In January 1941, Sanguettoli served in the 74^a Squadriglia, 23^o Gruppo Autonomo CT based at Benghazi K2, Cirenaica. This unit was at the time equipped with the Fiat CR.42.

On 29 January 1941, Flying Officer Laurence Trevor Benson (RAF no. 40876) in a 208 Squadron Hurricane (N2611) took off from Tmini at 08:00 and being briefed to carry out a reconnaissance over Slonte and then drop a message with information regarding Sergente Cesare Sironi from the 70^a Squadriglia, 23^o Gruppo, who had been MIA since 24 January. The chivalrous behaviour of Benson was not granted however, in fact, one hour later, when over Benghazi K2 he was intercepted by a CR.42 flow by Sergente Sanguettoli of the 74^a Squadriglia and shot down with the use of 300 rounds of ammunition. Sanguettoli was part of a formation from the 23^o Gruppo, which already had concluded an uneventful mission in the Mechili-Slonta area.
Only later did the Italians realize that their victim was the same plane that had dropped the message. Two days later an Italian plane dropped a message over the HQ of 7th Armoured Division apologizing and referring that Benson had been buried with full military honours.
Benson had previously survived being shot down by a CR.42 on16 November 1940 while flying a Lysander. His gunner, despite a leg wound, managed to shoot down their assailant.

During March 1941 23^o Gruppo CT moved back to Sicily to take part in the raids against Malta again.

On 20 April 1941 nine CR.42s of 23^o Gruppo and fifteen MC.200s of 17^o Gruppo escorted three S.79s of the 87^o Gruppo BT over Valetta. They were intercepted by two 261 Hurricane MK.IIs led by Flying Officer Charles Laubscher with Pilot Officer John ‘Tiger’ Pain (in Hurricane Mk.II Z3032) on his wing, who flew top cover for the rest of the squadron. Laubscher reported:

“ I think we had reached about 11,000 feet when the barrage opened up over Valetta and, against the white puffs, I saw seven biplanes heading directly towards us in a shallow vic formation. CR.42s! This was literally Manna from Heaven! For once we had height advantage, possibly only 300 or 400 feet, but sufficient, I believe, for their top mainplanes to conceal us from their pilot’s sight. I wheeled left towards them and called ‘Tiger’ on the R/T to take the outside man on their port flank while I took the leader. We closed rapidly and I opened fire at about 800 yards sighting a little high at first to allow for the distance and then dropping my bead to centre on the machine. Things happen fast in a head-on attack and two or three seconds we had passed directly over them. I immediately went into a steep turn to port to attack them again. I saw to my great satisfaction that the centre of the vic was empty and there were only planes on their left, which probably meant that ‘Tiger’s’ target had also gone down. At the same moment two Bf109s which had obviously stationed themselves too high to catch us in our initial attack, flashed past in a steep dive and the I was within range of the remaining Italian pilots again.
The five survivors in the CR.42 formation were swinging to their right towards and bellow me, which made it difficult to attack the three planes nearest me, so I chose the outer of the planes on their left, laid off a deflection and opened fire again. My tracer passed in line with the machine but behind it, and rather than stop firing, I pulled back steadily on my control column until the tracers crept along the rear of the machine and into the cockpit. I knew immediately that the pilot was finished and stopped firing. The CR.42 hung on its side for a moment and then slipped gently into a dive. I did not watch him all the way but looked for another target. The sky now seemed clear except for a CR.42 going down in a spin ahead of me. I gave him a full deflection burst for good measure and then my ammunition ran out. It was time to return home so I jerked the machine into a spiral dive, just in case the remaining CR.42s or the two Bf109s were still in the vicinity, flattened out at about 800 feet and jinked my way back to Takali. It was a wonderful feeling to put up an affirmative two fingers as the mechanics helped me taxi in. That night Operations confirmed my claim for two CR.42 shot down. ‘Tiger’ also had his victory confirmed and the A.A. batteries claimed another – four out of seven destroyed – not a bad effort, we felt, particularly since the squadron had spent their time in a defensive circle!”

At the time of his death, Sanguettoli 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	29/01/41	09:00	1	Hurricane (a)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Benghazi K2	74a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 destroyed.
(a) Probably Flying Officer Laurence Benson of 208 Squadron, who was lost on this day in Hurricane N2611.

Sources:
3^o Stormo, storia fotografica - Dai biplani agli aviogetti - C. Lucchini and E. Leproni, 1990 Gino Rossato Editore kindly provided by Jean Michel Cala with translations kindly provided by Birgitta Hallberg-Lombardi
Aces High - Christopher Shores and Clive Williams, 1994 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-898697-00-0
Aces High Volume 2 - Christopher Shores, 1999, Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-03-9
Hurricanes over Tobruk - Brian Cull with Don Minterne, 1999 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-11-X
Malta: The Hurricane Years 1940-41 - Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia, 1987 Grub Street, London, ISBN 0-89747-207-1
Additional information kindly provided by Ludovico Slongo.