AERONAUTICA NAZIONALE REPUBBLICANA A.N.R.

MACCHI C.205

Magg. Pilota Adriano Visconti - 1° Squadriglia, 1° Gruppo Caccia 'Asso di Bastoni'

Adriano Visconti was born in Tripoli, Libya, 11 November 1905. Together with Franco Lucchini he was top among Italian fighter pilots with 26 victories. 19 fighting in Regia Aeronautica (1940-1943) and 7 flying with Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (1943-1945) Visconti joined the Regia Aeronautica in October 1936. He flew in the 50°Stormo, 159a Squadriglia in 1939 and from June 1940 he flew the Breda 65 in ground attack role. In 1941, Visconti was detached to the 54°Stormo, 7°Gruppo, 76a Squadriglia on Macchi C.200. From the end of 1941 until the September 8, 1943, the Italian Armistice, he flew the Macchi C.202 Folgore. After the armistice, Visconti continued to fly with the newly formed Aeronautica della Repubblica Sociale Italiana being promoted to captain, commanding 1°Gruppo Caccia. In May 1944, he was promoted to major. Until the disbanding of the unit in 1945, Visconti flew the Macchi C.205 Veltro and the Messerschmitt Me.109G-10 designated 'White Six'. He was wounded on several occasions, but never seriously. Although he never claimed more than ten kills he was later credited with 26; a careful check of Italian and German records confirmed that he had indeed shot down ten enemy planes. On April 29, 1945, Visconti was arrested by left wing partisans near Malpensa airfield in Milan and shot in the back by one of the partisans in yet unclear circumstances.

Artwork by Ugo Crisponi
Art. JP-549 size 30x40cm

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