Following Nazi Germany's invasion of France in May 1940, and with German forces pushing deep into France, Italy declared war upon both France and the United Kingdom on 10 June 1940. At this time, only four wings operated BR.20s compared to the 14 wings equipped with SM.79s, with 172 "Cicognas" being in service with the "Regia Aeronautica" including those not yet delivered to operational squadrons. The units equipped with the "Cicogna" were the 7°, 13°, 18° and 43° "Stormo" (Wing), all of which were based in Northern Italy; the decision to base the type in the north of the country was due to the general strength of the aircraft and its excellent flight performance upon encountering turbulence.