Franco Lucchini, MOVM, (24 December 1914 – 5 July 1943) was an Italian World War II fighter pilot in the Aviazione Legionaria and in the Regia Aeronautica. During World War II he achieved 21 (22, according to other sources) individual air victories, plus 52 shared, to add to the five kills in Spain, during the Civil War. He was born in Rome, the son of a railway official. When he was sixteen, he got a glider pilot's license. In 1935, he enrolled in Regia Aeronautica as a Reserve Officer, with the rank of Sottotenente Pilota di Complemento. In July 1936 he gained his military flight license at Foggia flying school. He was then commissioned (in Servizio Permanente Effettivo) on 13 August 1936 and in the same month was assigned to the 91a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, 4° Stormo C.T. in Gorizia. Spain Lucchini first saw action in the Spanish Civil War in 1937, with the 23° Gruppo CT. During the conflict, flying a Fiat CR.32, he claimed five air victories over Russian-built aircraft. He shot down his first enemy aircraft on 12 October 1937. That day, the 23° Gruppo, while transferring to Zaragoza, attacked four Polikarpov R-Z “Natachas” escorted by nine I-16s “Ratas” and 15 I-15 “Curtiss”. At the end of the dogfight, which lasted about fifteen minutes, the Italians claimed seven (eleven according to other sources) fighters destroyed for no losses, although several Fiat CR.32s were hit and damaged. Lucchini was credited with one kill. On 7 January 1938, he claimed a shared Polikarpov R-Z. On 21 February, he clashedalong with 23 other Fiat CR.32 fighterswith about 40 Republican I-15 “Chatos” and I-16 “Moscas” fighters, already in combat with 17 Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Germans and Italians claimed 10 enemy aircraftand Lucchini was credited with one killbut the Republican losses, in fact, were two destroyed and two damaged. In Spain he was shot down twice. The second time, on 22 July 1938, he fell to an escorting I-16 after shooting down a Tupolev SB-2 bomber, and bailing out to become a prisoner. World War II In 1940 Lucchini was posted to 10° Gruppo of the 4° Stormo CT, flying Fiat C.R.42 biplanes, in North Africa. Here, on 14 June 1940, he shared in the destruction of a Gloster Gladiator, in the Buk Buk area. A week later, on 21 June, he shot down a Short Sunderland flying boat, in the Bardia