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The Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli was an Italian aircraft used in World War II. Its nickname Ghibli means Desert Wind and served as the inspiration for animation Studio Ghibli's name.
The Caproni Ca.309 was designed by Cesare Pallavicino, based on the Ca.308 Borea transport. It was intended to replace the obsolete biplane IMAM Ro.1. It was intended to serve as a reconnaissance and ground-attack aircraft.
The Ca.309 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with an Alfa Romeo 115-II piston engine fitted to each wing. It had two guns mounted under the wings, a pivoting gun in the nose, and could carry a bomb load of 330 kg.
The aircraft was also produced in Bulgaria. That variant, 24 of which were built, was known as the Kaproni-Bulgarski KB 6/KB 309 Papagal.
The first aircraft started their career in Libya in 1937 with the Regia Aeronautica squadrons, replacing the old IMAM Ro.1 biplanes. At the outbreak of World War II, 53 Ca.309s were in service. They were used for aerial reconnaissance missions (particularly for the Saharan auto-avio Companies, which were military units specialised in long range patrols in the Sahara Desert) and attacks against British ground units.
Ca.309s were also used for the defence of the oasis of Jaghbub, Jalo and Kufra. In July 1942, the Ca.309 effectively contributed to the reconquest of Jaghbub and Siwa. During this period, Giblis were operating in 12 APC Squadron (Aviazione Vigilanza Presidiaria) based in Agedabia, 103rd (Misurata) and 104th (10th Melleha APC group, the 26th squadron of the Saharan aviation (Hon), but less than ten aircraft were available. In August, 12 squadron arrived in Siwa and between 16 and 22 September 1943, five Ca.309 helped stopping the enemy action against the Jalu oasis. In the first days of November, the squadron left Siwa, to reach Agedabia, on their route to Sirte and Misrata, where the 103rd squadron was located. The 104 was still in Tripoli-Mellaha and the 26 in Houn, with a separate section assigned to Sebha. In late December 1942, the situation in the Libyan Sahara is of less concern than along the Mediterranean coast. On 4 January 1943, Sebha must be abandoned and Houn on January 7 and Ghat on the 16th. Ca. 309 protected the retreat of Italian columns, from inland to the Tripoli area and 27 aircraft were repatriated to Italy. This put an end to Italian aviation operations and to the Italian-Saharan colonial defence.
In late 1942, with the loss of Libya, the remaining aircraft that had returned to Italy were used for light transport and liaison. In 1947, the last Ca.309 was still serving in a liaison squadron.
Two Ghiblis were bought by the Paraguayan government for its Military Air Arm. They were used as transport planes from 1939 to 1945 and in that year they were transferred to Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional (LATN), the Paraguayan first airline which was run by the Military Aviation. They were in active service until the early 1950s and later sold to a private Argentine owner.
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