As the 501st settles in to its new base, it finally finds the time to obtain supplies from local area. Shirley, Lucchini and Yoshika are sent to Rome to stock up on the things that the 501st wants and needs. Trude wants a cute dress (as a gift for her younger sister) and an alarm clock for her somnolent roommate. Minna wants a radio. Eila wants a pillow that seems suspiciously well suited for Sanya (her initial demand of a Piano went unheeded). Lynne wants black tea and some flower seeds to give to Perrine, who is flat broke after devoting her entire savings and salary to the Gallia reconstruction effort. Sakamoto wants an actual bath, but Minna refuses that request.
Shirley, Lucchini and Yoshika arrive in Rome after a short yet terrifying trip where Shirley drives a deuce-and-a-half along a winding, one-lane road etched into he side of a valley. They finally arrive, and do some quick shopping. Yoshika picks out a very cute dress for Chris, much to the amusement of Shirley, who is under the impression that Trude is going to wear it herself. Lucchini gets bored. She sees a girl in an argument with two suspicious looking men in dark suits and sunglasses, and after beating the tar out of them, takes the girl, Maria, on a whirlwind tour of Rome. In the process, they pick up a gaggle of children, and Lucchini spends all the money that they had for food (Apparently they already went through the potatoes that Ursula had provided). Shirley and Yoshika notice her absence, and look for her. mostly because she has the food budget. eventually, they find her atop St. Peter's Basilica as the Neuroi strike. The three witches quickly dispatch the Neuroi, and they leave after Lucchini bids farewell to her new friend. Upon their return to the base, Lucchini is punished for spending the money. Minna turns on the radio just in time to hear an announcement by Duchess Maria of Romagna personally thanking Francesca Lucchini for her work above Rome that day.
Most of the tours of Lucchini and Maria was parodies of the romantic comedic film, "Roman Holiday", including losing a hand to the Mouth of Truth, eating ice cream in Spanish Steps, and entering the Flavian Amphitheater. One of the main themes of the "Roman Holiday" is touring Rome with a princess as well.
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References[]
| Sparton Model 10 -- The Sparton (Sparks-Withington Co.) Model 10 is an early 7-tube AC non-AVC superheterodyne radio, broadcast band only. The set features a double-tuned pre-selector (four section tuning capacitor) with RF amplifier stage. It uses 2.5 volt tubes typical of the mid-1930s. |  Sparton Model 10 | |
| WWII Army issue duffle bag -- The top of the bag has metal grommets and a link and hook closure for secure transport. Soldiers stored all of their belongings in duffle bags when they were not living in barracks. They carried the duffles on their backs and stored them in trucks and trenches. A smaller knapsack of essentials (like water, instant coffee, sugar, mess cup, cigarettes, and poncho) could be carried once the soldier had set up camp. |  WWII US Army issue duffle bag | |
| XP-56 Black Bullet -- The XP-56 Black Bullet was a unique prototype fighter interceptor built by Northrop. It was one of the most radical of the experimental aircraft built during World War II. Ultimately, it was unsuccessful, and never produced. The initial idea for the XP-56 was quite radical for 1939. It was to have no horizontal tail, only a small vertical tail, used an experimental engine, and be produced using a novel metal. The plane was to be a wing with a small central fuselage added to house the engine and pilot. The hope was that this configuration would have less aerodynamic drag than a conventional airplane. |  Neuroi XP-56 | |
| Friz X missile -- Fritz X was the most common name for a German air-launched anti-ship missile, used during World War II. Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternate names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, Kramer X-1, PC 1400X or FX 1400 (the latter is also the origin for the name "Fritz X"). Along with the USAAF's similar Azon weapon of the same period in World War II, it is one of the precursors of today's anti-ship missiles and precision-guided weapons. On 9 September, the Luftwaffe achieved their greatest success with the weapon. After the armistice with the Allies, the Italian fleet had steamed out from La Spezia and headed to Malta. To prevent the ships from falling into Allied hands, six Dornier Do 217 K-2s from the III. Gruppe of KG100 (III/KG100) took off, each carrying a single Fritz X. The Italian battleship Roma, flagship of the Italian fleet, received two hits and one near miss, and sank after her magazines exploded. 1,255 men, including Admiral Carlo Bergamini, died. Her sister ship, Italia, was also damaged but reached Malta. |   Fritz X | |
| Rome -- Francesca Lucchini's tour of Rome visited St. Peter's Basilica, the Flavian Amphitheater, the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth, and the Spanish Steps (including ice cream.) Majority of the tours and scenes were parodies of the famous romantic comedic film, "Roman Holiday", starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. The cafe where Yoshika and Shirley were eating is in front of the Pantheon. |   Clockwise from top left: Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Flavian Amphitheater, St. Peter's Basilica. Center: Mouth of Truth   Joe shocks his royal friend, pretending to have lost a hand to the Mouth of Truth. |
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