The humpbacked, three-engined S.79 was the Regia Aeronautica’s most effective weapon during World War 2. Dubbed the Gobbi Maledetti (‘damned hunchbacks’) by those that flew the aircraft, the S.79 was Italy’s most recognisable combat aircraft.

Italy’s most successful wartime bomber, the S.79 saw combat with the Regia Aeronautica in France, Yugoslavia, Greece, North Africa, East Africa and in the Mediterranean. Initially developed as a transport, the aircraft evolved into a dedicated medium bomber during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The manufacturer then produced the S.79-II torpedo-bomber which entered service in 1939 – which primarily saw service against the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Illustrated with 30 full colour profiles of the main units that saw action with either the Regia Aeronautica or the ANR, this title is the first of two volumes to cover the development history and wartime performance of the S.79.