Following the Italian Armistice of September 1943, the Regia Aeronautica was split in two. Pro-Allied pilots flew south to join the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force while pro-Fascist pilots, together with those angry at Allied bombing of Italian cities flew north to join the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. The ANR flew a mixture of C.205, G.55 and Me109 fighters and operated in a defensive role against Allied bomber raids over Northern Italy. ANR aircraft received new square Fasces wing insignia and a large Italian flag on their fuselage sides. In March 1944 ANR aircraft began to be repainted in German RLM paints, in a similar scheme to that employed on German fighters. Apart from reducing the chance of friendly fire, this scheme was a better match to Northern Italian conditions than the tropical brown and green scheme employed previously.
This aircraft was flown by S. Ten Sergio Mazzerelli, a pilot in the 3rd ANR squadron. It was originally built as an mg-equipped Series I machine, but was later upgraded with Series III cannon wings.
