Biplane fighter aces

Italy

Sergente Maggiore Pietro Secchi

Decorations
Year Gazetted Decoration Note
1941 Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare 1940-43
1942 Croce di guerra al valor militare 1940-43

Pietro Secchi was from Gambarano (Pavia).

In November 1940, Sergente Secchi served in the 365a Squadriglia, 150o Gruppo C.T. This unit was at the time equipped with Fiat CR.42s.

On 2 November, five Junkers Ju 87R Stukas from the 96o Gruppo Ba'T attacked Yanina. The town was also raided by ten Cant Z.1007bis from the 47o Stormo.
Yanina was the main base from which the Greek forces were now launching their counter-attacks against the Italian forces, and three PZLs of 21 Mira had been detached here for defence. These were scrambled after an attack on Larissa, led by Hiposminagos John Sakellariou. The interception took place over Mitsikeli Mountain, close to Yanina, but during the fight, Sakellariou was shot down and killed as he attacked one bomber. He was credited with having shot down two others before he fell, although it seems that none of the Italian units sustained any losses. Episminias Christos Papadopulos was also shot down and killed in his P.24 according to Greek sources.
Although not mentioned in the Greek account of this raid, escorting CR.42s were present over Yanina and Capitano Giorgio Graffer's 365a Squadriglia engaged three PZLs. Capitano Graffer, Sottotenente Lorenzo Clerici, Sergente Bruno Zotti and Sergente Secchi claimed the three PZL shared shot down.

After the end of the Greek campaign, the 150o Gruppo remained in the area and took part in counter-insurgency operations against Montenegrin partisans.
Meanwhile, throughout July 1941, the Gruppo's pilots continued to ferry captured Yugoslav aircraft to Italy. On 16 July a Breguet XIX that was being flown from Niksic to Tirana force-landed due to engine failure. Its pilot, Sergente Secchi of the 365a Squadriglia, was captured by Montenegrin rebels.

On 6 October 1942, the 150o Gruppo scrambled a number of MC.200s. Four pilots from 364a Squadriglia claimed a P-40 as jointly shot down. Claiming pilots were Sottotenente Ettore Caregnato, Sottotenente Bruno Serotini, Maresciallo Walter Bertocci and Sergente Maggiore Secchi.

At dawn on 15 June 1943, B-26s of the 319th and 320th Bomb Groups took off to raid Trapani and Bo Rizzo airfields followed 90 minutes later by the B-26s from the 17th BG, escorted by the P-40s of the 325th FG. One of the latter fighters was shot down north of the tip of Levanzo Island. Flight Officer J. Beck being seen to bale out.
In fact, all units of 5th Wing were in action over Sicily, 48 bombers of 97th and 99th Bomb Groups raiding Boccadifalco airdrome at Palermo, with 54 Fortresses of 2nd and 301st Bomb Groups attacking Castelvetrano.
Over the targets heavy Flak was encountered together with intercepting fighters. Over Sciacca airfield at 08:10 gunners in the B-25Cs of the 310th BG, also involved in this raid, claimed four Bf 109s, a fifth probable and an FW 190. Claiming gunners were:
Staff Sergeant G. F. Skypeck from 428th BS in 42-64664, who claimed one Bf 109
Staff Sergeant W. M. Donaldson from 428th BS in 41-29959, who claimed one Bf 109
Sergeant J. F. Michalek from 428th BS in 41-13050, who claimed one Bf 109
Staff Sergeant L. G. Myers from 428th BS in 42-64662, who claimed one Bf 109
Staff Sergeant A. I. Langford from 428th BS in 41-13094, who claimed one probable Bf 109
Staff Sergeant R. J. Corthell from 379th BS in 41-32493, who claimed one FW 190
The B-26 gunners of the 320th BG claimed three more Bf 109s, one probable and five damaged in the Trapani-Milo area at 08:20, while 319th BG gunners claimed a further six fighters shot down and a probable.
Escorting P-38 pilots of the 82nd FG made additional claims when 2nd Lieutenant Ray Crawford of 97th FS (P-38G) claimed one MC.202 destroyed, 2nd Lieutenant Russell C. Williams of 97th FS claimed a probable Bf 109 and 2nd Lieutenant John A. Caputo of 97th FS claimed a damaged Bf 109. Two more claims were made by P-38 pilots when 1st Lieutenant Richard A. Campbell (P-38G-15LO) from 37th FS, 14th FG, claimed one MC.202 off the east coast of Marettimo between 06:10 and 10:00 and 1st Lieutenant Harold E. Melbraaten from 71st FS, 1st FG, claimed a Re.2001 over Castelvetrano airfield between 06:55 and 10:45.
An unspecified pilot from 325th FG (P-40) claimed a damaged Bf 109 over Bo Rizzo airfield between 08:20 and 11:35.
The 320th BG suffered five crash-landed B-26s:
B-26B 41-17754 Rabbit/Red Hot from 444th BS was damaged by Flak and crash-landed at base with pilot 1st Lieutenant John B. Stumm and five safe.
B-26B 41-17955 from 443rd BS returned early and crash-landed at base at 08:45 with pilot Captain Luttrell and five safe.
B-26B 41-17984 from 441st BS crash-landed at base with the crew safe.
B-26B 41-18006 from 441st BS crash-landed at base with pilot Captain Cordill and five safe.
B-26B 41-18033 from 441st BG crash-landed at base at 10:00 with pilot 1st Lieutenant John C. Tuck and five safe.
In 321st BG, B-25C 42-32497 from 446th BS was damaged by Flak over Sciacca at 09:40 and it crash-landed at Mateur with pilot 1st Lieutenant Charles M. Van Artsdalen and three WiA and two more safe.
In the 310th BG, B-25 41-13050 Virgin Sturgeon from 428th BG was damaged by fighters over Sciacca at 08:15 with pilot 1st Lieutenant Arthur C. Paterson and five safe. Sergeant Michalek, a member of the crew of this aircraft, later recorded:

“Approaching the target, we were attacked by four planes from the right. The flak was heavy, but we muddled through and dropped our bombs. Just as we were leaving the target, five other enemy fighters peeled off and came in at our tail from the right side. One hit our right engine nacelle, knocking out our electrical equipment, but I retaliated by shooting him down, in flames. We swapped lead back and forth. He was plenty stubborn, coming in to about 250 yards [229m] before going down in flames. I put tracers into a second plane, but he couldn't stand the heat and pulled away.
We thought that our gas tank was full of holes when the gauge failed to work. The pilot then called through the inter-phone to get set for a crash-landing in the Mediterranean but when we checked our fuel we would make the landing field OK, if the hydraulic system operating the landing wheels hadn't been damaged by enemy fire. Fortunately, everything was intact. So now we will get more joy rides with the pilot, Lt A. C. Peterson, whose cool-minded flying brought us back safely ten feet above the water.”
In addition to the lost P-40 from 325th FG, four P-38s were lost and a fifth damaged:
P-38 from 95th FS, 82nd FG, was damaged by Flak near Marsala at 07:30 but managed to return to base with 1st Lieutenant Ralph C. Embrey safe.
P-38 from 95th FS, 82nd FG, took off at 06:00 for Boccadifalco and was shot down by Flak near Marsal at 07:30 with 2nd Lieutenant Richard F. Kenney Jr. becoming PoW.
P-38 from 96th FS, 82nd FG, lost an engine over Sicily and ditched in Gulf of Tunis with Lieutenant Erling W. Halverson KiA when he drowned.
P-38G 43-2466 from 48th FS, 14th FG, was hit in the engine by an Italian Bf 109 and ditched 16km south-west of Trapani with Captain Donald E. Anderson baling out WiA to become a PoW to the Italians (he returned on 25 July).
P-38G 43-2465 from 48th FS, 14th FG, was shot down by a Bf 109 16km south-west of Trapani with Lieutenant Frederick W. Browne KiA.
Luftwaffe Bf 109s made four claims when Hauptmann Werner Schroer from Stab II./JG 27 claimed a B-17 2km west of Favignana at 08:23, Unteroffizier Heinz-August Barth from 7./JG 53 claimed a P-38 5km south-east of Sciacca at 08:35 and Lieutenant Willy Kientsch from 6./JG 27 claimed a B-25 30km south-west of Marettimo at 08:40 and a P-38 40km south of Marettimo at 08:45.
Luftwaffe losses consisted of two destroyed Bf 109s and five more damaged. Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 19648 Yellow 10 from 9./JG 53 crashed while force-landing after combat with bombers with Unteroffizier Herbert Kilian KiA. Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 16548 White 2 from III./JG 53 was destroyed by bombs at Sciacca while five more Bf 109 G-6s from the same Gruppe were damaged to various degrees by bombs at the same airfield.
The Regia Aeronautica scrambled 19 MC.202s from Chinisia and Palermo, together with some of the 150o Gruppo's new Bf 109 Gs. The Bf 109 Gs intercepted US aircraft south-west of Sciacca at 08:15 with Tenente Giovanni Dell’Innocenti (364a Squadriglia) claiming one destroyed P-38, Tenente Lucio Stramese (364a Squadriglia) claiming one damaged Boston and Sergente Maggiore Secchi (365a Squadriglia) claiming one destroyed P-38. Scrambling at 08:30, three claims were made over Castelvetrano when Tenente Amedeo Guidi (366a Squadriglia) claimed one destroyed B-17, Tenente Vinicio Ambrosino (12o Gruppo) claimed one probably destroyed B-17 and Sergente Giuseppe Saracino (151o Gruppo) claimed one destroyed Spitfire (possibly the missing P-40 from the 325th FG). Scrambling at 08:35, three more claims were made when Tenente Mario Rizzo (374a Squadriglia) and Sergente Rino Bosa (12o Gruppo) claimed a shared destroyed B-17 over Castelvetrano, Tenente Mario Cavatore (12o Gruppo) claimed a destroyed Boston (probably B-26) near Marettimo and Tenente Vittorio Satta (374a Squadriglia) claimed a destroyed Boston (probably B-26) over Chinisia. Additionally, the AA at Marsala claimed four enemy aircraft at 10:00.
Italian losses included two MC.202s damaged in combat with Tenente Ambrosino and Sergente Saracino both being safe. Three MC.202s and five MC.200s were destroyed by bombs at Castelvetrano with ten additional MC.200s being damaged. Two SM.84s from the 43o Stormo were also destroyed by bombs at the same airfield. A S.82 from 601a Squadriglia, 147o Gruppo, was also damaged by bombs at Castelvetrano but Sergente Maggiore Guido Mazzolaio and his crew were safe. At Chinisia, falling bombs destroyed three MC.202s and damamged nine more.

Secchi ended the war with 3 shared biplane victories and a total of 1 victory.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1940                
  02/11/40   1/4 PZL P.24 (a) Shared destroyed Fiat CR.42   Yanina area 365a Squadriglia
  02/11/40   1/4 PZL P.24 (a) Shared destroyed Fiat CR.42   Yanina area 365a Squadriglia
  02/11/40   1/4 PZL P.24 (a) Shared destroyed Fiat CR.42   Yanina area 365a Squadriglia
  1942                
  06/10/42   1/4 P-40 Shared destroyed MC.200   North Africa 364a Squadriglia
  1943                
1 15/06/43 08:15 1 P-38 (b) Destroyed Bf 109 G   SW Sciacca 365a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 3 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 and 4 shared destroyed.
(a) Claimed in combat with PZL P.24s from 21 Mira which lost two pilots KIA while the 365a Squadriglia claimed three.
(b) US fighter and bombers claimed 22 destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 8 damaged while losing 5 fighters and 5 crash-landed B-26s. Axis fighters claimed 5 fighters destroyed and 8 bombers while losing 1 Bf 109 and 2 damaged MC.202.

Sources:
53o Stormo - Marco Mattioli, 2010 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-977-5
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 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
Air war for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete - Christopher Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia, 1987 Grub Street, London, ISBN 0-948817-07-0
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell' A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 2 Volume M - Z
Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2 - Håkan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo, 2009 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-427-5
Gli Assi Italiani Della Regia Aeronautica - Givanni Massimello, 2023 Difesa Servizi SpA Edizioni Rivista




Last modified 16 October 2025