Escuadr. Blanco X Grupo de Caza
160a Squad, 50° Stormo, Tobruk Escuadr. Negro X Grupo de Caza
V° Esquadrilla Grupo 2-G-3 Diavoli rossi 6 stormo airforce luftwaffe belchite republican captured 1937 Chinese Air Force asso di bastoni hungary airforce CR-32 cucaracha Cr-32bis luftwaffe
trainer Col.Pezze' Ferrara
1935
The Fiat CR.32 was another one of Celestino
Rosatelli's designs and probably his greatest.
the prototype, (M.M. 201), first flew on 28th
April 1933. Series production began a year
later. It was an immediate success, and a large
export order book followed. .
The engine was an in-line
V-12 Fiat A 30 R. A. bis developing 600 H.P. at
take off. Armament was initially two Breda-Safat
7,7 mm. machine guns. It was produced in four
very similar versions: the CR-32 and CR-32
quater with two machine guns, and the CR-32 bis,
with four.
The new fighter turned out to be a mixed
blessing. On the one hand it was heavily armed
and very maneuverable on the other hand it was
difficult to fly for a novice pilot and its Fiat
A.30RA engine required a highly exotic gasoline
- alcohol - benzene mixture to run properly.
The Fiat CR.32 saw service
in: Austria, China, Germany , Hungary , Italy,
Paraguay, South Africa, Spain, Venezuela. During
the war South African troops captured at least
one Fiat CR.32 and two CR.42s. One of the CR.42s
and the single CR.32 was brought back to South
Africa.
The CR-32 formed the backbone
of the Aviazione Legionaria and around 400 were
operating in the skies over Spain from August
1936, equipping nationalist fighter units 2G3
and 3G3 as well as five Italian groups (Gamba di
Ferro, Cucaracha, Asso di Bastoni, Frecce and
Balearii).
The CR-32 was faster in level
flight and in a dive than the Chato (I-15), and
compared with the Mosca (I-16) it was more
manoeuvrable and more heavily armed.
In 1940, some 294 were still
in front line service primarily in North Africa,
however, the British in their Gloster Gladiators
easily defeated large numbers of the Fiat C.R.
32.
There were four different
versions of the Fiat CR.32, the basic CR.32, the
CR.32bis, the CR.32ter and finally the
CR.32quater. The differences were:
CR.32 - Few aircraft of this version were
produced. It was armed with two 12.7mm guns.
CR.32bis - The main difference to the
predecessor was the fitting of two extra 7.7mm
machine guns in blisters on top of the lower
wing to fire outside the propeller disc.
The wing guns were
retroactively removed from all CR.32 bis
aircraft in service soon after they entered
service. Exceptions were certain aircraft
allocated to dedicated fighter-bomber units both
in Italy and in Spain.
The Fiat CR.32
fighters saw a surprisingly long service. After
they were withdrawn from service as fighters
they saw action as fighter-bombers, both in
Italy as well as with other operators such as
Hungary. Both of these countries used the CR.32
in the attack role into 1943
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