21 Gruppo

Ad Hostes Rugens

(Roaring at the enemy)

Callsign : TIGRE

Nato Tiger Association status : full member

In the second half of the 'Great War' (1917-1918), Italy found itself engaged, alongside the French, English and Russian forces, in countering the Austro-Hungarian opposition forces stationed in the eastern and south-eastern part of Europe.

The XXI Gruppo (Squadron) Aeroplani was established on 25 May 1918 in Macedonia as part of the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano (Italian Expeditionary Force) and operated over the Balkans.  It consisted of the 73° Squadriglia (Flight) Nieuport (Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17 & Hanriot HD.1 aircraft) and the 111° Squadriglia ‘SAML’.  The SAML S.1 & S.2 were a single-engin reconnaissance and training biplane produced by the Italian company Società Anonima Meccanica Lombarda.  These bombing and reconnaissance two-seater aircraft were not very powerful nor fast.  They were therefore quickly replaced with the new, more powerful and better equipped Pomilio PE and the Fiat-Ansaldo S.V.A.5.

They were tasked with reconnaissance, bombing and artillery fire guidance actions in support of the 35° Divisione (Army Division).  In the short time of its existence, it conducted more than 600 missions, including 145 bombing missions,  257 reconnaissance flights and directed 90 artillery barages.

The Gruppo lost 5 pilots and observers and claimed 27 aerial victories.  They earned 17 Silver Medals for Valor, 3 Bronze Medals for Valor and 2 War Merit Crosses.

In the period after WWI the Gruppo continued to fly, carrying out training and reconnaissance missions on the border.

On 25 August 1919 the Gruppo was inactivated for the first time. 

The 21° Gruppo Caccia Terrestri (Ground Fighter Squadron) was reconstituted in 1 October 1939 with 354°, 355° and 356° Squadriglie, as part of the 51° Stormo Caccia (Fighter Wing).  They operated the Fiat G.50Bis 'Freccia' in the air defense of Rome and Naples.

27 September 1940 they became part of 52° Stormo Caccia .

The 354° and 355° Squadriglie were transferred to Albania in October to take part in the Campagna italiana di Grecia, the Italian invasion of Greece (28 October 1940 - 23 April 1941).

In November 1940 the Gruppo was joined by the 369° Squadriglia for a very short time, which was replaced by the 386° Squadriglia in February 1941.

The first aerial victory of 21° Gruppo during World War II occurred on 10 January 1941 when a Macchi MC.200 Saetta of 369° Squadriglia shot down a RAF Bristol Blenheim.

On 10 February 1942 the Gruppo became autonomous (21° Gruppo Autonomo) and was joined by the 382° Squadriglia.

Between 1942 and 1943 they participated in the Campagna Italiana di Russia (Italian Campaign in Russia, August 1941-20 January 1943), using the Fiat G.50 "Freccia" and the Macchi MC.200 "Saetta" and MC.202 "Folgore".  The Gruppo claimed nine certain kills and as many probable ones and lost eight pilots, including a Squadron Commander, in combat.

May 1943 the Gruppo they were tasked with the air defense of Sicily.  It consisted off the 356°, 361° and 386° Squadriglie, the 382° having been disbanded upon their return to Italy.

After the Italian Armistice on 3 September 1943 the Gruppo, together with 155° Gruppo, participated in the Guerra di Liberazione (War of Liberation) as part of the ‘Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana' (Italian Cobelligerent Air Force), which fought alongside the Allies.  The Gruppo was tasked with strafing missions against targets on the Adriatic Sea and in Yugoslavia.  They operated the Caccia Reggiane Re-2001 "Falco II" for a short time, and the MC.205 'Veltro'. 

1 January 1944 the Gruppo rejoined the 51° Stormo and on 25 April 1945 WWII came to an end for Italy.

The now exhausted MC.205s, returning from the effort sustained up until a few months before, no longer guaranteed adequate levels of efficiency so, in June 1946, the unit was equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire, first the Mk.V series and then the Mk.IX series, transferred by the RAF to the surviving units of the Regia Aeronautica.

The same time they received the call-sign ‘TIGRE’.

Early 1950, with the Spitfire now at the limit of operational efficiency, the Gruppo was re-equipped, for a few months, with the Ambrosini S.7 and then, in 1951, with the Republic P47D "Thunderbold", an American fighter that was rather heavy and not easy to fly.

In 1952 they received their first jet, the Republic F-84G "Thunderjet", followed by the Republic F-84F "Thunderstreak" in 1957.

That same year the Gruppo was joined by North American F-86K "Sabres" from 17° Gruppo.  As a result, the Gruppo was renamed 21° Gruppo Caccia Ogni Tempo (All-Weather Fighter Squadron) and consisted of 351°, 386°, 387°and 388° Squadriglie.

1964 saw the Gruppo equipped with the Lockheed F-104G "Starfighter".

On 16 April 1964, the 21st was first a Gruppo Autonomo, to eventually become a part of the 53° Stormo.

It was in this period that the tiger emblem was officially adopted as their emblem, with the motto "Ad hostes rugens" (roaring towards the enemy).

1971 saw the arrival of the first Aeritalia F-104S "Starfighter", indicating that it was armed with, first, the AIM-7E ‘Sparrow’ air-to-air missile and later the AIM-9L ‘Sidewinder’.

The 388° Squadriglia was disbanded in 1973.

The F-104S was replaced by the F-104S/ASA, which were equipped with the Selenia 1A ‘Aspide’ missiles, in 1991.  This was an upgraded Italian made AIM-7E, with an improved new monopulse guidance system that allowed for a better hit ratio and easier targeting of enemies at low altitude with ground-clutter confusion.  It also received a new and more powerful engine and new control surfaces.  These control surfaces were each independent of the others, giving the missile greatly improved maneuverability.

Early 1997 the Gruppo received the Panavia Tornado F3 ADV (Air Defence Variant) and became in 1999 part of 36° Stormo.

Because of budget cuts 21° Gruppo was disbanded on 1 March 2001.

This lasted until 1 March 2006 when 21° Gruppo was reconstituted with 386°, 387° & 388° Squadriglie, operating the Agusta Bell AB-212AM-ICO (Incremento della Capacità Operativa (Operational Capacity Increase)) as ‘Combat SAR’ and in support of the Italian special Forces, as part of the 9° Stormo ‘Francesco Baracca’.

In 2006 the discission was taken to re-name the SAR-version of the 212 into HH-212.

Since 2007 the Gruppo is part of the 1ª Brigata aerea "operazioni speciali” ("Special Operations" Air Brigade)

In 2022 they converted to the Leonardo HH-101A Caesar helicopter.

21° Gruppo participated in many operations like Deny Flight, Allied Force, ISAF, JTAF and others.  It also conducted SAR operations inside Italy.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 21 markings)

Aircraft

Nieuport 11

Nieuport 17

Hanriot HD.1

SAML S.1 / S.2

Pomilio PE

Fiat G.50Bis Freccia (pre-WWII markings)

Fiat G.50Bis Freccia (1940 markings)

Fiat G.50Bis Freccia (1941 markings)

Fiat G.50Bis Freccia (Russian Front markings)

MC.200 Saetta (Russian Front markings)

MC.202 Folgore (Russian Front markings)

Reggiane Re-2001 Falco II (Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana markings)

MC.205 Veltro (Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana markings)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V / Mk.IX

Ambrosini S.7

Republic P47D Thunderbold

Republic F-84G Thunderjet

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter

Aeritalia F-104ASA Starfighter

Panavia Tornado F.3 ADV

Agusta Bell AB-212AM-ICO/HH-212

Leonardo HH-101A Caesar

21° Gruppo

21° Gruppo Caccia

21° Gruppo Tigre

1° Brigata aerea operazioni speciali

9° Stormo 'Francesco Baracca'

36° Stormo Caccia

51° Stormo Caccia

52° Stormo Caccia

53° Stormo Caccia

73° Squadriglia

351° Squadriglia

386° Squadriglia

387° Squadriglia

Unit awards

Medaglia d'argento al valor militare

Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare

Croce al merito di guerra

back

text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.