A recent post from my WWII GERMAN AVIATION collection. I suppose, technically it could be considered Italian aviation…

Paolo Viti:
Yes, the Italian Ju 87B-2 with the very unassuming name “Picchiatello” (Woodpecker!). Because of the gross failure of equipping the Italian Air Force with a decent ground attack fighter therefore the Italian Regia Aeronautica was forced in 1939 the RLM to supply 100 Ju 87, soon Italian pilots were sent to Graz in Austria to be trained for dive-bombing aircraft and In the spring of 1940, between 72 and 108 Ju 87 B-1 and some Ju 87B-2 Trop. Of which some of them ex-Luftwaffe aircraft, were initially delivered to 96° Gruppo Bombardamento a Tuffo (bomb diving group). The Italian Stuka, was in turn assigned to Gruppi 97°, 101° and 102°. The “Picchiatelli” were used against Malta, Allied convoys in Mediterranean and in North Africa (where they took part in conquering Tobruk) and were used by the Regia Aeronautica up to 1942. Of all the German allies that has been supplied with the Stuka it was the lest successful as it was only moderately successful here and there but it was not liked at all by many pilots because it was so foreign to their mentality, it is also true that they didn’t put much effort to improve their efficiency….

Originally shared by Pete Panozzo