What if Italy had been a capable air/naval power?

Italy's industrial shortcomings are a bit puzzling. They produced excellent automobiles, firearms, etc. In the interwar years, Italy was a leader in the development of aviation, including setting many speed, distance, and other records. They just seem to have fallen short when it came to large-scale production of military-grade equipment.

It's a bit similar to the manpower situation I mentioned in #12 above.

 

The only quibble I have.

Well, the 3-engine SM79 was originally intended for civilian air transport, so 3-engines was seen as an additional safety factor. Later, when it became a bomber, the 3-engine configuration translated into additional speed - where it could outrun many of the fighters of the day, flying unescorted during the Spanish Civil War. The CANT Z.1007 also used 3-engines to give it an advantage over defending fighters.

 

Saves people having to read a book on it…

 

Italy spent relatively little on its military during the interwar years compared to most other nations. Further, what it did spend was mostly devoted to providing for Mussolini's military adventurism, rather than improving Italy's military equipment.

 

And then the fuel question...UP to what the Germans gave...less and less.

 

And some times contaminated.

 

I've read it might be partly that Aussies love to fight that while Australia was young the common past time was brawling. The same goes here especially Texas. One of our elders and ministers used to tell me how when he was young in Texas it was like the thing to do just go brawling just to blow off some steam. I was shocked as he was one of our nicest respected church elder. It was hard to imagine him fist fighting but he said then he wasn't in the church and was a stupid young man then. Texans still brawl a lot maybe they should put a surtax on whiskey they say whiskey has been the main cause of a lot of bar fights. Heard boiler makers were big on that they use to be big not sure if they still are. Always wanted to try one but always heard they could put you in a loop fast and I never liked the thought of visiting the jail,lol. Still one day just to see what it's all about I might try it once.

 

The allies did all they could to make that possible sending deep penetration missions dooming thousands of crews to bomb all fuel production and coal mines as the Germans were making that synthetic fuel. Wonder why can't we make a good cheap synthetic fuel these days. We make a synthetic oil that's better than real oil but no fuel in quantity. Thought one of the things behind the corn expansion was to make a fuel blend that was better and cheaper, but the price of it is not that much cheaper and you hardly see it available.

 

Darwin is the broken jaw capitol of Australia…surgeons come to Darwin to practice facial surgery…Cross rivers of alcohol and the heat which produces ‘mango madness’…and you get short wicks…

 

Wow that's just crazy, good thing Texas is so faraway they'd probably want to got their just to prove who's tougher.

 

Italy simply was not motivated to war Afterlosses in Russiia and North Africa they were gone and never coming back.

 

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They did have a few good fighters, just not in any numbers worth fighting. There was also very little in the way of tank development and motor vehicles as you said. It was like a WW1 army fighting a WWII force.