Italian losses in WW1

[leo]

I have never seen anything which enumerates Italian losses in WWI. Does anyone have information?

Italy built 20,000 planes 1914-1918 and imported additional planes from other Allied countries. The Hanriot fighter comes to mind and i am reasonably sure there were others, as well. Using the French model, the highest percentage (77% losses) I come up with 15,400 planes lost from all causes. Using the German model, the lowest percentage of losses (62% losses) the number is 12,400 losses from all causes. Losses would reflect planes replaced because of obsolesence, accidents and enemy action. Am I anywhere near reality with this?

You are right sort of. First of all, Italy didn't build 20,000 airplanes. The official number is 11,986 but that is on the low side. For instance it doesn't take into account Gabardini airplanes. Officially, Army aircraft lost in air combat were 128, but that is ridiculous. Real combat losses were about 500. I have a database of 1,500 Italian losses, including all losses in combat and all training and flying accidents with casualties. But that still doesn't answer your question. Actually plane smash-ups with no loss of life were extremely common, a guy calde Giacomelli crashed five Hanriots in a week before being kicked out of the Squadron. There is one way to establish your point: we have a report on the number of Italian planes existing not long after the armistice. We subtract that from the number built plus deliveries from France, and we have losses. Which no doubt will turn out to be around 77% or something like that, as you guessed.

Would it be possible to get a copy of your losses database?

[leo]

Roberto:
Thanks for your reply. I got the 20,000 figure from the aircraft statistics section of The Aerodrome. I am glad to know that my guess was close to the mark.

leo