The Good, the Bad, and the Captured

Several Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero's patrolling the waters on the Sicily channel. The SM.79 was Italy's most recognizable and most produced aircraft of the war (with a production of around 1,300 aircraft). In the late 1930s, it broke quite a few records in the flying community. It was definitely a very good aircraft. It served until 1952.

This is a FIAT M13/40 medium tank based on the chassis of the earlier M11/39 (which in itself was based on the Vickers 6-ton tank). It was know for its mechanical unreliability and for being rather ineffective against British tanks. However, it still fought with the Italians until their surrender in 1943. This one here is outside the bay of Tobruk in June 1942. Seen in the photo are the dock crane, the tower of the church (to the left of the dock crane), and the officer's quarters (seen on the far right, partly collapsed). This tank is a member of the Ariete armored division.

Australian-captured M11/39 medium tanks. This is fairly early in the desert war, around 1940 or 1941. Captured vehicles were a common sight in the North African war. Trucks and tanks would break down and be left behind, only to be captured and used by the other side. Artillery, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, food, water, and many other things were almost "traded" between the sides fighting.