Editing Macchi C.205 Veltro (section)

===Battle of Pantelleria===
[[File:Macchi MC.205.jpg|thumb|Regia Aeronautica C.205V with a North Africa dust filter.]]
1° ''Stormo'' received the first ''Veltros'' in time to fight over the southern Italian air base. In free-ranging patrols, the wing fielded 24 ''Veltros'' (around <sup>1</sup>/<sub>10</sub> of all those produced) and nine Folgores in an attempt to intercept enemy aircraft in the area.
While patrolling between Cap Bon and Cap Mustafà on 20 April 1943, Italian fighters spotted a large enemy formation {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of Pantelleria. The Italians started to close in to the aircraft of Nos. 1, 92, 417, and 601 SAAF Squadrons, which were flying at low level, but were surprised by six Polish pilots of 145 Squadron flying high cover. These were joined by other Spitfires, and the 33 Macchis found themselves in combat with up to 60 Spitfires (mainly Mk VCs, and possibly Mk VIIIs and IXs). The Italian pilots claimed 15 victories (one by ''Maresciallo'' Baschirotto, who fired 500 rounds), with 14 Spitfires downed in the sea and another over African soil.

However, another analysis of this combat shows that the ''Regia Aeronautica'' pilots claimed a total of 17 aircraft on 20 April and claimed to have downed 15 Spitfires in this engagement; although Italian ground observers claimed to have seen 14 aircraft crash into the sea or onto land, only one Spitfire, flown by Flg Off Drecki of [[No. 145 Squadron RAF|145 Sqn]], was heavily damaged. In return, three C.205Vs were lost. There is also a possibility that Bf 109s of I./JG77 were involved in this engagement.<ref>Shores et al. 1975, p. 330.</ref>

Allied records report only two C.205Vs downed (''Tenenti'' Andreoli and Fanelli), while another made an emergency landing near Cap Bon, and explains why some sources quote two losses and others three, but there is some doubt as to whether this aircraft, the only one to touch down on African soil, was a ''Veltro'' or a ''Folgore''. At least one other Macchi was damaged, and the pilot wounded. Similarly, the Italian claims did not match any losses recorded in Allied squadron reports.