Francesco Baracca's short biography

Francesco Baracca was born in Lugo di Romagna on May 9, 1888, into a wealthy family. His father Enrico was a landowner and a businessman, his mother a countess. After his studies in his hometown and in Florence, he joined the Italian Army officer school in Modena. In 1910, with the rank of Sottotenente (Second Lieutnant) Baracca was assigned to the prestigious Piemonte Reale Cavalry Regiment. In Rome, where the unit had his headquarters, the young officer was appreciated as a rider too. In 1912 he requested the assignment to aviation, the new branch of the Army which stood out during the Italo-Turkish war, and was sent to France, where he learnt to pilot in Bétheny, near Reims, and received the pilot license # 1037. After his return to Italy, he quickly gained the reputation as a first class pilot and, when Italy declared war to Austria, he went back to France, as he wanted to fly on the new Nieuport fighter.
Back in his country, on April 7th 1916, the Italian airman shot down and captured an Austrian Brandenburg. His first victory was also the first of the Italian Air Force. Baracca was a real gentlemen, he talked to the enemy pilot and shook his hand with encouraging words. Right from the beginning, the Italian officer showed a chivalrous attitude towards the enemy airmen, taking care of them even with little gifts, if they were captured alive, or putting a wreath on their graves in the worst case.
Other victories followed soon and the name of this gallant pilot, spread by the newspapers, became famous in Italy. In the spring of 1917, the best Italian fighter pilots, including Baracca, joined a new crack unit, the 91ª Squadriglia, that was soon nicknamed La Squadriglia degli Assi (The Squadron of the Aces). With Baracca there were pilots such as Piccio, Ranza, Ruffo di Calabria and others. Very likely in this period the ace chose his famous black Prancing Horse insignia, in honour of his former Cavalry Regiment, which had (and still has today) a silver horse on red background in its coat of arms.
After the Caporetto (now Kobarid, Slovenia) retreat, Baracca and his companions fought on the new defence line along the river Piave. When the Austrians took their last offensive in June crossing this river, Baracca and his men were over the front right from the beginning, giving a decisive contribution to the defeat of the Imperial Air Force, key of the Italian victory. Gained the control of the sky, the Italian fighter unit was employed in bloody attack missions over the enemy trenches. In one of these flights, in the evening of June 19th 1918, Baracca’s plane fell in flames on the Montello. The crew of an Austrian two-seater plane claimed they had shot him down, while the Italians believe that he was hit from a ground fire. The “end” of the best WWI Italian fighter pilot, who scored 34 official victories, is still unclear.
If the name of many heroes of the past is now forgotten, Francesco Baracca’s is still very popular in Italy and abroad. His insignia still proudly flies on the tails of the Italian air force Eurofighters of 9º Stormo and rides on the bodies of Ferrari racing and sport cars: the worldwide well known cavallino rampante.