Fiat Cr.25

The Fiat Cr.25 was designed to meet a requirement for a multi-seat, twin-engined escort with secondary fighter-bomber and reconnaissance capabilities. It flew for the first time on 22nd July 1937. It was made entirely out of metal with light-alloy and fabric skinning. It was powered by two Fiat A.74RC 38 radials rated at 840hp at 12465ft. (3800m) high and had a crew of three, pilot, navigator and observer when flying bomber missions. It was armed with four forward-firing 12,7mm (0.5in) Breda-SAFAT machine-guns two forward-firing and a dorsal one placed in a turret. An initial order of 10 aircraft was ordered, followed shortly by an additional order of 30 more. One of them completed as a light-transport named as the Fiat Cr.25D for the personnal use of the Italian air attaché in Berlin. Eventually, only 12 of them were complete. The remaining 11 of them, together with the second prototype, were assigned to an strategic reconnaissance squadron, the 173ª Squadriglia Strategica Terrestre in 1940. They were storaged for one year and, as their  range, maneouvrability and, relatively high speed were considered adequate for the mediterranean air combat. Therefore the 173ª Squadriglia Strategica Terrestre was created with personnel coming from the 31st and 35th Stormo Bombardamento Maritimo (31st and 35th Sea Bombing Wing) and, after a short trial period when one aircraft was lost, they flew their first recon mission on 24th July 1941.
From then on they saw extensive use and many of them suffered breakdowns and had to be cannibalized for spare parts as they had not spare parts due to the uniqueness of it. The Cr.25 travelled practically to every Italian mediterranean airport performing reconnaissance missions unescorted even to dangerous zones like Malta. They clashed with British aircrafts like the Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufort or Bristol Beaufighter achieving almost 400 flight hours without any aircraft shot down due to enemy fire.
In February 1943 they were gradually taken out of service as Allied fighters were becoming more capable. They were storaged in the Italian town of Cameri, and replaced by the Caproni Ca.314.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_C.R.25
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_CR.25