Good Monday morning, all,

I have a question to pose. In August 1917 the Italian Navy sent 2 Macchi MA seaplanes, of 10 pre-series M.5s built, serial numbers M4870 and M4871, to the United States Navy for evaluation in 1917, but no interest seemed to be forthcoming. Following the war the Italian government presented them to the US Navy, they subsequently receiving USN serial numbers A5574 and A5575, no record seeming to exist stating which craft received which serial. In June of 1919, 1 of the aircraft spun in and crashed while practising for an upcoming airshow at Langley Airfield in Virginia, USA. The pilot, Ensign Charles Hazeltine Hammann, USN, was killed in the mishap. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions taken in August of 1918, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down in the Adriatic Sea on the Italian front, utilizing the same type of aircraft, a Macchi M.5.

Now to the question.

During the conflict, although the 263rd Squadriglia was manned by Americans, the aircraft retained the standard Italian markings, with the obligatory additional artwork sported by all pilots. However, at the time of the fatal accident, post-war and in the US, would the aircraft have been marked in the original Italian markings as received, or in American markings? During the war the American air forces changed over from their star cockades to the Allied-type of roundel, although home front craft did not always follow suit. Following the war they reverted back. I see 3 possibilities for markings:

1) Original Italian – provincial – why bother to change them as they are not of American design?
2) American roundels – they were given to the USN for evaluation.
3) My personal favorite – American scheme of gray with American stars – the War is Over, our Brave Boys have Prevailed against the Enemy, and These are the Mighty Weapons They Used!

Thank you for any input, opinions, or observations.

Alan

If the American numbers were applied to the aircraft then the units would have gone into the repair and restoration shops for general tune ups, replacement of fabric and a new coat of paint.

Thank you, Sir, as I suspected. The only question then is were they refinished? I will try to access some period newspapers or magazines, as it should have been a noteworthy event. There may be a newspapermans picture of the wreckage, or even a lead-up story to the airshow.
Regards,
Alan