Spitfire V vs C.202 Folgore

Malta 1942

Author: Donald Nijboer

Illustrators: Jim Laurier and Gareth Hector

This 80 page Paperback book is number 60 in the Duel Series of books available from Osprey Publishing.

The inability of the Italians and Germans to invade Malta proved decisive for Allied victory in the Mediterranean during World War II. The islands provided the Allies with a base of operations from which to project air power in the region.

The early Italian efforts to pound the islands into submission were supplemented by a major German offense from January 1942. In a few weeks, the situation for the defenders reached a critical stage and in response, in March 1942, the first Spitfires were delivered to Malta. Throughout the summer C.202s fought over Malta, escorting tiny formations of Cant Z.1007s, SM.79s and Ju 88s. The fighting subsided in August and September, but grew in strength with the arrival of more C.202s.

In October of 1942, the Regia Aeronautica could muster three Gruppi with a total of 74 C.202s. For ten days the Italians pressed a relentless attack before attrition brought the offensive to a halt. Throughout the bombing campaign the British were able to supply Malta with ever increasing numbers of Spitfires.

The Contents of this book are;

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Design and Development
• Technical Specifications
• The Strategic Situation
• The Combatants
• Combat
• Statistics and Analysis
• Aftermath
• Bibliography
• Index

This Duel book looks at the battles between the British Spitfire V and the Italian C.202 Folgore in 1942. It compares these two aircraft from their design to the tactics that each side employed. This is an excellent book as it provides an overall look at the Battle for Malta using airpower. The modeler will enjoy the pictures and drawings while the Wargamer will enjoy reading about the aircraft statistics and the tactics that were used by the pilots. Overall this Duel series book is an excellent title which should be added to a reader’s library.

This book is available from Osprey Publications.

This book is available in three formats and they are;