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Italy's Piaggio P.108 heavy bomber¹

Piaggio P.108 heavy bomber¹:
Italy's Piaggio P.108 heavy bomber

The Piaggio P.108 was an all metal design.¹

There were remotely controlled barbettes in each of the outer engine nacelles.¹

The P.108 prototype first flew in 1939.¹

P.108A (Artiglieri): Anti ship.¹ Had 102 mm cannon installed in the nose.¹ Captured by Germans and used for testing.¹
P.108B (Bombardiere): Long range bomber.¹
P.108C (Civile): Civilian transport.¹ Could carry 32 passengers.¹ Were later taken over by the Regia Aeronautica and modified to carry 56 soldiers.¹
P.108M (Modificato): Carried four 20 mm cannons and four 7.7 mm MGs in the nose.¹
P.108T (Transporto): Transport.¹ Converted P.108C.¹ Loading doors and ventral hatch were installed.¹
P.108T2: Cargo or passenger transport.¹ Could carry 48-60 passengers.¹ Never built.¹
P.133: Prototype bomber with more powerful engines and could carry larger bomb load.¹ Never built.¹

Italy and Germany used the P.108.¹

The P.108 was used in attacking Gibraltar in early 1942 at night.¹

Benito Mussolini's son Bruno was killed in a P.108 while attacking Gibralter.¹

Some P.108s were used on the Eastern Front.¹

In the Mediterranean the P.108s were used against Allied convoys.¹

The Germans captured around 17 P.108s when Italy surrendered.¹

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