Savoia-Marchetti SM-79 lying in the desert

Babelfish could be a good tool if the language was not so confusing! Altavistas Babelfish
The following is just my opinion from the translation given by Babelfish (and it is mind-numbing!) so if I have anything incorrect I apologise now but, roughly speaking…
There is no clue in either of the posts given as to what happened to the wreckage.
It seems to have landed with the undercarriage down and one of the crew took the aircrafts compass and tried to walk to safety to save the rest of his crew; only to die some 8kms from a depot. The other crew died beside the aircraft – one apparently had broken bones to his shoulders which confused the geographic team that found the aircraft since there was no apparent damage to the airframe. The tail was just a skeleton since it was sticking out of the sand but the rest of the aircraft was in a mainly polished state from the sand. The machine guns were in working order and the cockpit glazing was clear.
There is mention of Lady Be Good in the article but it would appear that this incident didn’t get the same coverage…

Flood.

Thanks Papa Lima!

Amazing………… 400 km is a fair way out in that great desert…

Ahhhh Libya……… 😀

The photo is attributed to one Filiberto Fabbri.
The aircraft failed to return from an attempted strike on a 30-ship group south of Crete. In 1960 a geological survey team found the body of one of the crew, Giovanni Romanin, and 3 months later a survey helicopter found the aircraft and more human remains at the site 400 km from Benghazi in the Libyan desert.
Phew! That was a struggle but it is a very interesting story. I’m just not confident enough of my Italian to try to give you the rest of it.

Originally posted by Papa Lima
Ant, further to my brief translation above that the wreck was on a mission to attack an English convoy, here is a photo of the Italian bomber version with the machine gun, scanned from page 238 of “The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II” by David Mondey, Chancellor Press 1996.

Thanks for the translation papa lima. I think we might need an italian speaker to go through the whole thing to see if there are any clues as to the origin of the photo.

Seem to recall an article somewhere which mention a geographical magazine – which might, but not necessarily, have been National Geographic – which showed the local bedouin utilising wrecks (tanks, trucks, aeroplanes) for usable parts and selling the other bits for scrap… Might have been 1960s-early 70s (bad colour pix).
But remember the crashed Hermes or the Blenheim threads not so long ago.

Flood.

Hi Guys!

Thanks for digging out the info on this plane. and the story looks very interesting although a good translation of the text would be helpful.

Back in the 1960’s it must have been still quite commom to see wrecks, like this one in the desert, but do any survive today?

Bearing in mind there must have been a large number of planes shot down in the desert, and the fact a lot of the countries have been closed off to westerners for some years, I can’t help wondering how many might survive to today, on, or under the sand. :confused:

I bet if that plane is still lying there today, it would not be long before it was taken away to a museum. 🙂

Ant, further to my brief translation above that the wreck was on a mission to attack an English convoy, here is a photo of the Italian bomber version with the machine gun, scanned from page 238 of “The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II” by David Mondey, Chancellor Press 1996.

Speaking of the machine gun, the article has a second part at http://www.gavs.it/Speciali/S79%20insabbiato/S79K_MM_23881_2.htm , with a close-up :

Regarding the Lebanese aircraft again, if the planes were indeed last spotted outside Ryak, those that have not left Lebanon may yet exist. Much of the Lebanese air force was stored in Ryak for the duration of the civil war. I believe much in yet in storage, and I don’t think anyone’s quite sure what’s still there.

Of course I used a smilie. I’m stoned.

What, you mean as in Skythes answer 9 above yours?;):D:D:D

Flood.

The wrecked machine in the desert has what looks like a machine gun sticking out of the dorsal position. IIRC,all the Lebanese machines were unarmed transports,so might the presence of armament suggests a WW2 bomber version?

Some good info from flood etc. Sadly the remaining SM-79’s probably went the same way as two ex MEA Avro Yorks and a Bristol Freighter that were at Beriut airport in the early 80’s. In those days the airport was pretty much the centre of the civil war.:(

Originally posted by Snapper
Looks more like a Harrier at lowestoft to me…..:D

“New glasses for Snapper, please!”

AND A SMILIE? SNAPPER USED A SMILIE? (Swoon!)

Flood.

Chances of me finding it would be about as big as me winning the national lottery, but a number of years back Scramble produced an overview with everything known to be Lebanese. I think it had the fates (either presumed or confirmed, can’t tell) of the SM79s. If anyone does keep his/her collection organised…

L-113 is ex MM24499, ex LR-AMAC and is now at the Museo Gianni Caproni in Trento in full Lebanese colours, while the one at Vigna di Valle (the ‘national’ museum if you will) is in AMI colours. These two are referred to as the only survivors, so if Tony would like to make his trip to Lybia worthwile…

Looks more like a Harrier at lowestoft to me…..:D

There were, once upon a time, three SM79s of the Lebanese Air Force: L-111, L-112, and L-113 – possibly the survivors of at least four (marked LR-AMA, B, C, & D for ferrying). They were apparently parked, after their service lives were over, off the Rayak road, Beirut. L-112 (LR-AMB) was brought to the attention of the RAF Air Attaché in Rome and was presented to the Italian people by Lebanon; it is possibly still in Vigna di Valle, Italy (Euro W&R#1), painted as MM24327. The others? Don’t know. Last heard of still off the Rayak road.
Info and pic from Vintage and Veteran Aircraft 4th edition (1974).

As for the SM79 in the pic at the top of the thread – it was almost certainly broken up for scrap like nearly everything else that was left in the desert; the locals wouldn’t miss that opportunity!

Flood.

As far as I know, both of the SM79s in Italy are ex-Lebanese aircraft, the one in the Caproni Museum is even displayed in corresponding markings. Fascinating photo; might be worthwile to raise Gregory Alegi’s or Mikael Olrog’s attention on this over at WIX.

The brief description says:
“An S79 Sparviero, piloted by Captain Oscar Cimolino, which did not make it back from a mission to attack an English convoy on 21 April 1941.”
The whole story is there, but my Italian is too rusty for more!

Originally posted by skythe

Any more info available about these Lebanese birds?

I think the SM-79 that is preserved at the Caproni Museum in Italy is a ex Lebanese machine? They were used into the early 60’s and did visit the UK on a couple of occasions I think. There was a photo of one in a recient Flypast. I guess they ended their days in Beiruit being blown up like everything else??

The photo was taken in the early 1960s, apparently in the Lybian Desert, where the aircraft had been since April 21 1941. It’s all here :
http://www.gavs.it/FotodelNonno/S79K_MM_23881.htm
though anything else would require someone who speaks Italian.

Originally posted by robbelc
Perhaps this is one of the Lebanese AF machines that operated into the early 60’s on transport duties? I do agree that the photo does look dated though.

Any more info available about these Lebanese birds?