Maresciallo Ennio Tarantola

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Ennio Tarantola was born in Como on 19 January 1915.

During his boyhood he is supposed to have worked as a banana seller for the Colombo-Poggi firm at piazza Cavour, thus earning the nickname Banana.

He joined the Regia Aeronautica a Sergente Pilots in September 1936.

He volunteered to the Spanish Civil War and served with the XVIo la Cucaracha Gruppo C.T. as a Sergente, flying the Fiat CR.32. He reputedly flew a CR.32 with the inscription Pivello (meaning young and inexperienced flyer) on the fin.

On 20 January 1938 he claimed a Curtiss fighter (Polikarpov I-15 Chato ) over Spain.

For his service in Spain he was decorated with two Medaglie dargento al valore militare.

When he returned to Italy he joined the 155a Squadriglia, which were equipped with CR.32s.

When the Second World War started he flew Ju87 Stukas (or 'Picchiatelli' as they were called in Italy) in the 209a and 239a Squadriglie Autonoma Bombardamento a Tuffo from March to October 1941 under the command of Capitano Giuseppe Cenni (also a veteran Spanish Civil War ace).

At 19.45 on 29 June 1941 Italian and German dive-bombers attacked the Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen and severely damaged it by some near misses. Tarantola was one the pilots claiming a hit on the ship. At this time he served in the 239a Squadriglia.

The ship was firstly abandoned, then a salvage party went on board, but the ship sunk, while being towed by HMS Defender, at 01.50 on 30 June.

Next day on 30 June, he was shot down in his Ju87 and floated in his dinghy for 18 hours before being rescued.

After this sobering experience he asked to go back on fighters. This he was granted and on 4 November 1941 he joined the 151a Squadriglia of the 20o Gruppo C.T., which was under the command of Capitano Furio Niclot Doglio. The unit was at this time equipped with Fiat G.50s and based in Tripoli.

On 5 December he claimed a Curtiss P-40 over North Africa.

In the end of December 1941 20o Gruppo moved back to Italy to re-equip with Macchi MC.202s. When they were re-equipped they were transferred to the newly reformed 51o Stormo and moved to Sicily to take part in the attack on Malta. During 1942, Tarantola usually flew the Macchi MC.202 coded 151-2, marked with a prominent inscription on its nose, reading Dai Banana! (meaning Come on, Banana!).

During this period he often flew as a wingman to the Squadriglia commander Capitano Furio Niclot Doglio until Niclot was shot down and killed by the ace George Beurling of 249 Squadron on 27 July.

After Niclots death, Tenente DAmico took command of the Squadriglia (DAmico was later killed over Sardegna (Sardinia)).

Just after 18:45 on 1 July 1942 he claimed a Spitfire over Malta after a combat with 603 Squadron. The Italians claimed eight Spitfires and only got two damaged themselves. RAF claimed one enemy fighter destroyed and one probable plus one probable bomber while losing one Spitfire.

In an early morning raid on 4 July ten Spitfires of 249 Squadron intercepted three S.84bis of 4o Gruppo escorted by 22 MC.202s of 51o Gruppo with 17 more Macchis acting as indirect support. During the combat 249 Squadron claimed three bombers with no losses even if two of the Spitfires were badly shot-up. The Italians lost two bombers but claimed four Spitfires c one by one of the bombers and three by the fighters, including one by Tarantola.

On 7 July he claimed a shared Spitfire with Capitano Furio Niclot Doglio over Malta, seeing the pilot baling out as the Spitfire went down to crash east of Valetta.

He claimed another shared Spitfire with Capitano Furio Niclot Doglio on 10 July when Axis and Allied Fighters clashed south of Rabat. Involved in this combat was seven Spitfires from 249 Squadron, MC.202 from 20 o and 155o Gruppi (19 and 6 MC.202s respectively) and Bf109s from JG53. The Spitfires were later reinforced with seven more Spitfires from 603 Squadron. In this combat was Tarantolas Macchi badly damaged but he was able to safely return to his base.

During the afternoon on 25 July a dozen MC.202s of 20o Gruppo and seven of 155o Gruppo joined Bf109s to cover five Ju88s to Luqa and Hal Far. On the latter airfield shrapnel and debris damaged two Hurricanes (BG719 and BG794), while over the target the Italians reported that six Spitfires were encountered. Two of these were claimed shot down, one by Tarantola, which he reported crashed near Delimara Point and one east of St Thomas Bay by Tenente Italo DAmico. Capitano Niclot claimed a probable and four more were claimed damaged, but DAmicos MC.202 was hit five times in the starboard wing. Eight Spitfires from 603 Squadron scrambled to intercept and Pilot Officer Glazebrook claimed a Macchi shot down. His opponent may have been DAmico or possibly a Bf109 of 2/JG77, as Oberfeldwebel Kurt Görbing was reported missing from a combat sortie in Black 6. The German pilot was later located in the sea and was soon rescued by an ASR Dornier from Sicily. Two pilots of 1435 Flight managed to reach the bombers, two of which were claimed damaged by Flight Sergeant MacLennan and Flight Sergeant Pinney. One Spitfire was slightly damaged.

On 27 July Capitano Furio Niclot Doglio until Niclot was shot down and killed by the ace George Beurling of 249 Squadron (Spitfire Mk.V BR301/UF-S) (victory number 14). In the same combat was Tarantola wounded in one arm, but managed to regain his base safely.

At 07.20 on Sunday morning on 11 October 25 Macchis from 20o and 155o Gruppi and four Bf109s escorted seven Ju88s from I/KG54. The bombers released bombs on Hal Far and Benghaisa Point. 19 Spitfires were scrambled (8 from 1435 Squadron, 7 from 126 Squadron and 4 from 229 Squadron). In the ensuing combat the Italian pilots claimed four Spitfires shot down, one by Tarantola, who claimed that he shot down a Spitfire in flames. RAF lost no aircraft in this combat, although one Spitfire from 126 Squadron and one from 1435 Squadron was damaged. Regia Aerounatica lost one Macchi in this combat, which correspond with RAF claims

During the second (of four) raids on Malta shortly after 10.00 on 14 October he claimed a Spitfire over Malta. His aircraft, however, had suffered such serious damage that he was forced to parachute from it near the Sicilian coast. In this raid Axis pilots claimed five Spitfires while RAF actually lost three.

20o Gruppo was pulled back to Ciampino Sud in December, and following five months of rest and re-equipment the unit moved to Capoterra, Sardegna (Sardinia) in May 1943.

On 28 June 1943 he claimed a P-40 over Sardegna.

He claimed a P-38 over Sardegna on 30 July.

On 2 August 1943 he took part in a hectic combat over Sardegna, against American P-38s, taking off five times in the same day to face enemy attacks.

After bouncing a formation of P-40s from 325th FG, he then engaged P-38s from the 14th FG, claiming two of them shot down over Capo Pula. During one of these actions he lost his friend, and fellow ace, Maresciallo Pietro Bianchi, who was later posthumously decorated with the Medaglia dOro al Valore Militare.

After the Italian surrender Tarantola joined the Italiana Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR) where he served in the Squadriglia Complementare Montefusco-Bonet.

On 25 April he was shot down and badly wounded in combat with P-47 Thunderbolts from 325th FG. He did not return to flying until well after VE-Day.

Tarantola ended the war with 1 biplane victory (claimed in Spain) and a total of 11.

During the war he was decorated with two additional Medaglie dargento al valore militare, two Medaglie di bronzo and five Croce di guerra. He was also promoted twice for war merits.

He remained in the air force until he reached retirement age.

Tarantola lived in Cesenatico before passing away on 30 July 2001.

Claims:

1938 1 20/01/38 1 I-15 Destroyed Fiat CR.32 Spain XVIo Gruppo 1941 2 05/12/41 1 P-40 Destroyed Fiat G.50 North Africa 151a Squadriglia 1942 3 01/07/42 1 Spitfire (a) Destroyed MC.202 Malta 151a Squadriglia 4 04/07/42 1 Spitfire (b) Destroyed MC.202 Malta 151a Squadriglia 07/07/42 Spitfire Shared destroyed MC.202 E Valetta 151a Squadriglia 10/07/42 Spitfire (c) Shared destroyed MC.202 S Rabat 151a Squadriglia 5 25/07/42 (d) 1 Spitfire Destroyed MC.202 Delimara Point 151a Squadriglia 6 11/10/42 1 Spitfire (e) Destroyed MC.202 Malta area 151a Squadriglia 7 14/10/42 1 Spitfire (f) Destroyed MC.202 Malta 151a Squadriglia 1943 8 28/06/43 1 P-40 Destroyed MC.202 Sardegna 151a Squadriglia 9 30/07/43 1 P-38 Destroyed MC.202 Sardegna 151a Squadriglia 10 02/08/43 1 P-38 (g) Destroyed MC.205 Capo Pula 151a Squadriglia 11 02/08/43 1 P-38 (g) Destroyed MC.205 Capo Pula 151a Squadriglia

Biplane Victories: 1 destroyed. TOTAL: 11 and 4 shared destroyed, 1 destroyed on the sea. (a) Claimed in combat with 603 Squadron. Regia Aeronautica claimed eight Spitfires and only got two damaged themselves. RAF claimed one enemy fighter destroyed and one probable plus one probable bomber while losing one Spitfire. (b) Claimed in combat with 249 Squadron. 249 Squadron claimed three bombers with no losses. The Italians lost two bombers but claimed four Spitfires c one by one of the bombers and three by the fighters, including one by Tarantola. (c) Regia Aeronautica claimed 4 victories in this combat and lost 2 aircraft. RAF claimed 5 aircraft and lost none. (d) Alternatively on 23 July 1942. In this combat Regia Aeronautica claimed two Spitfires and got one damaged while RAF claimed one (could have been a German Bf109) and got one slightly damaged. (e) RAF lost no aircraft in this combat, although one Spitfire from 126 Squadron and one from 1435 Squadron was damaged. (f) Axis pilots claimed five Spitfires while RAF actually lost three in this combat. (g) Claimed in combat with P-38s from 14th FG