Renato Talamini was born in Venice on 1 August 1917.

On 1 October 1939, he was commissioned (in Servizio Permanente Effettivo).

He was promoted to Tenente on 10 June 1940.

In May 1942, Tenente Renato Talamini served in 80^a Squadriglia, 17^o Gruppo C.T., in North Africa. This unit was at the time equipped with Macchi MC.202s.

During the night between 26 and 27 May, Rommel launched his new offensive. The Folgore equipped units were in the forefront from the beginning. The 6^o and 17^o Gruppi escorted MC.200s of the 2^o Stormo strafing enemy vehicles along the Balbia road, east of Gazala. The 6^o Gruppo was up with ten fighters (three from the 79^a Squadriglia, three from the 81^a Squadriglia and four from the 88^a Squadriglia) led by Maggiore Marco Larcher, which had taken off at 06:10 and landed at 07:20. The 17^o Gruppo was up with eight planes (two from the 71^a Squadriglia, two from the 72^a Squadriglia and four from the 80^a Squadriglia), which had taken off at 06:15 and landed back at 07:15.
At 06:30, south of Gazala, at the height of 4500 m. and despite the morning haze that hampered visibility, the 6^o Gruppo was able to discover and engage around 15 fighters identified as P-40s and P-46s. The Italian pilots reported that their enemies were obliged to flee after having suffered the loss of three fighters and the damaging of the rest of the formation. It was not possible to pursue them because the Macchis were at the limit of their endurance. Victories went to Capitano Dante Ocarso, Maresciallo Natalino Stabile and Sergente Maggiore Alfredo Bordin (all from the 88^a Squadriglia) with the use of 2730 rounds of ammunition.
17^o Gruppo instead, flying at 5000 m., engaged 25 P-40s, claiming three shot down shared between three pilots; Tenente Talamini (who also claimed three damaged), Sergente Maggiore Alvise Andrich and Sergente Maggiore Mario Host (all from the 80^a Squadriglia) with the use of 550 rounds of ammunition. The two Sergenti landed with their fighters heavily damaged including cannon hits on Host’s.
Major Daniel Wilhelm Human (AL186/DB-G), for the first time at the head of 2 SAAF Squadron led twelve Kittyhawks of his unit over Gazala. After taking off at 06:45 they engaged twelve enemy aircraft that were flying in small numbers. A general melee followed, where most of the pilots were able to shot at enemy fighters. Three pilots were forced to fight their way against the Macchis up to El Adem.
Lieutenant David Paddon and Lieutenant Norman Soames Ford failed to return, while a third fighter (‘T’) had to land at El Adem short of fuel. Major Human claimed a Bf 109 (first of his five victories), Lieutenant Gordon Derek Reynolds claimed a Macchi MC.202 probable while a Bf 109 was claimed damaged by an unknown pilot.
In the same area there were also four Bf 109 escorting a reconnaissance aircraft and Feldwebel Erich Krenzke of 6./JG 27 claimed a P-40 at 06:55, 20km. south of Gazala, but considering the circumstances and the development of the combat, a confused dogfight typical of the engagements that involved the Italian units it seems improbable that 2 SAAF Squadron was engaged by the Messerschmitts, so it seems more likely that the South Africans fought only against 1^o Stormo.
Considering the number of enemy fighters estimated by the pilots of the 17^o Gruppo it is not possible to discard the possibility that another Commonwealth unit was present.
It is also noticeable that despite the intensity of the combat the South Africans didn’t record any additional damage.

At 22:30 on 31 May 1942, Tenente Talamini scrambled in a CR.42, engaged a Wellington and claimed it shot down with the use of 350 rounds of ammunition, then he was able to discover three more enemy planes but his guns jammed and he had to abort the mission.
13 Wellingtons from 148 Squadron, which had taken off from ALG 106, were in action over Derna. The bombers of Flying Officer Astell and Sergeant Ross failed to return. The first bomber went missing while the second had to force-land on LG 05 because of the heavy damage suffered.
A Wellington was claimed by a night-fighter Me 110 flown by Oberleutnant Alfred Wehmeyer of 7./ZG 26, so it seems highly likely that the other was that claimed by Talamini.

After the Italian surrender in September 1943, Talamini joined the A.N.R. (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana) were he served in the 3^a Squadriglia.

On 28 March 1944, B-24s from the 15th AF attacked Maestre and Verona rail-yards and railroad and highway bridges at Fano and Cassano while B-17s attacked Verona rail-yards. They are escorted by P-47s from the 325 FG and P-38s from the 1st and 82nd FG.
At 11:35, the whole I^o Gruppo (53 MC.205s in two groups), led by Maggiore Adriano Visconti, scrambled from Campoformido to intercept B-17s and B-24s over the Polesine area.
The bombers are intercepted over valli di Comacchio and since the bombers were separated into two distinct formations, a direct north and one north-west, the Macchis attacked in two groups. The 1^a (Capitano Giuseppe Robetto), 2^a (Capitano Amedeo Guidi) and 3^a Squadriglie (Tenente Talamini) Squadriglie attacked the escorting P-38s while the Nucleo Comando (Visconti) attacked the bombers.
In the ensuing intercept Sergente Maggiore Mario Veronesi (12:15 at 7000-1000m in the Polesine area) and Sergente Maggiore Giuseppe Marconcini (12:20 at 5500m) each claimed a B-24. The fighters clashed violently with the escorting fighters and six P-38s were claimed by Tenente Talamini (12:20 at 5000m), Tenente Gianni Levrini (12:20 at 6000m), Tenente Giuseppe Rosati (12:18 at 7600m), Sottotenente Remo Lugari (12:15 at 9000m), Sottotenente Giovanni Sajeva (12:10 at 6000-200m) and Tenente Giovanni Pittini (12:20 at 3000m). A seventh P-38 was claimed by Francesco Tonello of the 2^a Squadriglia but this one was claimed at 10:30.
Two MC.205s were lost when Sergente Maggiore Alverino ‘Nino’ Capatti and Tenente Giovanni Pittini were shot down. Capatti was killed when his MC.205 crashed at Argenta, not far from Dogato (his birth-place) while Pattini managed to parachute with a severely wounded right foot. He landed in a ploughed field where managed to stop the bleeding before he was taken to Codigoro Hospital where his foot was amputated. Pittini took up flying again post-war.
During the battle at 8000 meters, Sajeva had some troubles with his Drager Auer oxygen delivering system, so he had to descend to 4000 meters. At 5000 meters, however he intercepted a P-38, which probably had some troubles and was heading south to return home. The P-38 didn’t take any evasive action and Sajeva hit the right engine, which caught fire. The American made an emergency landing in a field near Massalombarda over-watched by Sajeva, who then returned home. The Germans took prisoner the pilot, a 20-years-old Canadian (?) Lieutenant.
Two P-38s were in fact lost when 2nd Lieutenant James L. Rodolff (42-67067/MACR3642) and 2nd Lieutenant Kenneth E. Hartwig (42-67035/MACR3580) of 27th FS, 1st FG, were shot down and taken PoWs. A third P-38 was also lost during this mission but this was probably due to engine problems when 2nd Lieutenant David V. Weber (O-753766) of 97th FS, 82nd FG crashed into water and drowned when returning on one engine.
20 miles north-west of Ferrara between 09:30-14:20, one MC.202 was claimed by 1st Lieutenant Arthur Larkin of 96th FS, 82nd FG, one Bf 109 was claimed by Captain John S. Litchfield of 97th FS, 82nd FG and one Bf 109 was claimed as a damaged by Lieutenant Alphonse J. Mikes of the 97th FS.

Talamini went missing on 10 April 1944, while intercepting heavy bombers.

At the time of his death, Talamini was credited with 1 biplane victory and a total of 5.
During his career, he had been awarded one Medaglia d’argento al valore militare and one Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1941
?	08/12/41	12:00-12:55	1	P-40	Destroyed	MC.202		El Gazala-Tobruk	80a Squadriglia
	1942
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Shared destroyed	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Shared destroyed	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Shared destroyed	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Damaged	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Damaged	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
	27/05/42	06:15-07:15	1	P-40 (a)	Damaged	MC.202		S Gazala	80a Squadriglia
?	31/05/42	22:30-	1	Wellington (b)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Derna area	80a Squadriglia
	05/07/42	13:55-14:50	½	P-40	Shared damaged	MC.202		North Africa	80a Squadriglia
	05/07/42	13:55-14:50	½	P-40	Shared damaged	MC.202		North Africa	80a Squadriglia
	05/07/42	13:55-14:50	½	P-40	Shared damaged	MC.202		North Africa	80a Squadriglia
	05/07/42	13:55-14:50	½	P-40	Shared damaged	MC.202		North Africa	80a Squadriglia
	05/07/42	13:55-14:50	½	P-40	Shared damaged	MC.202		North Africa	80a Squadriglia
	1944
	28/01/44	14:30	1/3	B-24	Shared destroyed	MC.205		Cesara-Pordenone	3a Squadriglia
5	28/03/44	12:20	1	P-38 (c)	Destroyed	MC.205		Valli di Comacchio	3a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 5 and 4 shared destroyed, 3 and 5 shared damaged.
(a) Possibly claimed in combat with P-40s from 2 SAAF Squadron, which claimed 1, 1probable and 1 damaged while losing two aircraft. 6^o and 17^o Gruppi claimed 6 and many damaged while two MC.202s were damaged.
(b) Probably claimed in combat with Wellingtons from 148 Squadron, which lost two aircraft against Axis claims for two shot down.
(c) Claimed in combat with P-38s from 1st and 82nd FG, which claimed two enemy aircraft destroyed and one damaged while losing two P-38s from 27th FS. I^o Gruppo claimed six P-38s while losing two MC.205s.

Sources:
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
Luftwaffe Claims Lists - Tony Wood
Royal Air Force Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean, Volume 1: 1939-1942 - David Gunby and Pelham Temple, 2006 Midland Publishing, ISBN 1-85780-234-9
Additional information kindly provided by Ferdinando D’Amico, Michele Palermo and Ludovico Slongo.