Originally Posted by
Akrotiri bad boy
It wasn't just the Brits that had to climb aboard outclassed steeds. During the summer of 1940 the Regia Aeronautica flew the Fiat CR42 against the Hurricanes and Spitfires of 11Group. The RAF still had Gladiators on front line strength but these were down the far south west corner of 10Group, and they had canopies!
From mid-1940 to early 1941, the RAF were using the Gladiator as a front line fighter in North Africa against the Italians, Pat Pattle, the RAF's highest scoring pilot, accounted for over 10 Italian aircraft, plus about half that number again as 1/2 shared during that time while flying the Gladiator.