Hobby Master Archive

The first Ju-87s received by the Italian Air Force were operational aircraft with the Luftwaffe. They came with German paint schemes and markings that were painted over with those of the Regia Aeronautica. The Italian crews changed the aircraft name to picchiata, meaning a good thrashing or can mean dive-bomber. The next derivative of the word is picchiatello, “slightly crazy”, a good description of plane and pilot in the midst of an almost vertical dive. Picchiatello became the new name for the Italian Ju-87.

The Regia Aeronautica took delivery of some Ju-87D-3 earlier in 1943. These were assigned to 2 new Gruppi, 103 and 121 which meant inexperienced pilots. When Allied forces invaded Sicily, July 10 1943 the dive-bomber response was left to these Italians. They went to Southern Italy and Sicily to counter the invasion. The overwhelming aerial supremacy of the Allies literally devastated the Stukas with the loss of one US destroyer. Remnants of Gruppo 121 went back to Sardinia early into the 38-day campaign but 103 Gruppo literally ceased to exist.