As for the robustness of Macchi 202/205: it was indeed very robust and could soustain heavy damage as its structure was not industrially conceived. Where the Messerschmitt had a kind of self sustaining skin, which was stressed, holes on the skin of the Macchi didn't cause structural failures unless the bullet touched really vital frame structures. I saw a photo of a Macchi 205 back from a mission on the Balkans with the whole zone of the left ailerons destroyed (if I'd only get how to upload pictures!) . The frame was calculated for +/-12G so it could soustain the hardest maneuvers at every speed and on sustained dive the prototype reached subsonic speeds: I think the Macchi 205 is something like a very durable Ki61 with improved climbing as a Bf109F.
About the issue of the qualities of Italian Army during WWII, let me only add an exaple very important to me (since I grew up in a strong recruitment zone of Alpini, means alpine troops).
Only a few of you will know that the majority of the people came back from Russia after the Russian offensive on the Don-river of Christmas 1942 to aislate Stalingrade, have to thank the desperate resistance of these mountain troops thrown in the endless russian plane if they managed to come back. After having hold theyr positions for more weeks after the front broke on theyr left and on theyr right protecting the retreat of the defeated units(for this purpose the "Julia" division was even moved on open field, on the right of the front, disposed North-South, imagine, in December at temperatures of -30C by day and -50C by night without any protection other than the poor personal equipment, to face the enemy coming now also from east) the Corpo d'Armata Alpino (Alpine Armed Corp) started, after having received order to retreat, in middle january '43 a more than 300km march back home by feet in enemie's already conquered land, opening the way home to a mass of desbanded people of all nationalities out of the gigantic cul-de-sac created by the Russians, fighting almost every day aginst armoured units and at night with the -50C°.
After the decisive battle at Nikolajewka on January 27th they broke the last ring and managed to come out definetively.
On february 8th '43 the bullettin of the Supreme Command of the red Army no. 630 annouced to all Soviet's citizens the succes of the winter offensive and added that "only the Italian Alpine Armed Corp should be hold as unveinced on Russian homeland", just so for them to know ;-)
Sorry for having bored you with the Alpini story, but I love the humble kind of theyr courage they took from theyr mulis...
Ciao!
Luigi "falco"(is just a joke, I'm not that good;-) Pacetti
