- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
In an Istituto Luce-labeled photo album from the Greek-Albanian front, the crew of a Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 tri-engine aircraft (probably a Series 1 example) together with other airmen and pilots of the 253rd Squadron (46th Wing) stationed at Shkodra in Albania after their transfer in November 1940 was captured in various shots. The photos, dating from January 1941, depict the aircrews in “life in the rear,” and in several of these photos (at least four) can be seen uniquely decorated GP 100T 100 kg bombs: the ten bombs were placed in order and each personalized with a letter on it in order to recreate the inscription “Merry Christmas.” The airmen in the photos also include Royal Army soldiers examining the bombs (and posing with them) and a sergeant posing between two bombs with an unusual hat reminiscent of a Mexican hat.
What happened to the airmen, the plane and the bombs is unknown to most, however, those brief moments of Christmas life in the rear will be remembered in history.
The camouflage.
The bomber’s ten GP 100T bombs were each painted with a different letter: each letter is written in white and in block letters, and all the letters joined together and put in the right order form the words “BUON NATALE” (“HAPPY CHRISTMAS”). One of the bombs in one photo (probably a 10 kg bomb or a 5/2 kg fragment) has an unusual white inscription probably reading “Fronso” (probably the last name of one of the airmen) written on it.
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
In una piana di Scutari, un aviere italiano sistema le bombe aeree in modo da potervi applicare la dicitura "buon Natale" - Archivio storico Istituto Luce
In una piana di Scutari, un gruppetto di avieri italiani sistema le bombe in piedi nel terreno nevoso in modo da potervi applicare la dicitura "buon Natale" - Archivio storico Istituto Luce
In una piana di Scutari, alcune bombe aeree sono infisse sul terreno nevoso in modo da stare in piedi e potervi applicare la dicitura "buon Natale" - Archivio storico Istituto Luce
Natale 1940 | ARCHIVIO DIGITALE "ITALICA"
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 “Gobbo”: Buon Natale, Amici. | Aviation Rapture
La grottesca occupazione - Patria Indipendente • ANPI
Natali di guerra - Giornale La Voce
253ª Squadriglia - Wikipedia
46ª Brigata aerea "Silvio Angelucci" - Wikipedia