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.
[2] 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.
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 “Chaikas”.
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.
Germans and Italians claimed 10 enemy aircraft – and Lucchini was credited with one kill – but the Republican losses, in fact, were two destroyed and two damaged.
A week later, on 21 June, he shot down a Short Sunderland flying boat, in the Bardia area (most probably his "kill" was the Sunderland L2160/X of 230 Squadron piloted by Wing Commander G. Francis and Flight Lieutenant Garside, that returned to Alexandria heavily damaged by explosive bullets[2]).
Some miles north-west of Bir Taieb El Essem, he intercepted and – after a long dogfight – shot down a Gloster Gladiator, probably flown by the South-African ace-to-be Marmaduke Pattle (that in the following eight months would become one of the most successful Western Allied ace of the war).
[2] On 16 December, Lucchini and another 4° Stormo pilot attacked one of the Hawker fighters that had shot down three Savoia Marchetti S.M.
On 2 April 1942 Capitano Lucchini was leading the unit in its flight back to Castelvetrano, Sicily, from Rome-Ciampino airfield, with 26 new C.202.
On 10 July, Capitano Lucchini led eleven C.202s from 84a Squadriglia, 10° Gruppo, in a free hunt mission in the El Alamein area and attacked a formation of 15 P-40s.
On 16 July 1942, Lucchini and other pilots from 84a, 90a and 91a Squadriglia clashed with 25 P-40 and six Spitfire fighters over Deir el Qattara.
[3] On 5 July 1943, Lucchini took off in his Macchi C.202 with 26 other pilots of 4° Stormo to intercept 52 USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, probably from 99th Bomber Group, that were heading to bomb the airfields around Catania, escorted by 20 Spitfires from 72 and 243 Squadrons.