Vincenzo Sant’Andrea was born on 11 June 1908 and was from Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna).

On 18 September 1936, he was commissioned (in Servizio Permanente Effettivo).

Sant’Andrea served as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, where he served in the XXIII Gruppo.

During his time in Spain, he claimed one victory with the Fiat CR.32.

In the beginning of February 1942, Capitano Sant’Andrea served as CO of the 160^a Squadriglia, 12^o Gruppo CT in North Africa. This unit was equipped with Fiat G.50s.

He was promoted to Capitano on 6 February 1941.

During the campaign over Malta, prominent Sicily-based Regia Aeronautica fighter leaders used radio code names. Capitano Sant’Andrea used the code name ‘Marte’ (Mars).

As of 8 November 1942 (on the launch of Operation Torch in North Africa), Capitano Sant’Andrea served as CO of the 359^a Squadriglia, 22^o Gruppo CT. The unit was based at Monserrato, Sardinia, and equipped with Re.2001s.

In 1943, he served in the 22^o Gruppo Autonomo.

At 11:04 on 30 May 1943, a large formation of 111 B-17s from 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups raided the Naples harbour, the marshalling yards, the Capodichino and Pomigliano airfields and the nearby factory, where the Daimler Benz engines were produced under licence. In the harbour here the freighter Principessa Mafalda (459 tons) which was carrying ammunition, was hit and blew up, the German tanker President Herrenschmidt (9,103 tons) also being set on fire. At Pomigliano three Me 323s of I./TG 5 were damaged on the ground, and at Capodichino seven Italian aircraft were destroyed (one S.79, three MC.200s, two Ca.314s and one Saiman 202) and eight more damaged (one S.79, three MC.202s, two Re.2001s and two D.520s).
In response to these attacks 15 MC.202s, five Re.2001s and three D.520s of 22^o Gruppo, accompanied by six Luftwaffe Bf 109s were scrambled to intercept.
Despite the large numbers of bombers and fighters present and despite the large number of claims being made in this raid, it seems that the result from air combat was in fact negligible since no aircraft were lost at all and only one MC.202 from the 22^o Gruppo was damaged during the engagements, the pilot safely undertaking a crash-landing!
The bombers claimed totally 14 fighters destroyed, four probables and six damaged!
The gunners from the 2nd BG claimed two fighters destroyed and four damaged:
Staff Sergeant R. C. Latshaw in 42-x870 from 49th BS claimed one Bf 109 destroyed over Naples at 11:10
Staff Sergeant Chester J. Miller in 42-29608 from 96th BS claimed one Bf 109 damaged over Naples at 11:16
Sergeant Herman Ogburn in 42-29581 from 429th BS claimed one Me 210 damaged over Naples at 11:17
Staff Sergeant E. R. Schojan in 42-29607 from 20th BS claimed one Me 210 damaged over Naples at 11:20
Staff Sergeant B. F. Coleman in 42-5779 from 96th BS claimed one Bf 109 destroyed off Naples at 11:30
Sergeant Robert C. Clark in 42-5779 from 96th BS claimed one Bf 109 damaged off Naples at 11:35
The 97th BG claimed one MC.200 destroyed at 11:10 over Naples. This claim being made by gunner Staff Sergeant Bert W. Dalmer.
The gunners from 99th BG claimed ten destroyed fighters and four probably destroyed at 11:17 over Naples.
The gunners from the 301st BG claimed one fighter destroyed and four damaged over Naples at 11:15:
Staff Sergeant Frank S. Lakey in 42-5727 from 419th BS claimed one Bf 109 destroyed
Staff Sergeant Louis A. Matthews in 42-5409 from 352nd BS claimed one Re.2001 damaged
Staff Sergeant Virgil E. Major in 41-24361 from 32nd BS claimed one Bf 110 damaged
No B-17s were lost.
If there were Allied fighters present, they didn’t claim anything nor lost anything.
The six Bf 109s from the Luftwaffe didn’t claim anything nor lost anything.
The Italian pilots claimed three B-17s destroyed and two more as probables, while AA gunners claimed two four-engined aircraft. Claims from the 22^o Gruppo were made Sergente Maggiore Cesare Di Bert (150^a Squadriglia in a MC.202) claimed a B-17 destroyed over Golfo di Napoli, Capitano Giovanni Bonnet (150^a Squadriglia in a Re.2001) claimed a B-17 probably destroyed over Naples, Capitano Sant’Andrea (359^a Squadriglia in a MC.202) claimed a B-17 destroyed over Naples and Sergente Antonio Mutti (359^a Squadriglia in a MC.202) claimed a B-17 destroyed over Naples. From the 10^o Gruppo one claim was made when Capitano Ranieri Piccolomini (90^a Squadriglia in a MC.202) claimed a B-17 probably destroyed over Naples.

Sant’Andrea ended the war with 1 biplane victory and a total of 5.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	193?
1	??/??/3?		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed	Fiat CR.32		Spain	24a Squadriglia
	1943
2	30/05/43	11:04-	1	B-17 (a)	Destroyed	MC.202		Naples	359a Squadriglia
3	??/??/4?		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed
4	??/??/4?		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed
5	??/??/4?		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 5 destroyed.
(a) Claimed in combat with B-17s from 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups, which claimed 14 fighters destroyed, 4 probables and 6 damaged without losses. Regia Aeronautica claimed 5 bombers destroyed (2 by AA) and 2 probables while suffering 1 damaged MC.202.

Sources:
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
A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945: Volume Three – Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk & Winfried Bock, 2016 Grub Street, London, ISBN-13: 9781910690000
A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945: Volume Four – Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk, Winfried Bock and Wg Cdr Andy Thomas, 2018 Grub Street, London, ISBN-13: 9781911621102
Annuario Ufficiale Delle Forze Armate Del Regno D’Italia Anno 1943. Part III Regia Aeronautica – 1943 Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato, Roma
Assi Italiani Della Caccia 1936-1945 - Giovanni Massimello, 1999 Aerofan no. 69 apr.-giu. 1999, Giorgio Apostolo Editore, Milan
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell' A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 2 Volume M - Z
Gli Assi Italiani Della Regia Aeronautica - Givanni Massimello, 2023 Difesa Servizi SpA Edizioni Rivista
Malta: The Spitfire year 1942 - Christopher Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia, 1991 Grub Street, London