XII Gruppo Caccia Intercettore

Callsign : TIGRE

Nato Tiger Association status : full member

The XII Gruppo Volo (Flying Squadron) was established on 10 May 1917 for support to the 4° Armata (Army) of the Regio Esercito (Royal Italian Army).  It participated in the First World War equipped with the 35° Squadriglia (Flight) operating Savoia-Pomilio SP.2/3, the 1° Section of the 113° Squadriglia operating the SAML, the 2° Section of the 83° Squadriglia with Nieuport 11 Bebè, and the 48° Squadriglia with SIA.7b and Caudron G.4 aircraft.  In the summer it returned to Porro when it ceded the 35°.  On 30 August the 115° SAML Squadriglia, operating SAML S.2, arrived, taking the section of the 113° in Villaverla and then retook the 35° SP.3’s.

On 3 October it received the 117° SAML Squadriglia and on 15 October it ceded the 35°.  On 3 November the 27° Squadriglia and the 22° Squadriglia arrive and on 10 November the 36° Squadriglia of Istrana arrives and the 117° cedes.  With the Caudron, Savoia Pomilio and SIA it carries out aerial photography and reconnaissance with the aim to report targets to the artillery.  In the spring, the unit is in Cittadella (Italy) with the 22° and 36° SIA Squadriglie, the 2° Section of the 24° Squadriglia at the Casoni di Mussolente airfield, the 27° and 35° SIA Squadriglie and the 48° Caudron G.4 Squadriglia at Castello di Godego.  On 16 July it moved to Casoni, remaining with the 22° and 36° Squadriglia.

XII Gruppo d´Assalto (Attack Squadron) was reconstituted on 10 June 1936 and until 1938 flew with the 160° and 165° Squadriglie with Caproni A.P.1s in the 50° Stormo d’Assalto (Attack Wing).  In the spring of 1939, the Gruppo moved to Italian North Africa operating with Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio and Breda Ba.65 Nibbio aircraft.

On 10 June 1940 XII Gruppo was in Sorman with the 159° and 160° Squadriglie with 12 Caproni Ca.310bis each in the 50° Stormo d'Assalto.  Subsequently it took part in operations equipped with Fiat G.50Bis "Freccia" and Macchi MC.200 "Saetta" aircraft, carrying out alert missions to defend the port of Tripoli and escort air transport and convoys.  At the end of the campaign in January 1941 it returned home where it was reconstituted and underwent a change of name and role in XII Gruppo Caccia Tattico Autonomo (Autonomous Tactical Fighter Squadron).

After seven months the newly formed Gruppo Caccia resumed war activities again in Africa and in Libya, this time with the tasks of convoy escort, air transport escort and air defense especially in the area of ​​the port of Tripoli.  On 11 August 1942 the Gruppo returned to Italy where it was disbanded on 20 June 1943.

In January it was re-established yet again and it joined the 4° Stormo Caccia (Fighter Wing) of the "Raggruppamento Caccia" (Fighter Grouping), with their MC.202 aircraft, and participates in the Guerra di Liberazione (War of Liberation)as part of the ‘Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana' (Italian Cobelligerent Air Force), which fought alongside the Allies.  In June these were replaced by Bell P-39 "Airacobra", until the end of the war, when they were desbanded.

One of the units of the 4° Stormo Caccia was the 7° Gruppo who adopted the rampant tiger as their emblem in 1941.  It took not long before the whole of 4° Stormo adopted this tiger.

XII Gruppo was reconstituted on 1 September 1953, within the 4° Stormo, with de Havilland DH.100 "Vampire" aircraft.  On 16 June 1956, the Gruppo moved to Pratica di Mare Airport, first switching to Canadair CL-13 "Sabre" Mk.4 (also known as the F-86E(M) Sabre) aircraft and then to the North American F-86K "Sabre Dog".  On 10 March 1959, it moved to Grosseto Airport.

On 24 September 1963, the XII Gruppo arrived at Gioia del Colle Airport as a "Gruppo Autonomo" (Independent Squadron), but still within the 4° Aerobrigata (Air Wing), and on North American F-86K "Sabre Dog" aircraft, to form, together with the 156° Gruppo, the 36° Stormo Caccia on 1 June 1966.

On December 7, 1971, it received the first Aeritalia F-104S/ASA "Starfighter".

After about 24 years of alarm services with the "Starfighter", the XII Gruppo was equipped, from 5 July 1995, with Panavia Tornado F.3 ADV (Air Defence Variant) aircraft with a consequent change of role from a more generic Fighter Bomber to a purely Air Defence one.

On 1 March 2001, the personnel of the XII Gruppo welcomed those of the 21° Gruppo.  One of the Squadriglia that was transferred was the 386° Squadriglia “Tigri Bianche” (White Tigers).  After arrival it was renumbered into 351° Squadriglia .  And so there is again a Tiger in the XII Gruppo!

As a stop-gap before the final arrival of the Typhoon the Gruppo also operated the Aermacchi MB-339CD aircraft from 2004.  As a result they operated two different machines with clearly different roles, with the Tornado ADVs on the alarm service for the protection of national airspace (until September 2004) and with the new 339's, given the changed global scenario of asymmetric terrorist threat, in the new role of SMI (Slow Movers Interceptor) and for keeping pilots Combat Ready.

Since 1 October 2007, the XII Gruppo has been equipped with the Eurofighter EF-2000 "Typhoon" aircraft.

Their operational mission is the air defense of the area of ​​national and NATO interest, contributing to the control, since peacetime, of the relative airspace and, in conjunction with the other Armed Forces, participating in the defense of the nation and national waters, to protect against possible air, naval and land attacks.

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

Aircraft

Savoia-Pomilio SP.2/3

SAML S.2

Nieuport 11 Bebè

Caudron G.4

SIA 7B

Caproni A.P.1

Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio

Breda Ba.65 Nibbio

Caproni Ca.310bis

Fiat G.50Bis Freccia

MC.200 Saetta

MC.202 Folgore (Regia Aeronautica markings)

MC.202 Folgore (Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana markings)

Bell P-39 Airacobra (Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana markings)

Havilland DH.100 Vampire

Canadair CL-13 Mk.4 Sabre   (F-86E(M) Sabre)

North American F-86K Sabre Dog

Aeritalia F-104S/ASA Starfighter

Panavia Tornado F.3 ADV

Aermacchi MB-339CD

Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon

4° Brigata Aera

4° Stormo Caccia

36° Stormo Caccia

50° Stormo d'Aassalto (1936-1941)

50° Stormo d'Aassalto (1942-1943)

50° Stormo (1967-2016)

XII Gruppo Caccia Ogni Tempo

12 - XII Gruppo CI Caccia Intercettor

73° Squadriglia

83° Squadriglia

391° Squadriglia

351° Squadriglia

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