Along with the Savoia-Marchetti
S.M.79, the CANT Z.1007 Alcione
series of bombers served as
the backbone of the Regia Aeronautica's
conventional and torpedo strike
forces in World War II. Under the
aegis of the firm of CANT, Ingeniere Filippo
Zappata began design studies of
the CANT Z.1007 and Z.1011 in 1935:
both were powered by 625kW Isotta-Fraschmi Asso XI RC.15 engines,
for which the former had three
and the latter two. The relatively low
power ratings of this engine forced the
Regia Aeronautica to order the trimotor
CANT Z.1007 for production, the
first prototype flying in March 1937.
The aircraft was constructed entirely
of wood, save for the usual metal ancillaries
and nacelle cladding. The first
examples had two-bladed wooden
propellers, but all later versions
adopted the three-bladed metal Alfa
Romeo types. In 1938, as a means to
better load and performance, the
CANT Z.1007bis entered production,
having three 745kW Piaggio
B.XIbis RC.40 radial engines as
standard. The CANT Z.1007bis was the
major production model, and featured
revised armament, engine cowlings
and dimensions. A single fin and rudder was used on the Z. 1007 Serie I-III,
with a twin fin-rudder format being
adopted on the Z.1007 Serie IV-IX subtypes.
When Italy entered the war on 10
June 1940 the Regia Aeronautica had
87 CANT Z.1007 and Z.1007bis bombers
in commission, of which 38 were
serviceable. These served with the 16°
and 47° Stormi da Bombardamento
Terrestre stationed at Vicenza and
Ghedi in northern Italy. These units
saw first action against Greek forces in
October 1940, before turning their
energies to anti-shipping strikes off
Crete and North Africa, and on
medium-level day and night bombing
raids on Malta. Subsequently the type
was employed by the 8°, 9°, 27°, 30°
Stormi, and by the 41°, 51°, 59°, 87°, 90°,
95° and 107° Gruppi BT plus two
squadriglie. During the climax of the
Malta battles in May 1942, CANT
Z.1007s took heavy casualties from the
RAF's newly-arrived Supermarine
Spitfire Mk.VC fighters; similar losses
were experienced during the epic
'Harpoon' and 'Pedesta' convoy battles
of the summer. Dwindling numbers
were on hand to attempt to counter the
Allied landings in Sicily in July 1943,
and by the time of the armistice in
September only a few were still available,
these continuing to fight both
with the RSI (Fascist regime) and the
Italian co-belligerent air forces. Thirty-five
CANT Z.1007ters were produced;
production of the CANT Z.107bis and
Z.1007ter (Piaggio P.XIX engines)
amounted to 526.
