| Alessandro Resch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 November 1892 Avezzano, L'Aquila, Italy |
| Died | 8 January 1966 Cerchio, L'Aquila, Italy |
| Allegiance | Italy |
| Service/branch | Flying service |
| Years of service | 1916 - 1918 |
| Rank | Sottotenente |
| Unit | 26a Squadrone, 70a Squadrone |
| Awards | Medal for Military Valor (Silver and Bronnze awards), Croce di Guerra |
Sottotenente Alessandro Resch was an Italian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He is unique among Italian aces of the war because he managed to score an aerial victory while flying a two-seater reconnaissance plane.[1]
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Alessandro Resch was the son of a businessman. He was interested in cycling as a youth. When he was conscripted, he went into a cyclist battalion of Bersaglieri. He was promoted to caporale and became a truck driver carrying messages to the front. On 9 June 1916, Resch evacuated a wounded officer in his truck during the fighting for Monfalcone. After a promotion to sergente, Resch requested and received pilot's training as an officer cadet.[2]
On 8 July 1916, he joined 26a Squadriglia. On 15 August, he was on a bombing mission to Reifenberg Railway Station when his Voisin came under attack over Komen. Resch's observer, Sottotenente Lioy, emptied two magazines of machine gun fire at one of two enemy Fokker E.IIIs as they closed in on a stern assault. Resch dove on the second Fokker while Lioy emptied two more magazines. One Fokker's wing came off. The other one retreated. The Italian crew returned to base with 30 bullet holes in their Voisin. Unknown to them, both Fokkers had crashed; the Austro-Hungarians believed they had been lost in a midair collision. The Italians, in a rare bit of under-claiming, filed for a single victory. On 22 August, Resch was nicked by a shell splinter. Shortly afterwards, he received a Silver award of the Medal for Military Valor.[3]
In May 1917, he reported for training as a fighter pilot. He was commissioned and assigned to 70a Squadriglia in October. When German airplanes attacked Istrana, Resch tried to launch to counter them, but his airplane was hit while he taxied on the runway and he had to abort the attempt.[4]
On 17 April 1918, he used a Hanriot HD.1 to share in a triple night victory over Valdobbiadene. Just five days later, the fuel tank in Hanriot HD.I No. 6252 ruptured while Resch was flying it. Drenched in fuel, the Italian pilot could only shut down the engine and try for the nearest airfield. His dead stick landing of his winged Molotov cocktail was foiled by unfavorable wind, and he capsized upon setting down short of the runway. No fire resulted.[5]
On 12 July 1918, Resch repeatedly fired into an Albatros D.III, which fell in a flutter emitting puffs of smoke. Alessandro Resch was officially an ace, two years after his first victory.[6]
Resch returned to military service in 1927. Afterwards, he went to work for Aviolinee Italian. He may have returned once more to military service in 1935.[7] It is known that he continued to fly civil aircraft right through World War II, logging half a million miles as an airline pilot.[8]