Pietro Bonannini Seaplane gunner

[Parmigiano]

Did somebody have some more material about this guy?

He is credited with 9 victories as a rear gunner, other sources reports 'only' 8 Info below are taken by a post from 'Arrigoni_61' in the IL-2 forum


Oct 25, 1941 - 1 Hurricane
PB is rear gunner of Cant Z 506B, 1 x Scotti 12.7
lone 506B patrolling, 3 hurri attack from rear. First one is hit by PB burn and dive into sea, the other two disengage

Dec 13, 1941 - 1 Spitfire
PB is rear gunner of Cant Z 506B, 1 x Scotti 12.7
lone 506B attacked by two Spit. One Spit downed, the other disengage

Dec 20, 1941 - 1 Spitfire
PB is rear gunner of Cant Z 506B, 1 x Scotti 12.7
lone 506B attacked by 3 Spit - PB downs the first of the line, the other 2 damages the 506 on a wing and turn for 2nd pass. PB's Scotti is jammed, he take the Breda 7.7 from ventral position and fire at the 2 fighters. Fighters apparently damaged, anyway they break the attack and turn away.

1942, date and details unknown - 1 Blenheim

9 May 1942 - 2 Spitfire
PB is rear gunner of Fiat RS14, 1 x Safat 12.7
isolated RS14 attacked by 2 spit probably from carrier Wasp
One Spit damaged, banks sharply and collide with the other. Both dive into sea

Summer 1942, date and details unknown - 1 Blenheim

6 Nov 1942 - 1 Beaufighter damaged
PB is rear gunner of Fiat RS14, 1 x Safat 12.7
Seaplane attacked by 2 beau, one damaged, RS14 takes about 30 hits, PB wounded


5 Jan 1943 - 2 Blenheim
PB is rear gunner of Cant Z 506B, 1 x Scotti 12.7
2 Blenheim attack the solitary Cant. At first pass one is hit, banks and ive to sea. The other press a second attack, but is also hit and slowly lose height until crashes into sea. PB is wouded in the leg


Bonannini survived the war and died in 1961 in a civilian flight accident with a friend.

[pbfoot]

Pretty impressive

[Smokey]

The most impressive thing is that he was outnumbered in all the fights which are detailed. He must have been an amazing marksdude

[Parmigiano]

well, being outnumbered was normal for patrol seaplanes in Med, tipically they patrolled alone and fighters were always in vics or pairs.

This by the way is a circumstance that validate the claims: in such a battles either the seaplane was able to tackle the fighters or (in the most cases) was shot down. There is no room for mistakes like overclaims in a furball, either the whole report of the duel is fake or the fighters were neutralized in some way