Biplane fighter aces

Italy

Sergente Maggiore Mario Lingua

5 February 1916 - 11 August 1942

Decorations
Date Decoration Note
??/??/41 Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare (1st) 1940-43
??/??/43 Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare (2nd) 1940-43
??/??/42 Croce di guerra al valor militare 1940-43

Mario Lingua was born on 5 February 1916 and was from Strevi (Alessandria).

In May 1941, Lingua served in the 95a Squadriglia, 18o Gruppo CT, in Libya. This unit was at the time equipped with the Fiat CR.42.

On 16 May 1941, Sergente Maggiore Lingua claimed a Blenheim 5 miles off the coast at Benghazi.
This claim can't be verified with RAF records.

During a raid on Abu Haggag at 22:25 on 11 August 1942, one MC.200 (MM8832) was destroyed and eight pilots of the 18o Gruppo were killed and three wounded. There were also one dead and two injured among the ground personnel.
Known killed pilots were:
Sergente Maggiore Franco Lambertini (83a Squadriglia)
Sergente Maggiore Nordio Scocchetti (85a Squadriglia)
Sergente Maggiore Mario Lingua (85a Squadriglia)
Sergente Maggiore Luigi Morellato (85a Squadriglia)
Sergente Maggiore Guerrino Boari (95a Squadriglia)
Sergente Maggiore Leone Casadei (95a Squadriglia)
Wounded pilots were:
Sergente Antonio Zanette (83a Squadriglia)
Sergente Luciano Andretta (83a Squadriglia)
Sergente Savino Alghisi (85a Squadriglia)

At the time of his death, Lingua was credited with 1 victory, this one claimed while flying the Fiat CR.42.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1941                
1 16/05/41   1 Blenheim (a) Destroyed Fiat CR.42   5m off the coast at Benghazi 95a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 destroyed.
(a) This claim can't be verified with RAF records.

Sources:
A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945: Volume One - Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, 2012 Grub Street, London, ISBN 978-1908117076
A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945: Volume Two - Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk & Winfried Bock, 2012 Grub Street, London, ISBN-13: 9781909166127
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 1 Volume A - L
Hurricanes over Tobruk - Brian Cull with Don Minterne, 1999 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-11-X




Last modified 13 September 2023