Piero Vodret was born on 30 March 1918 and was from Cagliari.

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

He was promoted to Tenente on 6 February 1941.

Between 15:50-17:50 on 4 June 1942, nine CR.42s of the 50^o Stormo; five from the 388^a Squadriglia and four from the 390^a Squadriglia, 159^o Gruppo (Capitano Cerutti, (CO of the 158^o Gruppo), Baino, Sandroni, D’Alanno, Sergente Maggiore Pietro Bartolozzi, Tenente Vodret, Ferraro, Rigetti and Sergente Maggiore Francesco Marcati) took off from Derna El Ftheiah and attacked enemy armoured and motorized forces in the immediate vicinity of Bir Hacheim.
Nine MC.202s from the 17^o Gruppo (four from the 72^a Squadriglia and five from the 80^a Squadriglia) provided the cover (16:00-17:25) and were led by Capitano Clizio Nioi. Once the bombs had been dropped and the strafing completed at 17:05, the Fiats of the 388^a Squadriglia that were coming out of the dive were attacked by enemy fighters. Six Spitfires and eight P-40s were seen (exactly the number of the counterpart). Sergente Maggiore Francesco Marcati (390^a Squadriglia, MM8527) and Sergente Maggiore Pietro Bartolozzi (388^a Squadriglia, MM5059) were shot down; the former did not bale out and lost his life, but the latter baled safely and was taken prisoner. Another two were hit by anti-aircraft fire. The 17^o Gruppo in their turn intervened to protect the CR.42s and the pilots of the 72^a Squadriglia returned claiming damaged to three enemy aircraft (250 rounds) while Capitano Nioi (80^a Squadriglia, 150 rounds) and Maresciallo Bruno Castellani (80^a Squadriglia, 60 rounds) fired at three aircraft, observing hits on one of them (credited as a shared damaged). Additional MC.202s of 96^a Squadriglia were present in the area on a free sweep (16:10-17:45) but they seem not have run into the enemy.
The whole of 233 Wing scrambled for another Stuka party over Bir Hacheim between 17:20-18:40. Six Kittyhawks of 260 Squadron clashed with four CR.42s protected by six Bf l09s or Macchi MC.202s and claimed one CR.42 (Flying Officer John Waddy in AL198).
Eight Tomahawks of 5 SAAF Squadron came across six CR.42s and two Bf l09s at 18:00.

“Capt. Botha [AN448/GL-H] was after a CR.42 when he was forced to avoid four of own AC all filling the atmosphere with lead. The CR 42 did a slow roll off the top of the four and Capt. Botha shot him down in flames.”

“…Met up with 3+ CR.42s which jettisoned their bombs. At least 5 of us fired at one of these. I was last to fire and saw it go down afterwards. In own opinion, I must have killed the pilot. I was rather discouraged by others when I said that, so I made no claim”

Tenente Piero Vodret became CO of the 391^a Squadriglia of 159^o Gruppo, 50^o Stormo Assalto after the death of Tenente Eugenio Antonelli. This unit was equipped with Fiat CR.42s and operating over North Africa in the ground attack role.

Seven MC.202s of the 23^o Gruppo, led by Capitano Mario Pinna (CO 75^a Squadriglia), took off at 14:35 on 27 October to escort 17 Ju 87s and 42 CR.42s of the 50^o and the 5^o Stormi. Near Daba a formation of P-40s was intercepted and engaged, two P-40s being claimed; one of them was claimed by Sergente William Dusi (70^a Squadriglia) while the second was shared by Tenente Giorgio Solaroli di Briona (74^a Squadriglia), Sergente Maurizio Mandolesi (75^a Squadriglia) and Capitano Pinna. The fighters from the 23^o Gruppo landed again at 16:00.
At 15:10 four Spitfires of 601 Squadron escorted Kittybombers over Daba, but their pilots then spotted at least 30 fighters which were escorting 30 CR.42s of the 50^o Stormo to strafe positions at E1 Alamein, attacking many vehicles and armoured cars by dive-bombing. Just after these biplanes had completed their dives, they were attacked by a formation of fighters and combat commenced. Following several earlier missions, in the air at this time were eight bomb-carrying P-40Fs of the US 65th FS (15:10-16:35), escorted by eight more of the 64th FS.
According to the Luftwaffe, the Axis formation included Ju 87s, and also placed the number of CR.42s involved at 43 (the Allied units involved put the size of the biplane formation at 20-24!). Apart from the MC.202s, ten Bf 109s of II./JG 27 and eight of III./JG 27 had also taken off at 15:40 to take part in the escort. To add to the confusion, the Hurricanes of 33 Squadron were scrambled at 15:45 to intercept the raid, covered by 213 Squadron. These pilots reported that the biplanes were flying in four vics each of six aircraft, the vics following each other in line astern, and that they were just entering their dives at this point. The Germans reported that as the formation was assembling (or re-assembling) aircraft identified as ’Curtiss, Airacobras and four Spitfìres’ attacked; once more the reference to Airacobras seems to have been a give-away that US P-40Fs were involved. Oberleutnant Ernst Börngen (5./JG 27) claimed one Spitfire V north of Turbiya at 15:03 and a Hurricane II north-west of El Alamein at 15:32. Hauptmann Gustav Rödel (Stab II./JG 27) claimed one ’Airacobra/P-39’ at 15:05 north of El Daba. Hauptmann Gerhard Homuth (Stab I./JG 27) claimed a Spitfire V south of Bir Mumin Busak at 15:15. Leutnant Werner Schroer (8./JG 27) meanwhile, claimed three P-40s north-east of El Daba, north-east of Quotaifiya and north-west of Quotaifiya, all of which he reported crash-landed. Losses during this very busy combat included two Bf 109s, one flown by Oberfeldwebel Fritz Lüer of 6./JG 27 (Bf 109 F-4 WNr. 7151 Yellow 10), which crashed into the sea 15km north-east of El Daba with the pilot being KIA II.Gruppe and one of 8./JG 27 (Bf 109 F-4 WNr. 7489), which force-landed at Daba with 80 % damaged (pilot safe).
Meantime, the American pilots were enjoying a very successful engagement. The pilots of the 65th FS released their bombs on LG.20, having spotted about six Bf 109s. They then saw more than 20 CR.42s coming in from out to sea, heading south-west. These were intercepted and following a confused engagement claims were made for three shot down, three probables and three damaged. Captain Thomas Clark (P-40F #41) claimed one damaged, Lieutenant Harry Stanford (#43) claimed one probable, 1st Lieutenant Roy Whittaker (#54) claimed one destroyed, one probable and one damaged while 1st Lieutenant Gilbert Wymond (#48) claimed two destroyed, one probable and one damaged. During the fight Captain Marshall Sneed’s aircraft was attacked by a Bf 109 and was quite badly damaged, although he managed to return safely.
Meanwhile, six more P-40s, this time from the 66th FS (15:00-17:15), had been sent out to strafe MT on the coast road west of Mersa Matruh which their pilots had been unable to locate. Flying at 3 meters altitude, they spotted a lone CR.42 at about the same height which had apparently just taken off. Pulling up together, four of the pilots opened fire simultaneously at which the biplane turned sharply and landed, then being destroyed by a further burst. The pilot was seen to leap out but was fired on by 1st Lieutenant William Taylor (#74) and fell to the ground. The four pilots credited with this victory were 1st Lieutenant William Campbell (#77), 1st Lieutenant Taylor, 1st Lieutenant Thomas Tilley (#75) and Captain William Yates (#70).
At the same time the pilots of the 64th FS who were providing escort for the 65th FS fighter-bombers, observed a reported 20 Ju 87s approaching from the west without close escorts. Nonetheless, four Messerschmitts then appeared from the east and six more from out to sea. Some of these were engaged at 15:50 and Lieutenant Lyman Middleditch (#13) became the star of the day after claiming three Bf 109s:

“got in bursts on one Me, saw smoke come out, dove down on another e/a, missed this one, stayed near the deck trying to control the plane and saw the first e/a hit the deck. Was attacked by three e/a. Turned into them, one by one, and let them have good bursts. Hit first one and saw it hit the sea. Other two kept attacking. Got close bursts on second e/a in mid-section. E/a half rolled and went into sea. Last one kept attacking.”

This was the last successful combat of the Squadriglia, which was withdrawn to Italy on 15 January 1943 to be re-equipped with Fiat G.50bis

In 1943, he still served in the 50^o Stormo.

Tenente Piero Vodret remained as CO of the 391^a Squadriglia until the Armistice.

Vodret ended the war with 1 biplane victory.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1942
1	27/10/42	14:10-15:05	1	P-40	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42	MM8921	Tell el Tisa area	391a Squadriglia
	27/10/42	14:10-15:05	1	P-40	Damaged	Fiat CR.42	MM8921	Tell el Tisa area	391a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged.
TOTAL: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged.

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
Ali d'Africa - Michele Palermo and Ludovico Slongo, 2009 IBN Editore, ISBN 88-7565-060-8
Annuario Ufficiale Delle Forze Armate Del Regno D’Italia Anno 1943. Part III Regia Aeronautica – 1943 Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato, Roma
Eagles over Gazala: Air Battles in North Africa May-June 1942 – Michele Palermo, IBN Editore, ISBN (10) 88-7565-168-X
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell' A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 2 Volume M - Z
La 391^a Squadriglia Assalto da Bir Hacheim ad Augusta (1942-1943) - Ferdinando Pedriali, 1980 Aerofan Lug./Set. 1980.
Additional information kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro.