JS(CC)25 RAF cover to commemorate the connection between Frances Baracca and the Prancing Horse logo on the Ferrari cars. Cover depicts a Lockheed P-38L Lightning of the Italian Air Force ( ITAF ) bearing the Prancing Horse ( Cavallino Rampante ). Baracca was WWI Italian Hero and high scoring fighter ace and the prancing horse emblem was painted on his aircraft. After his death in 1923 Baraccas mother suggested that the Prancing Horse emblem would bring good luck to Enzo Ferrari's cars. Cover also depicts the Cycle Wing Ferrari Tipo 159 driven by Cortese winning at the Roman Caracalla in 1947. Enzo Ferrari kept the Prancing Horse black but due to his links with Modena changed the background to canary yellow. The badge of 4 Stormo is a white Cavallino Rampante on a black shield.

Covers bear 45c and 90c Canadian Gilles Villeneuve Formula 1 stamps which have been cancelled on first day of issue in Montreal in 1997.

THE ORIGIN OF THE FERRARI PRANCING HORSE

Enzo Ferrari, in his memoirs ‘Le Mie Gioie Terribili’, states the story of the Prancing Horse is simple and fascinating.  The ‘Cavallino Rampante’ was the badge used on the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca, the Italian ace of aces and First World War hero who was killed in aerial combat at Montello.  According to the record of Enzo Ferrari, he was competing at the first Circuit of Savio near Ravenna in 1923, when he made the acquaintance of Count Enrico Baracca.  This encounter resulted in an acquaintance with the mother, Countess Paolina, who suggested that painting the prancing horse of her son on the Ferrari cars would bring good luck.  A photo of Baracca dedicated by the parents and the emblem were given to Enzo Ferrari for safe keeping.  The ‘Cavallino’ was and still remains black but Ferrari substituted the canary yellow background for the original white, as this is the colour of Modena.  While the story of Enzo Ferrari is well known, that of Francesco Baracca has faded with time, nevertheless it deserves retelling in conjunction with the history of Ferrari.

THE STORY OF FRANCESCO BARACCA

Francesco Baracca was born at Lugo di Romagna near Ravenna on 9 May 1888.  He was the son of a family that had been farming in that region for generations.  He received part of his education at the Liceo Dante in Florence and at that institution he determined to attend the Military Academy in Modena.  This was a move that was very unpopular with his parents and friends as there was a wave of anti-militarism sweeping through the country at the time.  Nevertheless he enrolled in the Scuola Militare at Modena in October 1907 and graduated with honours as a sub lieutenant of the Cavalry in 1909.

He continued his cavalry training until he heard of an opportunity to join the fascinating new field of flying and volunteered for aviation training in 1912.  He was immediately sent to Rheims, in France, which at that time was the most famous flying school in Europe.  There, in a 35hp Hanriot, he learned to fly and in July 1912 received his pilot’s license No. 1037.  Baracca flew extensively in Italy and became an advanced instructor.  He was a member of the panel of judges for the Military Aircraft Competition at Mirafiore in 1913.  More and more he became convinced that Italy would be involved in war so he took every opportunity to fly any new type of aircraft available.  When Italy finally declared war on Austria in May 1915, the declaration found Baracca in Paris on a military mission testing the latest French Nieuports, Moranes and Voisins.

He immediately returned to Italy and joined a squadron flying Nieuports purchased from France and was posted in the Udine region to cover the Austro-Italian border.  Baracca’s first encounter with the Austrians happened on 7 September 1915 when he engaged an enemy two-seater but repeated stoppages of his machine gun forced him to give up the fight.  Three more times he failed to score a victory because of troubles with machine guns and it was not until the following year 1916, when his squadron was re-equipped with the Type 11 Nieuport that Baracca claimed his first victory.  This he achieved on the night of 17 April 1916 and, typical of the chivalry of the time, he landed near to his victim, shook his hand and made certain that he was escorted to prison camp.  On 14 May another victory followed but his score remained low as he was involved in a series of daring attacks on enemy ground installations.  On 23 August 1916, his list of victories increased once more but machine gun problems still dogged him and it was not until 25 November 1916 that he scored his fifth victory.  On this occasion he was honoured by a special investiture and was given the unofficial right to call himself a Knight of the air and as such entitled to put a crest, the Cavallino Rampante, on the fuselage of his Nieuport.

1917 was a great year for Baracca, beginning by shooting down an Albatross on New Year’s Day.  On 11 February  he shot down another in the presence of King Vittorio Emmanuele who congratulated Baracca in person, awarded him a silver medal and a considerable sum of money and promoted him to captain, on the spot.  Baracca donated the money to the Red Cross.  After his 8th victory on 26 April he was awarded the Cross of Officer of the Military Order of Savoia with the citation: ‘A pilot of exceptional merit, already decorated three times with the Medaglia al Valore Militare, consistently directing all his efforts to the successful prosecution of the war in the air.’

Part of the 70a Squadriglia was formed into the 91a Squadriglia with Baracca leading the first flight newly equipped with Spad S7s.  With the Spad, more victories quickly followed and Baracca was given command of the 91a, based at Istrana.  On 21 October he scored his first double, shooting down a pair of two-seater Austrian aircraft in one day, a feat that he was destined to repeat several times.  However, German pilots were backing up the Austrians and the opposition stiffened, Baracca himself being badly wounded and losing 2 of his squadron pilots in one day. After this disaster he was determined to avenge the situation and proceeded to shoot down two German Aviatiks on the following day before making a forced landing with a bullet hole in his fuel tank.

The Spad 7s were replaced by Spad 13s about the time of the disastrous Italian retreat from Caporetto and Baracca’s Squadriglia found themselves facing the Austrian Ace Captain Brumowski.  Baracca took time out from the front to test the new Ansaldo fighters but was never destined to use the Italian products in combat.  After returning to battle, a special investiture was held for him in the presence of the Kings and Queens of Italy and Belgium where he was awarded a high Belgian decoration.  This was followed by an investiture in the famous La Scala Opera House where he received Italy’s highest military honour, the Medaglia d’Oro al Valore Militare.

His score of victories increased steadily through May and June of 1918.  However on 19 June at 18.30 hours the 91a Squadriglia sent a patrol to Montello.  Baracca led the flight out for the urgent job of ground support and began strafing the enemy lines.  The Austrians returned heavy fire and Baracca’s two companions lost sight of their leader.  There was no sign of him despite a long search by his companions and it was not until the Austrian ground troops retreated that the wreckage of Baracca’s Spad was found with the body of Italy’s Ace of Aces nearby with a bullet wound in his forehead.  Francesco Baracca remained undefeated in aerial combat, his career having been ended by a lucky shot from the ground.

THE COVER STORY

This commemorative envelope combines the prancing horse of 4o Stormo, IX Gruppo with that of Ferrari by featuring the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the Tipo 159, winning the very first race in a Ferrari manufactured sports car.  The P-38 aircraft and Ferrari cars were part of the re-emergence of Italy following World War II.

Following World War II, Italy had a national referendum which abolished the monarchy and introduced a republican system; at this time the Italian Air Force changed its name from ‘Regia Aeronautica’ to ‘Aeronautica Militare Italiana’.  To circumvent the Allied Control Commission’s restrictions, it was necessary to devise legal subterfuges.  The Chief of Staff, General Mario Cat acted skillfully and wisely, gaining over 100 Lockheed P-38 fighters from American surplus stock.  These aircraft were reworked by a company in Naples and allocated to 4o Stormo, prior to its transfer to Capodichino.  In 1948, P-51D Mustangs were also added to the 4o Stormo inventory but P-38s were retained at Bari to equip the 3rd Fighter and Reconnaissance Wing.  In 1949, when 13 member nations signed the North Atlantic charter, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was born, with Italy amongst its founders.  This changed the country’s military position completely and enabled a massive defensive arms build-up.  Initial aid included more P-51Ds and together with the Mustang, these formed the backbone of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana, until the arrival of the jet engined De Havilland DH-100 Vampire in 1950.  The badge of 4o Stormo features a white Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) on a black shield with crown.  The JS(CC)25 envelopes were flown by 4o Stormo in a Lockheed F-104S Starfighter over Maranello, Modena, reinforcing the bond between the its Squadron badge and that of Ferrari.

Enzo Ferrari made his mark as a team driver, and later manager, for Alfa Romeo racing cars in the 1920s.  In the ensuing decade, he was leader of Scuderia Ferrari, an independent concern that built and raced purpose sports /racing cars of his own design, assisted by Enrico Nardi.  Ferrari had set up a small workshop in Maranello, Modena to manufacture a limited number of cars that were all custom built by hand.  Just 3 cars were produced during 1947 and all were powered by a classic small-displacement V-12 engine, designed by Gioacchino Colombo.  The car featured on the cover was originally a road racing Tipo 125 but its 1500cc engine was bored out to 1902cc and the car re-designated Tipo 159.  The first ever race win by a Ferrari manufactured vehicle was by a cycle wing Tipo 159 driven by Franco Cortese at the Caracalla Circuit in Rome.  The 50th anniversary of this historic win occurred on 25 May 1997, it was the first of many for the great Ferrari team.

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