Do the SM.79's lower sinking totals show that historians have overrated Italian wartime performance?
Short answerNo. That comparison overlooks the smaller Italian anti-shipping force, irregular target opportunities and the strong defences of Mediterranean convoys.
NotesComparing Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero sinking totals with German and Japanese results requires comparable targets and operating conditions. Force Z had no carrier, anti-aircraft cruiser or fighter cover when Japanese aircraft attacked Prince of Wales and Repulse. The Luftwaffe operated across a much wider area and had more shipping to attack. Germany also assigned more aircraft to anti-shipping operations, while most Italian SM.79s performed other missions. Mediterranean convoys presented the Italians with concentrated fighter cover, sometimes as many as four carriers, and anti-aircraft fire from escorts and capital ships. One reported HMS Nelson incident involved a 16-inch shell striking an aircraft and folding its wings inward. The convoys arrived irregularly, further limiting opportunities for the smaller Italian anti-shipping force. These conditions support a more favourable assessment of Italian results. Cooperation between the Regia Aeronautica and Regia Marina remained another difficulty despite Mussolini holding both air and naval ministerial responsibilities.