Bf 109G-10 Erla "Capt. Cesare Marchesi"
3^ Sq. 1° GC, Lonate Pozzolo, Italy, March 1945

Bf 109G-10 Erla W.Nr. 491407 / Flown by Capt. Cesare Marchesi, 3^ squadriglia, 1° Gruppo Caccia, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR) / Lonate Pozzolo, Italy / March 1945.
After declaration of the Italian Social Republic on September 18th, 1943, a puppet state on the German armed forces occupied territory, and under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, Germany allowed this state to form the army in the strength of four divisions. Its aviation component, named Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, consisted of two fighter groups (Gruppo Caccia), a group of torpedo bombers (Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia) and several transport flights. 1o Gruppo Caccia (Asso di Bastoni) initially flew Macchi C.205 but from November 1944 till February 1945 went through the transition training on Messerschmitt 109 in Holzkirchen, Germany. In February the unit received Messerschmitts 109 of the versions G-10 (manufactured by Erla factory in Leipzig), G-14 and G-14/AS and several K-4s. The original German markings were oversprayed in Italian colors and the aircraft received the Italian markings. The German iron crosses were left on the wing underside surfaces. There was a 1o Gruppo insignia painted on the fuselage nose’s port side.