In March 1917 De Briganti transferred to the 77th Squadron under the command of Pier Ruggero Piccio where, for having achieved aerial victories, he was decorated with a Silver Medal of Military Valor. Promoted to lieutenant, he served as a flight instructor from the summer of 1918 to the summer of 1919 at the Furbara airfield,[3] where he also trained American pilots.[2]
World War I ended in November 1918. Discharged from military service in 1919, De Briganti went to work at Macchi in Varese.[3] In 1920 he received a trophy at Monaco for setting an altitude record.[3] Flying a Macchi M.16, he won the Coppa Mapelli ("Mapelli Cup"), a competition for small touring aircraft, in both 1920 and 1921, retiring the trophy.[3] In 1921 he won the Lega ("League") Competition, the Lombardy Lakes Cruise, and the prestigious Schneider Cupseaplane race — held that year at Venice — flying a Macchi M.7bis at an average speed of 189.500 kilometres per hour (117.750 mph). In 1922 he won the Sesto San Giovanni aerobatics competition,[3] the Como Aviation Day, and the Deutsch Cup.[2]
From 1923 to 1924, De Briganti was director of the flying school for seaplanes at the Schiranna seaplane base, performing numerous delivery flights of aircraft to Spain.[3] In 1924 he won the Italian Cup, flying a Macchi M.24flying boat.[3] After the development of the Macchi M.33 racing flying boat in 1925, he participated in that year′s Schneider Cup race — held in the United States at Baltimore, Maryland — finishing in third place in an M.33 at an average speed of 278.269 kilometres per hour (172.908 mph).[3]
In 1926 De Briganti was employed as a test pilot by the Costruzioni Meccaniche Aeronautiche SA (CMASA) company of Marina di Pisa.[4] At CMASA, he oversaw the preparation of transoceanic flights and carried out load tests of the Dornier Do JWal ("Whale") twin-engine flying boat in 1930.[2] In 1931 he took part in the "Wing Day" in Rome, putting on brilliant aerobatic performances.[2]
On 26 February 1937, De Briganti piloted the prototype (MM.434) of the new Fiat G.50Freccia ("Arrow") fighter on its first flight.[5] He was killed on 8 November 1937 at the Pisa-San Giusto airfield while flying the second G.50 prototype (MM.435),[6] which crashed after he made a high-speed pass at very low altitude.[5]
Personal life
De Briganti married Alda Ramelli (1905–1947).[1] The couple had two sons, Guglielmo (1929–1973) and Andrea (1934–2017).[1]
The citation for De Briganti′s Silver Medal of Military Valor reads:
As an airplane pilot, assigned to a fightersquadron, he always has shown himself to be very skilled, indefatigable, and daring. He distinguished himself on numerous and distant reconnaissance missions, successfully completing them, despite the intense fire of anti-aircraftbatteries and the attacks of enemy fighter aircraft. On 19 August [1917], after a long and difficult struggle, an opponent's fighter aircraft fell near Voiscizza. Cielo di Adelberg, May 1917–Voiscizza, 19 August 1917.
References
Notes
^ abcancestry.com Giovanni De Briganti (1892 - 1937)
^ abcdefPiccolo, Lancelotti, Lancelotti 2015, p. 59.
Guido Guidi (1973). CMASA. Costruzioni Meccaniche Aeronautiche S.A. (in Italian). Rome: Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Aeronautica.
Luigi Mancini, ed. (1936). Grande Enciclopedia Aeronautica (in Italian). Milan: Edizioni Aeronautica.
Fernando Piccolo (ed.); Roberto Lancelotti; Elena Lancelotti (2015). ...Ai nostri padri. I quali elevandosi nello spazio dei cieli ebbero l'ala infranta (in Italian). Florence: Opera Nazionale per i Figli degli Aviatori. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
Piero Vergnano (1997). Fiat G.50. Milano: Giorgio Apostolo Editore.
Roberto Gentilli and Paolo Varriale, I Reparti dell'aviazione italiana nella Grande Guerra (in Italian), AM Ufficio Storico, 1999
External links
. Ali e Uomini (in Italian). alieuomini.it. 30 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
May 17, 2023
giovanni, briganti, october, 1892, november, 1937, italian, world, fighter, pilot, seaplane, racer, 1920s, aerobatic, pilot, test, pilot, born, 1892, october, 1892florence, italydied8, november, 1937, 1937, aged, pisa, italyoccupation, world, fighter, pilotair. Giovanni De Briganti 12 October 1892 8 November 1937 was an Italian World War I fighter pilot seaplane air racer of the 1920s aerobatic pilot and test pilot Giovanni De BrigantiBorn 1892 10 12 12 October 1892Florence ItalyDied8 November 1937 1937 11 08 aged 45 Pisa ItalyOccupation s World War I fighter pilotAir racerAerobatic pilotTest pilot Contents 1 Biography 2 Personal life 3 Honors and awards 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 Bibliography 5 External linksBiography EditDe Briganti was born on 12 October 1892 in Florence Italy to Pietro Guglielmo De Briganti 1857 1937 and Anna Novellucci 1 In 1915 he finished his studies at the University of Pisa and joined the battalion of Carlo Montu s volunteers for World War I service 2 He was sent as a student pilot to the Mirafiori airfield where he obtained his pilot s license and then to France for aerobatic flight qualification on Nieuport 11 Bebe aircraft 3 Returning to Italy he was promoted to second lieutenant in 1916 2 and was assigned to the 75th Squadron in the Italian Royal Army s Corpo Aeronautico Militare Military Aviation Corps In March 1917 De Briganti transferred to the 77th Squadron under the command of Pier Ruggero Piccio where for having achieved aerial victories he was decorated with a Silver Medal of Military Valor Promoted to lieutenant he served as a flight instructor from the summer of 1918 to the summer of 1919 at the Furbara airfield 3 where he also trained American pilots 2 World War I ended in November 1918 Discharged from military service in 1919 De Briganti went to work at Macchi in Varese 3 In 1920 he received a trophy at Monaco for setting an altitude record 3 Flying a Macchi M 16 he won the Coppa Mapelli Mapelli Cup a competition for small touring aircraft in both 1920 and 1921 retiring the trophy 3 In 1921 he won the Lega League Competition the Lombardy Lakes Cruise and the prestigious Schneider Cup seaplane race held that year at Venice flying a Macchi M 7bis at an average speed of 189 500 kilometres per hour 117 750 mph In 1922 he won the Sesto San Giovanni aerobatics competition 3 the Como Aviation Day and the Deutsch Cup 2 From 1923 to 1924 De Briganti was director of the flying school for seaplanes at the Schiranna seaplane base performing numerous delivery flights of aircraft to Spain 3 In 1924 he won the Italian Cup flying a Macchi M 24 flying boat 3 After the development of the Macchi M 33 racing flying boat in 1925 he participated in that year s Schneider Cup race held in the United States at Baltimore Maryland finishing in third place in an M 33 at an average speed of 278 269 kilometres per hour 172 908 mph 3 In 1926 De Briganti was employed as a test pilot by the Costruzioni Meccaniche Aeronautiche SA CMASA company of Marina di Pisa 4 At CMASA he oversaw the preparation of transoceanic flights and carried out load tests of the Dornier Do J Wal Whale twin engine flying boat in 1930 2 In 1931 he took part in the Wing Day in Rome putting on brilliant aerobatic performances 2 On 26 February 1937 De Briganti piloted the prototype MM 434 of the new Fiat G 50 Freccia Arrow fighter on its first flight 5 He was killed on 8 November 1937 at the Pisa San Giusto airfield while flying the second G 50 prototype MM 435 6 which crashed after he made a high speed pass at very low altitude 5 Personal life EditDe Briganti married Alda Ramelli 1905 1947 1 The couple had two sons Guglielmo 1929 1973 and Andrea 1934 2017 1 Honors and awards Edit Silver Medal of Military Valor Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy Commemorative Medal for the Italo Austrian War 1915 1918 with four annual campaign starsThe citation for De Briganti s Silver Medal of Military Valor reads As an airplane pilot assigned to a fighter squadron he always has shown himself to be very skilled indefatigable and daring He distinguished himself on numerous and distant reconnaissance missions successfully completing them despite the intense fire of anti aircraft batteries and the attacks of enemy fighter aircraft On 19 August 1917 after a long and difficult struggle an opponent s fighter aircraft fell near Voiscizza Cielo di Adelberg May 1917 Voiscizza 19 August 1917 References EditNotes Edit a b c ancestry com Giovanni De Briganti 1892 1937 a b c d e f Piccolo Lancelotti Lancelotti 2015 p 59 a b c d e f g h i Mancini 1936 p 222 Guidi 1973 p 13 a b Vergnano 1997 p 7 Ali e Uomini Bibliography Edit Guido Guidi 1973 CMASA Costruzioni Meccaniche Aeronautiche S A in Italian Rome Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Aeronautica Luigi Mancini ed 1936 Grande Enciclopedia Aeronautica in Italian Milan Edizioni Aeronautica Fernando Piccolo ed Roberto Lancelotti Elena Lancelotti 2015 Ai nostri padri I quali elevandosi nello spazio dei cieli ebbero l ala infranta in Italian Florence Opera Nazionale per i Figli degli Aviatori a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a author has generic name help Piero Vergnano 1997 Fiat G 50 Milano Giorgio Apostolo Editore Roberto Gentilli and Paolo Varriale I Reparti dell aviazione italiana nella Grande Guerra in Italian AM Ufficio Storico 1999External links Edit Dossier FIAT G 50 2 L incidente a Giovanni De Briganti Ali e Uomini in Italian alieuomini it 30 May 2008 Archived from the original on 9 January 2019 Retrieved 9 January 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Giovanni De Briganti amp oldid 1125933049, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
