1991 Marshall Islands Coin Legendary Aircraft WWII Italian SM.79 Sparviero

Description

Solid Brass Commemorative Coin
1991
Issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
SM 79 Sparviero
The
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Sparviero
(Italian for
sparrowhawk
) was a
three-engined
Italian
medium bomber
developed and manufactured by aviation company
Savoia-Marchetti
. It could be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the
Second World War
.
[2]
The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its distinctive
fuselage
dorsal "hump", and was reportedly well liked by its crews, who nicknamed it
il gobbo maledetto
("damned hunchback").
[3]
The SM.79 had been originally developed during the early 1930s as a
cantilever
low-wing monoplane employing a combined wood-and-metal structure. It had been designed with the initial intention of producing a swift eight-passenger transport aircraft, capable of besting even the fastest of its contemporaries at that time, however, the project quickly attracted the attention of the Italian government for its potential as an armed combat aircraft. Performing its first flight on 28 September 1934; between 1937 and 1939, early examples of the type established 26 separate world records, qualifying it for some time as being the fastest
medium bomber
in the world.
[4]
As such, the SM.79 quickly became regarded as an item of national
prestige
in
Fascist Italy
, attracting significant government support and often being deployed as an element of state
propaganda
. Early on, the aircraft was routinely entered into competitive fly-offs and air races, seeking to capitalise on its advantages, and often emerged victorious in such contests.
The SM.79 first saw combat during the
Spanish Civil War
; in this theatre, it operated without fighter escorts, normally relying on its relatively high speed to evade interception instead. While some issues were identified, and in some cases resolved, the SM.79's performance during the Spanish deployment was encouraging and stimulated demand for the type, including a decision to adopt it as the backbone of Italy's bomber units. Both
Yugoslavia
and
Romania
opted to procure the type for their own air services, while large numbers were also procured for the
Regia Aeronautica
. Almost 600 SM.79-I and –II aircraft were in service when Italy entered the
Second World War
during May 1940; thereafter, these aircraft were deployed across every theatre of war in which the Italians fought.
The SM.79 was operated in various different capacities during the Second World War; initially, the type was used as a transport aircraft and medium bomber.
[2]
Following pioneering work by the "Special Aerotorpedoes Unit", Italy put the type to work as a
torpedo bomber
; in this role, the SM.79 achieved notable successes against Allied shipping, particularly in the
Mediterranean
theater.
[5]
A specialised
drone
version of the aircraft, flown by remote control was also developed, although the
Armistice with Italy
was enacted prior to any operational deployment. It was the most numerous Italian bomber of the Second World War, around some 1,300 aircraft were constructed. The type would remain in Italian service until 1952.
[6]