Derived from Ca.335 Mistral, the Ca.355 was proposed to equip the Regia Aeronautica, but it was found to offer little advantage over the German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" and the project was abandoned.

In 1939 the Ministry of Aeronautics issued a specification for the supply of an aircraft of the same class as the Junkers Ju 87 to be allocated to the bomber divisions of the Regia Aeronautica.

[1] Caproni chose to participate with a project entrusted to engineer Cesare Pallavicino and developed by his subsidiary, Cantieri Aeronautici Bergamaschi (CAB).

Air brakes were added to the wing and, as with the Stuka, a tubular trapeze was included to hold the bomb and ensure it cleared the propeller when dropped during a vertical dive.

[2] The prototype, serial MM.470 and now designated Ca.355 Tuffo, was flown by test pilot Ettore Wengi on 14 January 1941 from the company airfield at Ponte San Pietro.