Editing Macchi C.202 Folgore (section)

===Malta===
[[File:Macchi M.C.202 Folgore Flight.jpg|thumb|A C.202 in camouflage scheme, circa 1941]]

The ''Folgore'' first saw service during the [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|Siege of Malta]] on 29 or 30 September 1941; their first mission was the interception of British Hurricanes over Sicily.<ref name="Duma p. 223.">Duma 2007, p. 223.</ref><ref name="Malizia p. 95.">Malizia 2002, p. 95.</ref>

From early October 1941, the Italian units commenced extensive operations over Malta, which provided many opportunities for encounters with RAF fighters. From its initial combat missions, the C.202 displayed marked superiority over the [[Hawker Hurricane]] II, which formed the island's main form of aerial defence at the time.<ref>Caruana 1999, p. 175.</ref> However, the Macchi's main weakness, its weak armament, proved to be a problem even at this stage.<ref name="Skulski p. 25.">Skulski 2012, p. 25.</ref> Over the skies of the besieged island, the new Macchi fighter was not only used to conduct fighter operations, but also for performing ground attack runs and [[aerial reconnaissance]] missions. Among the pilots who flew recce C.202s on Malta was [[Adriano Visconti]], later to become a famed ace and credited with at least 10 air victories.<ref name="Skulski p. 25.">Skulski 2012, p. 25.</ref>

The presence of the ''Folgores'' in Maltese skies was to last only until the end of November, when most of the unit was transferred to the deteriorating North Africa front. The 4° ''Stormo'' returned to Sicily at the beginning of April 1942, with 10º ''Gruppo'', to Castelvetrano. The airport was already the base of ''Gruppi'' 7º and 16º from 54º ''Stormo'' equipped with some C.202s besides the Macchi C.200s and Fiat CR.42s.<ref name="Duma p. 267.">Duma 2007, p. 267.</ref> The 4° ''Stormo'' C.202s flew the first sortie, on 21 April, claiming a Spitfire V, while escorting three more "recce" Macchis from 54º Stormo.<ref name="Duma p. 268.">Duma 2007, p. 268.</ref> The 4º ''Stormo'' flew its last mission on Malta on 19 May before moving back to North Africa.<ref name="Duma p. 277.">Duma 2007, p. 277.</ref><ref name="Cattaneo p. 6.">Cattaneo 1966, p. 6.</ref> In the meantime, the 16° ''Gruppo'' had started to re-equip with the C.202s at the end of 1941. During May 1942, the Macchis of 51° ''Stormo'' and 23° ''Gruppo'' (3° ''Stormo'') also arrived.<ref>Caruana 1999, pp. 175-177.</ref>

During [[Operation Harpoon (1942)|Operation Harpoon]], one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated central Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, C.202s were involved in clashing with Sea Hurricanes.<ref name="Cattaneo p. 6." /> It was during this time that the Axis had to abandon their plans for the invasion of Malta, [[Operation Herkules]] (Operation C 3) due to the aircraft and men being necessary elsewhere. On 7 March 1942, the carrier {{USS|Wasp|CV-7|6}} delivered the first Spitfires to Malta, and the Axis' air-superiority started to shift in favour of the Allies.<ref>Shores et al. 1991, pp. 106–110.</ref> At the end of June, however, about 60 C.202s could be mustered in Sicily to operate against Malta, which had been receiving the Spitfire Mk. V in ever-increasing quantities.<ref>Caruana 1999, pp. 175–177.</ref> The Macchi could out-turn the Spitfire, but the ''Folgores'' suffered from the lack of a more powerful armament and, without radios, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' pilots were forced to communicate with one another by waggling their wings and, consequently, had to adopt formations that were too tight and less effective in combat. Their performance had also suffered due to the lack of [[radar]], which the RAF were making extensive use of to successfully vector their fighters against their aerial opposition.<ref>Beurling with Roberts 1943, pp. 165–166.</ref>

Nevertheless, the C.202's pilots were able to achieve many successes against the British Spitfires. The top scoring Italian pilots in this theatre included ''Capitano'' [[Furio Niclot Doglio|Furio Niclot-Doglio]] (a 7 kills ace, shot down and killed on 27 July 1942 by RAF ace [[George Beurling|George "Screwball" Beurling]]) and ''Sergente'' Ennio Tarantola. Both pilots flew with 51° ''Stormo'' C.T., the most successful Italian unit over Malta, having reportedly achieved a score of 97 aircraft destroyed for the loss of only 17 ''Folgores''.<ref name="Skulski p.29">Skulski 2012, p. 29.</ref>