.7mm MG) and Re.2001s(2 x 12.7mm MG, 2 x 7.92mm MG), the only italian fighters in service in any reasonable quantity at the time. the D.520(1 x 20mm cannon, 4 x 7.5mm MG) was i think the best solution at the time, because basically they were bargained for with useless captured french bombers, which i think was the smartest trade itlay ever made during the war, and the most generous one germany had with italy

 

[Sagittario64]

Plus i think the 151/20 factories were being hard pressed for massive orders from the luftwaffe. me.410s(2 x 151/20s), fw.190s(4 x 151/20s), bf.109s(1 or 3 x 151/20s), and the many other types that used the 20mm cannon were being produced like rabbits. just think, 1 fw.190 requires 4 151/20s. 10 fw.190s equals 40 151/20s. anyways i think the italians just needed a cannon armed interceptor that they could get numberws of really fast, something only a weapons deal could do.

 

[Shortround6]

Unless they were modified the D 520s armament was rather dated by 1943. I like the Hispano gun but a 60 round drum (6 seconds firing time) in 1943 doesn't make for much of a bomber interceptor.

 

[Sagittario64]

Their armament was still better than italy's mainline fighters at the time, regardless of how old the d.520 was. it was simply the best short term solution for italy, aside from maybe those bf.109 importations from germany. besides the french machine guns were still pretty good by 1943. they had a rather high rate of fire, and could put a lot of bullets on the target very quickly

 

[Sagittario64]

I know this thread is somewhat dead but i did find this really cool artwork. i wish i knew the artist's name because i want to congratulate him/her on this very fine piece of artwork