Did the Italian air force participate in the Battle of Britain?

Answer 1

Yes.

Mussolini wanted to impress his German ally and win glory so he sent 73 Fiat BR.20 "Stork" medium bombers to Belgium in Sept 1940. Their performance was very disappointing.

The Italians had a hard time adjusting to the drizzly climate of Belgium and the even worst weather over the English Channel. The Stork bombers were no match for the British fighter plands and ground defenses. The Stork had fabric-covered wings and was easily shot damaged. They were not as fast as the German planes and only carried 1,500 pounds of bombs per plane.

After training, the Italians flew only 2 daylight missions and a few night missions. In less than 300 hours of flying time, 20 Storks or 1/4 of them were destroyed.

Source: Time-Life volume on WW2 history: "Italy at War"

Answer 2

What Role did the Italian Air Force play in The Battle of the Atlantic? Italy was occupied in trying to control the Mediterranean in support of their battles in North Africa. Italy invaded Somalia in Oct 1935 which lead to fighting with the British in eastern Africa. Mussolini declared the Mediterranean Sea as "our sea", meaning that it was Italy's role to command that area. They had little interest in area outside of the Mediterranean, especially by 1940-41. The main problem for the Italian Navy and Air Force was the island of Malta. It sat directly in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and the British used it to attack Italy's shipping lanes. The Italians used their 3-engine SM-79 Torpedo bombers to attack Malta and the British ships that patrolled the area.

Answer 3

No. Italian forces did not fight on either side in Normandy. They were preoccupied with the fighting in Italy.