English translation by Frank McMeiken

36° Stormo

The 36° Stormo is named in memory of Riccardo Hellmut Seidl, born in Napoli on 19 April 1904, and a Colonnello Pilota of the Regia Aeronautica who became a revered hero during the Second World War, being decorated with a posthumous Medaglia d’Oro al Valor Militare. Enrolling as a student in the Accademia Navale in Livorno, he became a Guardiamarina (midshipman) in 1925 and subsequently, in 1927 a Sotto Tenente di Vascello (Sub-Lieutenant), acquiring his pilot’s wings, and serving aboard several cruisers. In 1933 he transferred to the Regia Aeronautica, and as a Capitano commanded the 166^ and 201^ Squadriglie, and subsequently the 88° Gruppo Autonomo. In 1938 he volunteered for operations in the Spanish Civil Warm serving as commander of a Fast Bomber Gruppo, and receiving two Medaglie d’Argento al valor Militare (Silver Military Bravery medals) for his courageous contributions to combat operations. On his return to Italy, he was promoted to Tenente Colonnello and subsequently, in 1941, became a Colonnello.
With the entry of Italy into the Second World War, the Regia Aeronautica, in partnership with its German ally, was forced to confront the threat from the British Mediterranean Fleet. As early as 1940, a new concept known as “aerosiluranti” – air torpedo attack – had been conceived and developed. Initially the aircraft used was the Savoia Marchetti SM.79, but from 1941 the more powerful but less successful SM.84 was introduced. As more operational experience was acquired, the Regia Aeronautica created new Gruppi based in the Aegean, in Sicilia, and in Sardegna, units which operated across the Mediterranean in the hunt for Allied shipping. It was on one of these missions that Helmut Seidl, by then Comandante of the 36° Stormo, took off from Decimomannu in Sardegna at the head of a formation of torpedo-bombers on 27 September 1941, only to be shot down and killed off the island of La Galite (Tunisia) after having hit a British warship.
Because of its strategic position, NATO considers the airfield at Gioia del Colle to be one of the most important in the Mediterranean, and its based unit, the 36° Stormo, performs an equally vital function in southern Europe, being tasked to guarantee the efficient air defence of both Italy and the southern and south-eastern sectors of Europe. This task has recently been given more emphasis with the transfer of the 36° from the dual roles of CB (Caccia Bombardiere – fighter bomber) and CI (Caccia Intercettore – interceptor fighter) to the single role which it performs today. This is the air defence role, and is entrusted by the Stormo to the12° Gruppo CI.
The structure of the 36° Stormo includes other units besides those assigned to strictly aeronautical roles, but which will not be further examined in this article: these are the 436° GTO (Gruppo Tecnici Operativi – operational technical squadron), the 536° GLO (Gruppo Logistici Operativi operational logistics squadron), the Gruppo Difesa (base defence squadron), and the administration services - Servizi Amministrativi.
Since its constitution the 36° Stormo Hellmut Seidl has always been in the front line in both training and, in some cases, operational activity. The beginning of the third millennium has seen the demands on the unit multiply. Furthermore, in describing these roles, it should also be considered that in its recent history the 36° Stormo has operated, for quite an extensive period, some three Gruppi di Volo (flying squadrons), all with differing roles, without also forgetting that even within individual Gruppi there has also been a change of mission. When examining the missions undertaken by the Stormo, this fact soon becomes evident.
As a beginning, it is worth remembering the long North American deployment, where the 36°Stormo participated with two Gruppi CI (12° and 21° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori) in the Green Flag exercise at Nellis in the United States, while for the 156° Gruppo CB (Caccia Bombardieri), there were detachments to Goose Bay in Canada for low level mission training: for many years, there was a permanent Italian base at Goose Bay. Other deployments, perhaps less demanding but certainly more unusual were those to Egypt, when the personnel and machines of the 36° participated in Bright Star '01 and Nile '03. After the attacks of September 11th, the fighters of the Gruppi Caccia were called upon to perform more operational deployments to national and international airfields to guarantee air cover on the occasion of important political events, particularly those featuring the most important heads of state of world powers. On occasion, the exercises conducted by the Gruppi at Gioia del Colle supported the training of other elements of the A.M.: one of these, entitled “Giopolis 2001”, was organised on the Puglian base to train the personnel of the COFA (Comando Operativo delle Forze Aeree – air forces operational command). Other ‘out of area’ exercises in which the three Gruppi have participated include: “Dynamic Response ‘03”, “Combined Air Forces Rehearsal 2004”, “Arcade Deployex”, “Anatolian Eagle”, “Autumn Flag ‘06”, and the various Spring Flag, exercises which are staged annually at Decimomannu in Sardegna, where all three Gruppi have participated with Tornado IDS and ADV, MB 339CD, and finally, last year, with the Eurofighter. “Mare Aperto” exercises are held in conjunction with the Marina Militare on an annual basis, while on a monthly basis TLP (Tactical Leadership Programme) sessions are held, which, unique to Italy, are hosted by the 36° Stormo.
It must also be reported that the 36° Stormo has, on four occasions, won the Trofeo Arco d’Oro (Golden Bow Trophy), a prize awarded by the Brigata Caccia Intercettore for the unit which delivers the best performance over the span of one year, the first two occasions as outright winner, and the others shared with first the 5° Stormo, and secondly the 37°Stormo.
An event which also deserves highlighting was the participation in the Tiger Meet at Beja in Portugal in 2002, when the XII Gruppo of the 36° Stormo, flying the Tornado ADV, took the place of the by now unforgettable 21° Gruppo "Tigre" which had been placed in “Posizione Quadro” the year before.
With the transition of the XII Gruppo from the Tornado ADV to the MB 339CD, the role of the unit changed. The use of the MB 339CD in the “Slow Movers Interceptor” mission (interception of light aircraft or helicopters) became more frequent during the regular global meetings, and was intended to deter potential terrorist attacks. For this reason, the XII Gruppo was regularly deployed away from base during the various G 8 summits, or to Roma for the signing of the European Constitution, or to Torino for the Winter Olympics. Despite these duties, the XII, together with all the personnel of the Stormo, commenced the demanding “On Job Training” activities at Grosseto leading to conversion onto the Typhoon.
The 36° Stormo has recently lost one of its most historical units, the 156° Gruppo “Le Linci”, which amongst other duties carried the flag of the Stormo in the Persian Gulf during Operazione Locusta in 1990-1991, contributing to the liberation of Kuwait, and which now, with its Tornado IDS, has relocated to Ghedi (Brescia) under a policy intended to harmonise the Tornado fleet.
Today the 36° Stormo is fully engaged in the completion of conversion onto the new Typhoon fighter. This task involves all the units of the Stormo, both flying and logistical. The conversion process has engendered radical changes in infrastructure and procedures, but considering the results obtained seems to be heading for a complete success, in for the future, there is increasing talk concerning the arrival of a further Gruppo (the fourth to fly the Eurofighter) at Gioia del Colle.

The 36° Stormo Commander

The present Commander of the 36° Stormo at Gioia del Colle is Colonnello Pilota Giampaolo Marchetto. A graduate in Aeronautical Science and Political Science, he was born in Varese on 30 June 1966, entering the Accademia in 1985 on the “Eolo IV” Course. In 1990 he was awarded his Brevetto di Pilota Militare at the ENJJPT (Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training) at Sheppard in the United States.
In 1991 he undertook, at Grosseto, operational conversion onto the F 104S interceptor fighter, and was subsequently posted to the 10° Gruppo of the 9° Stormo at Grazzanise, where he gained Combat Readiness. Within the 10° Gruppo, in chronological order Marchetto commanded the 84^ Squadriglia, became Flight Safety officer, and finally Chief of the Operations Office. In 1995 he moved to the Scuola di Guerra at Firenze to pass through the Corso Normale for career officers, the conclusion of which coincided with a return to the “States” and the ENJJPT NATO Flying School, this time as an instructor on the T 38A Talon, covering other duties including Vice Flight Commander on the Instructor Course. In 1999 he returned to Italy and the 9° Stormo at Grazzanise, where he remained for two years before being posted to the 5° Stormo at Cervia. Between 2001 and 2003 he was Comandante of the 23° Gruppo, initially on the F 104S ASA M and subsequently, after a conversion course at Tucson (Arizona - USA), on the F 16ADF Fighting Falcon. After his period as Gruppo commander, he was entrusted with the management of the Ufficio Operazioni (2003-2005).
Marchetto returned to the United States in 2005 to undergo a course in Joint and Combined Warfighting at the Joint Force Staff College, Norfolk (Virginia).
On his return to Italy, he took command of the Training and Standardisation Section of the Comando “Aquila” at Bari, and subsequently became head of the Office of Operational Planning and Training. He moved from Bari to Milano, this time engaged in the creation of the Comando delle Forze da Combattimento, where he took up the position of Chief of the Air Defence Office. The final step in his long career brought him to the command of the 36°Stormo on 7 July 2008.
During his career, Colonnello Marchetto has been awarded the Medals of Cavaliere al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Anzianità di Servizio, Lunga Navigazione, and medals awarded by NATO for the operations in the former Jugoslavia and over Kosovo.

History

The 36° Stormo was constituted on 1 February 1938 at the Borgo Panigale (Bologna) airfield, equipped with a fleet of Savoia Marchetti SM 79 and SM 81. By June 1940 the Stormo was utilising only the SM 79, and has been classified as a Bombardamento Terrestre (Land Bomber) unit. Its theatre of operations extended from Albania and Jugoslavia, in the Balkan region, down to the Mediterranean, including Tunisia and Malta. Between 1941 and 1943 the Stormo acquired the SM 84 aircraft and, after a period of training to remuster on the new “aerosiluranti” (torpedo attack) role, it was deployed to Sicilia and Sardegna.
The pilots of the Stormo were not unprepared for this new role, as evidenced by the fatc that the standard of the 36° Stormo was soon decorated with a Medaglia d’Oro, which joined the Medaglia d’Argento that had been awarded to the 36°Stormo BT. In November 1948, with the war now a memory, the Stormo was subjected to further restructuring, this time becoming the Stormo Trasporti: it operated as a transport unit until its disbandment in January 1955. In its role as a transport Stormo the 36° was awarded another Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare for its operations in support of the Italian troops and Jugoslav partisans undertaken during the War of Liberation. The “bandiera di Guerra” (standard) of the 36° Stormo is the mose decorated of all the standards of theAeronautica Militare.
After five years of “black out”, the 36° arose again, but this time with a totally different aspect. Its designation was 36^ Brigata Missili IS (Interdizione Strategica) – a ballistic missile Brigade. The connection of the unit with Gioia del Colle was established from this moment, a connection that continues to this day. Prior to looking at the history of the Appulian airfield, it is worth a quick scan over the story of the 36^ Brigata Missili. This unit was established at the height of the Cold War at Gioia del Colle to satisfy the requirements of the United States, which, desirous of installing medium range nuclear missiles in Europe, selected Italy and Turkey to be their hosts. The area around Gioia del Colle airfield was dotted with numerous launching stations for the “Jupiter” ballistic missile, but after the Ciban crisis of 1963 political developments resulted in the closure of the prestigious Aerobrigata.
Back to the historical aspects of the Apullian airfield named after Capitano Pilota Antonio Ramirez. The existence of an airfield at Gioia del Colle dates from 1915. The field was of modest dimensions, and in the years of the First World War housed a “Battaglione Aviatori” which reported to the Comando di Torino and was tasked with flying training. Amongst the many events of its history, one in particular is closely linked to the airfield, that of the legendary undertaking by Italian aviator poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, aimed at bombing the naval base at Cattaro, an attack conducted by a night air raid which involved a 400 km crossing of the Adriatic by single engined biplanes designed solely for flight over terra ferma, with navigation by compass and star-shots alone. It was considered his most audacious combat mission, and was the most extraordinary raid ever conducted by aircraft with no maritime capability. D’Annunzio commenced mission planning some two months in advance, and struggled to obtain the permission of the authorities, as these believed that no aircraft would return to Italian soil due to the difficulties of the route and the distance to be flown to reach the target.
It was in memory of the glorious and victorious mission that in the following years the Ministero dell’Aeronautica (through the Regia Aeronautica) sought to expand and keep efficient the Campo di Aviazione, although unfortunately at the end of the war it was actually downgraded to an “aeroporto di fortuna” (emergency landing ground), and even ran the risk of closure.
Fortunately, in 1935 work began on the creation of a new landing ground which became the base of the 35° Stormo BT (Bombardamento Terrestre) and the 32° Stormo AS (aerosiluranti). At the start of the Second World War it was classified as a “Regio Aeroporto Militare”, and for a brief period in 1943 was the base of the headquarters of the prestigious 4° Stormo Caccia, named after Francesco Baracca.
In 1946, with the conclusion of hostilities, it became the home of a flying school, where the first cadets of the reborn Accademia Aeronautica gained their Brevetto di Pilota Militare.
We now return to the point at which the 36° Stormo and the Base Aerea di Gioia del Colle came together to take the path that continues today, shortly after the closure of the missile “chapter”. On 24 September 1963 the F-86K of the 12° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori Ogni Tempo arrived at the airfield in Puglia, transferred in from the 4^ Aerobrigata, and followed by the F-84F of the 156° Gruppo Caccia Bombardieri, coming from the 6^ Aerobrigata. These units went on to form, from 1 June 1966, the reconstituted 36° Stormo. Many different aircraft have followed in the ranks of the Gruppi parented by the 36°, and in chronological order of service entry they are: F 84F, F 86K, F 104S, F 104S ASA, Tornado IDS, Tornado ADV, MB 339CD, and the present EF 2000IS Typhoon. Over its long history the 36° has held a special characteristic, operating two Gruppi di Volo with completely different roles within the same Stormo (Caccia Intercettori and Caccia Bombardieri): this renders it unique within the structure of the Stormi of the AM.
Another historical Gruppo of the AM also played a part in the history of the “Hellmut Seidl“, the mythical 21° Gruppo “Tiger”, which on 1 March 1999 abandoned the 53° Stormo at Cameri (Novara) and took its Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant) down to Gioia del Colle. The 21° Gruppo CIO was placed in “posizione quadro” in March 2001, and its personnel and aircraft were incorporated into the 12° Gruppo.