Caproni CA-135b
Not long ago, this small photograph found its way into my collection. It depicts the crew of an Italian-built Caproni Ca.135bis bomber in service with the Royal Hungarian Air Force. Although modest in size, the image preserves a fascinating glimpse of one of Hungary's early wartime bomber crews.
The aircraft carries the emblem of the famous Boszorkány ("The Witch") Bomber Regiment, based at Szombathely. The distinctive insignia became closely associated with one of the Royal Hungarian Air Force's best-known bomber formations, whose crews flew reconnaissance and bombing missions during the opening years of the Second World War.
Originally designed and manufactured in Italy by Caproni, the Ca.135bis was acquired by Hungary as part of its efforts to modernize its air force during the late 1930s. Although the type was eventually replaced by more capable aircraft, it played an important role in the early wartime operations of the Hungarian bomber arm.
Photographs such as this are far more than simple portraits of an aircraft and its crew. They preserve the faces of the airmen who served together and the history of the unit to which they belonged. More than eighty years later, this small photograph remains a valuable reminder of the men of the "Boszorkány" Bomber Regiment and their place in the history of the Royal Hungarian Air Force.
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