Giovanni Nicelli
| Giovanni Nicelli | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 October 1893 Lugagnano Val d'Arda, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died |
5 May 1918 (aged 24) Montello (hill), Kingdom of Italy |
| Service/branch | Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
| Rank | Sergente |
| Unit | 79a Squadriglia |
| Awards | Three Silver awards of the Medal for Military Valor French Croix de guerre |
Sergente Giovanni Nicelli was an Italian World War I flying ace. He was credited with eight or nine confirmed aerial victories (sources vary), and died in service to his nation on 5 May 1918.
Nicelli was born on 27 October 1893 in Lugagnano Val d'Arda, Province of Piacenza, the Kingdom of Italy.
First records available of Nicelli show him as a Caporale, piloting a Nieuport 17 for 79a Squadriglia in April 1917. His first aerial victory claim was reported for 14 June 1917. He would post 11 more claims before his death.
As 79a Squadriglia was drawn into the Battle of Caporetto towards the end of 1917, Nicelli forced down two Austro-Hungarian airplanes and won his first Silver award of the Medal for Military Valor. On 30 January 1918, he claimed his sixth victory and was once again awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valor. He continued his successes until 4 May 1918, when he tackled seven enemy aircraft singlehandedly, and was credited with downing one of them. He was also credited with a second victory that day, in a separate action. The following day, 5 May 1918, Giovanni Nicelli's Nieuport 27 broke up while in flight, killing him.
See also Aerial victory standards of World War I
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
The victory claims of Italian aces were scrutinized postwar by a commission from Italy's Military Intelligence branch. They disallowed Nicelli's first victory, crediting him with eight confirmed victories. Aviation historians credit him with nine.
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