BR20 Cicogna This aircraft first appeared in 1936 & was almost entirely built in metal It became one of the most famous Italian medium bombers The planes of the first series had their debut operationally in the Spanish Civil War with the 35th bomber Group Le Cicogne from which they took their name In the same period the Japanese government order this aircraft for operation in China In 1939 the BR20M appeared M for modificato amended on which there where several improvements & which had a different sharped nose The BR20s were placed with the various units of the Italian Royal Air Force & operated on almost all war fronts In september 1940 the BR20 Ms of the 13th & 43rd Bomber Wing took part in action mainly at night during the Battle of Britain operating from bases in Belgium but were soon withdrawn as the situation in the Mediterranean worsened