formed, with 13° and 43° Stormi equipped with 80 brand-new BR.20Ms, to fight in the Battle of Britain. During the ferry operation from Italy to their bases in Belgium, five aircraft crash-landed because of technical failures and a lack of navigational training, while a further 17 BR.20s were forced to land en route due to poor visibility. On the night of 24 October, the 13° and 43° took off for their first bombing mission, over Harwich, deploying eight BR.20s each. One bomber crashed on takeoff, as a result of engine failure, while two more got lost on their return, failing to find their airfield and their crews bailing out. On 29 October, 15 aircraft of 43° Stormo bombed Ramsgate, in daylight, with no loss. During a famous battle on 11 November, a formation of 10 BR.20s from 43° Stormo, escorted by Fiat CR.42 biplane fighters – but not by the Fiat G.50s – on a daylight raid on Harwich, was intercepted by Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane fighters. Despite the escort, three bombers were downed (together with three CR.42s) and three more damaged, with no loss to the Hurricanes. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill commented on this raid, which occurred on the same day as the Fleet Air Arm's attack on Taranto: "They might have found better employment defending their Fleet at Taranto." The BR.20s of the Corpo Aereo Italiano nevertheless bombed both Ipswich and Harwich on the nights of 5, 17, 20, 29 November, three times in December and twice at the beginning of January, with no losses suffered. On 10 January 1941, the 43° Stormo flew back to Italy, followed by the 13° before the end of the month as the Axis bombing campaign dwindled. During 12 days of bombing missions, the “Cicognas” dropped 54,320 kg (119,755 lbs); three aircraft were lost to enemy fire, 17 more for other reasons and 15 airmen were killed. Almost 200 modern aircraft were engaged in the campaign, which involved an opportunity cost in the form of weakening the Regia Aeronauticas presence in the Mediterranean. North Africa On 27 February 1941, 14 Cicogne of 98° Gruppo, 43° Stormo, that had been in service with Corpo Aereo Italiano in Belgium, led by commander De Wittembeschi, left Italy bound for Tripolitania, in Libya. On 11 March, they landed on Castel Benito airfield; subsequently, they were allocated to Bir Dufan base, where they replaced