Mario Visintini

Mario Visintini, MOVM, (26 April 1913 – 11 February 1941) was an Italian military pilot, the first Regia Aeronautica flying ace of World War II. In recognition of his flying skill and meticulousness, Visintini was nicknamed cacciatore scientifico (scientific hunter).

Visintini was the top-scoring pilot of all belligerent air forces in Eastern Africa (Africa Orientale) and the top biplane fighter ace of World War II; he achieved all his air victories flying the Fiat CR.42 biplane. He is credited with 16 confirmed air victories (20, according to other sources) and five probable, plus two victories achieved during the Spanish Civil War serving in the Aviazione Legionaria.

Early years Mario Visentin (later changed to "Visintini") was born in Parenzo d'Istria, now Poreč in Croatia, on 26 April 1913.#tag:ref|Lieutenant Licio Visintini, Mario's brother, was also a highly decorated veteran of the Italian Navy in World War II. Subsequently, in spring 1936, he entered the air training centre at Caproni di Taliedo. Transferred to Lecce, Visintini followed the usual training program. He gained his civilian pilot's licence on 30 May 1936 In September 1939, he was promoted to Servizio Permanente Effettivo. On 12 June, two days after Italy entered World War II, flying from Gura, he claimed a Vickers Wellesley bomber K7747 of No. 223 Squadron RAF (crewed by F/O Ross & Cpl. Stevenson, the plane returned but crashed when landing). It was the first of his 16 air victories during the conflict, in Eastern Africa Plunkett fell in the Red Sea and was never found despite a search mission undertaken. During a reconnaissance flight over Dekemhare (Italianized as Decamerè), on 3 July 1940 (according to other authors, on 4 July), Visintini shot down another Wellesley (L2652), from No. 14 Squadron, flown by 26-year-old Flying Officer Samuel Gustav Soderholm (RAF No. 40194), who was killed in the crash.

In July 1940, Visintini shot down several aircraft. On 12 July, 11 Wellesleys from 14 and 47 Squadrons attacked Massawa airfield. Mario Visintini and Sergente Luigi Baron intercepted them, and Visintini shot down Sergeant Frederick “Freddy” Nelson (RAF No. 516778) of 47 Squadron, in K8520 at 15:00. The pilot was killed, while the rest of the crew was taken prisoner. Visintini and Baron were credited with another "probable" but in fact, the Wellesley I (L2667) of 47 Squadron managed to return to its base, but was so damaged that it was considered written off. On 29 July, he was decorated with a second Medaglia d'Argento al valor militare. He claimed another Wellesley, possibly on 26 August (K7731). With both pilots tightly packed into the cockpit, Visintini flew back to the Barentu base.

Visintini was promoted to Capitano and Commander of 412ª Squadriglia on 16 January 1941 and on 11 February 1941, he claimed a Hawker Hurricane, over Keren. The Hawker monoplane was probably an aircraft from the No. 1 SAAF Squadron that had 11 fighter aircraft on patrol that day. Two of the British aircraft clashed with Fiat CR.42s, and Lieutenant S. de K. Viljoen had to force-land his stricken fighter. During 50 air battles, he downed at least five Blenheim bombers, a greater number of Wellesley bombers, almost certainly three Gladiator fighters and a Hurricane, plus 32 enemy aircraft (alone and shared with others pilots) destroyed on the airfields of Gedaref, Goz Regeb (Sudan) and Agordat.

Honours and tributes Visintini was posthumously

The Aeroporto di Rivolto "MOVM Cap. Mario Visintini" is a small regional civil airport located four km southwest of Udine, Italy.