Messerschmitt Bf.110. Part one. The Bf.110 in use with the Regia Aeronautica

 

In early 1942, Italy had a serious night aerial defence problem. Every attempt to develop a domestic night fighter was fruitless and the night fighters of the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force), namely the Fiat Cr.32 & Cr.42, were clearly outdated. 
The Regia Aeronautica asked to their German ally for help, so in January 1942 an aeronautical commission led by gen. Attilio Biseo visited some German anti-air installations, such as radar sites and night fighter units of the Luftwaffe. 
That commission reached to the conclusion that the purchase of twenty-four Bf.110C-3s was urgent, as an interim night fighter, while Italian aircraft, such as the Caproni Ca.331B was put into mass production. 
During this time the Regia Aeronautica's night fighter operational structure was deeply modified too; On 15th February 1942 the Comando Intercettori Leone was formed, based at Tortona, in Piedmont with two operational training units assigned, 1º Nucleo Addestramento Intercettori, with base at Treviso, in the Veneto and the Scuola di Volo Senza Visibilità (Blind Flying School) at Linate airfield, Milan. All those units were intended to train personnel for the 41º Stormo (the Italian unit equivalent to a Wing in the British Royal Air Force -RAF-), for which the unit was changed from a bombing unit to a fighter one, composed of two squadrons, the 59th and the 60th Gruppi (the Italian equivalent to a squadron).
In June 1942 the first Italian crews were sent to Germany to train and obtain the qualification on the Bf.110C-3, which they got the next month and came back to Italy, with the first two Regia Aeronautica's Bf.110C-3.
During July, a German commission suggested to change the remaining undelivered Bf.110Cs for the Dornier Do.217J, as Messerschmitt had ceased production on the Bf.110C-3. This decision wasn't well received by the Italian pilots as the Do.217J had some setbacks in the night fighter role, owning to their bomber nature and were , just like the supplied Bf.110s, second-hand machines, in spite of its heavier armament and being radar-equipped. 
In August the 235ª Squadriglia (the Italian unit equivalent to a flight in the RAF), which was part of 60º Gruppo, was equipped with both Bf.110 and the Do. 217. 
On 15th September 1942 the 59º Gruppo was rebased to Venegono Inferiore airfield and assigned to the night aerial defence of Milan and Turin and on 21st October the 60º Gruppo was rebased to Lonate-Pozzolo.
When the 235ª Squadriglia achieved its combat readiness, it was composed of two Do.217J-1 and two Bf.110C-3 plus one unserviceable Bf.110C-3.
The first operational order for the unit took place on 25h October 1942 and the Bf.110Cs were kept on the night fighter patrols, without much success or activity of the Bf.110Cs as they were barely employed because most of the unit was equipped with the Do. 217J.
When the Italian armistice took place, the aircraft of the 235ª Squadriglia were taken over by the German at Lonate-Pozzolo and moved to Germany.
It seems that in 1943 a single Bf.110G-4/R3 was offered to the Regia Aeronautica for night-fighting evaluation purposes and later, in the spring of 1944, the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (the air force of the Italian Social Republic) received at least two Bf.110G-4/R3, which were assigned to the 170ª Squadriglia Caccia Notturna, based at Albenga-Villanova, on the Gulf of Genoa. However, as we couldn't find any graphical evidence of those fighters, we decided not to draw them.

Sources:
1st Bancarella Aeronautica - Ali Straniere In Italia 4 - Gli Altri Tedeschi (translated)
2nd https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110 (translated)