Page 260 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

226 IUCHARD A. VON DOES'HOFF

"T o dare mere bas been no case of a vessel being arraoked by an enemy sub-
marine when aircraft bns bee n prese m, while in severa l cases me submarines ha ve
been sigbred and compelled co abandon cheir arracks".
One of tbe f11scinaring fearures of oaval aviation in World \Var l was che na·
cure and degree of inreroational cooperation required to est:ablish -and maimain
effecdve fighring unirs. Clear and wéll documemed examples of sucb an infcasuuc-
rure can be found in che U.S. naval avìacion training faciliries base.s, and opera-
r.ions in ItaJy. The relative newness of che science o( aeronautics wichin all allied
forces required nn excl1ange of knowledge, personnel, and materia! never known
in warfare before.
As is well known, bitter and prorracred fìghring raged berween lraJian and
Auscrian forces from 1914, in tbe nonhern ltalian regions and along the shores
of che Adria tic Sea. Ar an early scage in chis conflicr, ltalian military and naval
aucborities carne co recogni?;e the signilìcance of aerial warfare.
The ltalian Navy developed pacrol aircrafr, based on Ausrrian Loeh.rner
seaplanes, bulle by d1c Macchi faccory ac Varese. These were che M-8s and M-9s.
powered by Fiac A- t 2 engines. Twin-engined Fiar-powcrcd Caproni seaplanes were
udlized for heavy bombing dury. This secroc of d1e Ausrro-Jcalian front wicnessed
classic acrial warfare feo.ruring sealane parrols, bombing raids against porcs and
fleet unirs accompanied by anti-aircraft suppression, and dogfighcs. The favorite
[calia n cnrgecs were che major Auscrian fleet concenrrntion at Pola and porc supply
facilicics along che norchern Adriaric coasr. Austria n aerial forces attacked civilian
an d mllicary targecs ali a long rh e easr coasr of lcaly.
Italia n na.val aie forces had few good locations for bases on cheir sidc o( t.he
Adrinric. They hnd a choicc of operacing from congested harbors such as Venice,
or from narrow canals and wedands areas. Ausrri.an forces, on dle odler band, et~·
joyed many procected harbors and islands ideai for seaplane operacions. By April.
1917, when America encered the war, che Italia n Navy h ad esrnblis.hed aviation
bases at Venice, Brindisi, and Otranto, wich severa! more under construclion.
In mid-November 1917, che Italian governmenc proposed co rrnin fifty U.S.
Nova! officcrs arche ltalian N a val Ajr Training Sracion ac Lake Bolsena, a few miles
nordl of Rome. l.r. John Callan, USNR.F, was sent from che NavaJ Aìr Sntcion in
Ile Tudy, France, ro iniriace discussions in Rome. Following a successfut inspection
of che proposed training sire, Lieucenanc Callan learncd from Cape. De Filippi of
che Royal lmlian Naval Air Force, rhac lcaly envisioned much more: than training.
Cnpt. De Filippi proposed che escabl.ishmenc of a o American navaJ air operarional
presence in lraly for the duracion of t.he war. To chis end, ltaly woutd supply ali
atrcrafr, spare parts, fuel, lubricadng oil, quarters, buildings, and odler marerial
oecessary for che construcrion and maincenaoce of me rra.ioiog base ac Lake Bolse-
na a od an operatiog base ac .Porco Corsi ai souch of Ravenna.
Naval Aviacion Headquaners in Paris a.nd che Navy Departmenr in Washingron
quic.kly approved these proposals and the Headquarrers ofNaval Aviation in Iraly