On September 9, 1943, a squadron of Dornier Do 217s roared into the skies with a merciless objective: annihilate the defecting Italian fleet sailing from La Spezia. Italy had just inked an armistice with the Allies, and their prized Regia Marina fleet was scrambling to surrender to American and British forces. Germany’s intent was simple but brutal—stop that surrender at any cost.

Equipped with the first precision-guided munitions in history, the Dornier Do 217s sliced through the Mediterranean air, their ominous domes and massive wingspans heralding doom. They were on a collision course with destiny.

As the Italian battleships loomed into view, the German bombers initiated their deadly descent. Veterans in dive bombing and maritime strikes, these aviators knew the Italian defenses stood little chance. They bore down, unrelenting.

In an instant, the German bombers’ shadows enveloped the decks of the Battleships Roma and Italia, the twin titans of the Regia Marina. Unleashed from the sky, Fritz X radio-controlled bombs found their prey with unnerving precision. Metal screamed, and firestorms erupted on the Roma. Panic surged among her crew. Already, a second lethal pass from the Do 217s was imminent.

The fate of the Italian Navy teetered on the brink. For the pilots of one of Nazi Germany’s most terrifying flying machines, it was just another day at the office.



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