Francesco Baracca

Francesco Baracca in front of his single-seater SPAD S.XIII

Baracca coat of arms

Coat of arms 91ª Squadriglia

Francesco Baracca (born May 9, 1888 in Lugo , Province of Ravenna , † June 19, 1918 at Nervesa della Battaglia , Treviso ) was the most successful Italian fighter pilot of the First World War before Silvio Scaroni .

Military service

He was involved in 63 air battles and shot down 34 enemy planes. Baracca commanded the 91 Squadriglia , a fighter squadron in which the best Italian pilots served, including Fulco Ruffo di Calabria . On June 19, 1918, Francesco Baracca was killed by Austrian rifle fire while flying low over the Montello ( Piave ). According to recent findings, it was most likely shot down by an observer from an Austrian two-seater. The Austrian crew also photographed the downed aircraft and noted the time and place of the mission. Because of the war propaganda, the version that Baracca was hit by ground fire was favored by the Italian military. Some sources name Max Kauer as the pilot and Lieutenant Arnold Barwig as the observer as the crew of the two-seater.

The identification mark on his aircraft was a black horse, which was later adopted as a trademark by Scuderia Ferrari and the car manufacturer Ferrari . Associations of today's Italian Air Force (including 4º Stormo ) are adorned with his name, but above all with his coat of arms .

Awards

literature

Mariano Gabriele: Baracca, Francesco. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 5: Bacca-Baratta. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1963.
John Guttman: SPAD VII Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2001, ISBN 1-84176-222-9

Web links

Commons : Francesco Baracca - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Francesco Baracca at aspeterpan.com (Italian)
Guerini, Irene / Pluviano, Marco: Baracca, Francesco , in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War . (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Guttman, Jon. SPAD XII / XIII Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing, 2002 ISBN 978-1841763163 , p. 26

personal data
SURNAME	Baracca, Francesco
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Italian fighter pilot in the First World War
DATE OF BIRTH	May 9, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lugo , Province of Ravenna
DATE OF DEATH	June 19, 1918
Place of death	Nervesa della Battaglia , Treviso

[1] Guttman, Jon. SPAD XII / XIII Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing, 2002 ISBN 978-1841763163 , p. 26