| Conflict: | Battle on Istrana |
| Partof: | the Italian front of World War I |
| Date: | 25–26 December 1917 |
| Place: | Istrana |
| Result: | Austro-Hungarian-German defeat |
| Combatant1: | Kingdom of Italy |
| Combatant2: | Austria-Hungary |
| Commander1: | Unknown |
| Units1: | Royal Italian Air Force British Royal Air Force |
| Units2: | Luftstreitkräfte K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen |
| Strength1: | Total: 18 aircraft----Italian Air Force: 15 Hanriot-HD.1s----British Air Force: 3 Sopwith Camels |
| Strength2: | Total: 40 aircraft----German Air Force: 25 DFW-C.Vs and some AEG-G.IVs----Austro-Hungarian Air Force: 15 Albatros-D.IIIs and Albatros-D.Vs |
| Casualties1: | 70th Squadron: 4 pilots KIA, 5 Hanriot-HD.1s and 2 Hangars damaged 82nd Squadron: 2 Hanriot-HD.1s destroyed and damaged |
| Casualties2: | 15 pilots KIA 10 DFW-CVs and 1 AEG-G.IV shot down |
The Air Battle on Istrana was an air battle that took place in the sky over the town of Istrana on 26 December 1917, as part of the First World War. It was the most important air battle on the Italian front.
On 25 December, an unauthorized attack on the Istrana Air Base (at the time controlled by Germans & Austro-Hungarians) was carried out by the Canadian Captain William George "Billy" Barker, the Aviator Harold Byron Hudson and by another pilot which remained unknown. The attack was carried out at night from the Gazzo Padovano hangar.[1] The attack was a success: on the German and Austro-Hungarian losses, we have 15 pilots killed and 5 planes damaged. After the battle the British left a sign on the hangar saying: "To the austrian flying corps from english RFC wishing you a very Merry Christmas".[2]
To avenge the 25 December attack, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians jointly launched another attack on the base against what they thought were only British units. On the morning of 26 December, German and Austro-Hungarian planes attacked. The attack was described by Silvio Scaroni as the following[3] :
After that, all the Italian and British planes stationed in the nearby Hangar joined the air battle. After bloody hours of fighting, the outcome was devastating for the Central Powers: they lost a total of 11 aircraft, while the Italians and British a total of 5. After the attack, the VI Airplane Group (later renamed) received the Bronze Medal of Military Valor for the following reason:
Canada