The Decima Flottiglia MAS (Decima Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto, also known as La Decima or Xª MAS) (Italian for "10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla") was an Italian commando frogman unit created during the Fascist government. A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ... In military science, the term commando can refer to an individual, a military unit or a raiding style of military operation. ... // This page describes a type of scuba diver. ... Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. ...

The acronym MAS had arisen previously in Italian naval history: during the First World War Italy had torpedo boats named "MAS" followed by a number, where "MAS" was Motorbarca Armata SVAN (Armed Motorboat SVAN) and SVAN stood for Società Veneziana Automobili Navali (Naval Automobiles Society of Venice). Ref. [1]. WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to launch torpedoes at larger surface ships. ... Country Italy Region Veneto Province Venice (VE) Mayor Massimo Cacciari (since April 18, 2005) Elevation m Area 412 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 271,251  - Density 646/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Veneziani Dialing code 041 Postal code 30100 Frazioni Chirignago, Favaro Veneto, Mestre...

In 1943, when Italy, after ousting Benito Mussolini, switched alliances to the Allies, those Xª MAS men who were in the German-occupied north of Italy defected to the Italian Social Republic (the puppet state set up by Nazi Germany in northern Italy) and became an anti-partisan force operating on land. See Italian commando frogmen for the COMSUBIN frogman corp currently serving for the Italian Republic, and for their postwar actions. 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the Prime-Minister and dictator of Italy from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ... A puppet state is a state whose government, though notionally of the same culture as the governed people - owes its existence (or other major debt) to being installed, supported or controlled by a more powerful entity, typically a foreign power. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Look up partisan on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... COMSUBIN (in full Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei ed Incursori Teseo Tesei) is modern Italys combat frogman force. ...

Historical Background

In World War I, on November 1, 1918, Raffaele Paolucci and Raffaele Rossetti rode a torpedo-like craft (nicknamed Mignatta, which means, "leech") into Pula's harbour, where they sank the Austrian battleship SMS Viribus Unitis and the freighter Wien using limpet mines. They had no breathing sets, and had to keep their heads above water to breathe, and thus they were discovered and taken prisoners. Combatants Allied Powers: France Italy Russia Serbia United Kingdom United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... A modern torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... Pula (Italian Pola) is the largest city in Istria, Croatia, at the southern tip of that peninsula. ... SMS Viribus Unitis was an Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the Viribus Unitis class. ... Cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy ships or submarines. ...

In the twenties, sport spearfishing without breathing apparatus developed on the Mediterranean coast of France and Italy. This spurred the development of modern swimfins, diving masks and snorkels. Dutch fishermen using tridents in the 17th century Spearfishing is a form of fishing that has been popular throughout the world for centuries. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A pair of Viper® swimfins. ... A diving mask Snorkeler wearing a soft silicone diving mask A diving mask is an item of diving equipment that allows scuba divers, free-divers, and snorkelers to see clearly underwater. ... Snorkel A snorkel (also spelled schnorkel or schnorchel) is a tube that allows a person, vehicle, or vessel to draw air while submerged under water. ...

In the thirties, an unknown Italian swam underwater with an industrial or submarine-escape oxygen rebreather, probably to make his sport of spearfishing easier. Other Italian sport spearfishers imitated, and that was the start of scuba diving in Italy. Inspiration closed circuit diving rebreather A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycles exhaled gas. ... Scuba divers. ...

Origins

Badge of the Xª MAS

In 1938 the 1ª Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto ("First Flotilla of Assault Vehicles") was formed as a result of the research and development efforts of two men, Major Teseo Tesei and Major Elios Toschi of the Regia Marina. The two resurrected Paolucci and Rossetti's idea. Image File history File links StemmaXMAS.jpg Summary Logo of the Decima Flottiglia MAS. Licensing This is a logo of a corporation, sports team, or other organization, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... Image File history File links StemmaXMAS.jpg Summary Logo of the Decima Flottiglia MAS. Licensing This is a logo of a corporation, sports team, or other organization, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Major is a military rank denoting an officer of mid-level command status. ... The Italian Regia Marina (literally: Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. ...

In 1940, Commander Moccagatta of the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) reorganised the First Flotilla into the Decima Flottiglia MAS, under the command of Ernesto Forza. It secretly made manned torpedoes or SLC (siluri a lenta corsa or "slow-running torpedos") and trained military frogmen (called nuotatori, Italian for "swimmers"). In the process, he created the scuba diving school at the small San Leopoldo port of the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Italian Regia Marina (literally: Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. ... // Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes were secret naval weapons of World War II. The name is most commonly used to refer to the weapons that Italy and later Britain deployed in the Mediterranean and used to attack ships in enemy harbours. ... For the Wizard of Oz series character, see Frogman (Oz character). ... Scuba divers. ... Livorno, sometimes in English Leghorn, (population 170,000) is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. ...

All personnel in Italy's Armed Forces of the time that were to operate oxygen rebreathers and similar equipment were dispatched to the school, but only a selected few were chosen as operators of the newly-designed manned torpedoes. The nascent Xª MAS contained two units, one specialised in operations where the frogman swam to their attack site, one in the use of manned torpedoes. Teseo Tesei developed a number of specialist vehicles for them. Inspiration closed circuit diving rebreather A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycles exhaled gas. ...

Engagements as an Italian Corp

The Decima Flottiglia MAS saw action from June 10, 1940 when Fascist Italy joined in World War II. In more than three years of war, the Decima Flottiglia MAS destroyed some 72,190 tons of Allied warships and 130,572 tons of Allied merchant ships. They sank the Royal Navy battleships HMS Valiant, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and the heavy cruiser HMS York, the destroyers HMS Jervis and HMS Eridge, and 20 merchant ships including supply ships and tankers. During the course of the war, the unit has been awarded the Golden Medal of Military Valor and individual members have been awarded 29 Golden Medals of Military Valor, 104 Silver Medals of Military Valor and 33 Bronze Medals of Military Valor. June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy built at the Fairfield shipyards in Glasgow and launched in November 1914. ... HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of Dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. ... The term heavy cruiser is used to refer to large cruisers, a form of warship. ... HMS York (90), launched in 1928, was a County class cruiser. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... HMS Jervis (F00), named for Admiral John Jervis (1735–1823), was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, at Hebburn-on-Tyne on 26 August 1937, launched on 9 September 1938 and commissioned on 5 August 1939. ... Cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ...

Chronicle of Operations

1940

The Gondar sinking.

• June 10, 1940: Mussolini declared war on Britain.
• August 21, 1940: The Italian submarine Iride left La Spezia to attack Gibraltar. In the Gulf of Bomba, on the coast of Libya, four manned torpedoes were loaded into it. British aircraft from HMS Eagle attacked and sank the Iride. That was the Xª MAS's first loss in this war.
• September 21, 1940: The Italian Adua class submarine Gondar left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes and eight crew for them. On the evening of September 28, the Gondar reached Alexandria, but a British warship spotted, attacked and sank it, and its crew surrendered.
• September 24, 1940: The Italian Submarine Sciré, commanded by Junio Valerio Borghese, left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes and eight crew for them. On September 29, near Gibraltar, it was ordered back to La Maddalena, because the British fleet had left Gibraltar.
• October 21, 1940: The Sciré left La Spezia and sailed to Gibraltar carrying three manned torpedoes and eight crew for them. The manned torpedoes entered the harbour, but damaged no ships. Two of the crewmen were captured. The other six escaped to Spain and returned to Italy.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (975x497, 237 KB){{subst: Borghese,Junio Valerio: Sea Devils, Classic of Naval Literature, Melrose Ltd. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (975x497, 237 KB){{subst: Borghese,Junio Valerio: Sea Devils, Classic of Naval Literature, Melrose Ltd. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Iride was a medium size Italian submarine laid down on the 3rd September 1935 in the Odero-Terni-Orlando Navy Yard, Muggiani (La Spezia. ... Map of Italy showing La Spezia in the northwest La Spezia is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Gulf. ... An Airbus A380, currently the worlds largest airliner An aircraft is any vehicle or craft capable of atmospheric flight. ... HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy sunk during World War II. The Eagle was laid down at the Armstrong yards at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 20, 1913. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... The 600-Serie Adua was the fourth subclass of the 600 class of coastal submarines of the Regia Marina that served during World War II. There were 17 submarines in this class, almost all named after places in Ethiopia (Italian colony since 1936), but only one, Alagi survived through World... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alexandria Modern Alexandria, from Qaitbays Citadel Alexandria, sphinx made of pink granite, Ptolemaic. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... The Italian submarine Sciré (1938) was an Italian 600-Serie Adua class submarine, which served during World War II in Regia Marina. ... Prince Junio Valerio Scipione Borghese (6 June 1906 - 26 August 1974) was an Italian naval commander and controversial political figure. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Country Italy Region Sardinia Province Olbia-Tempio Population 11,369 Density 230. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ...

1941

• March 25, 1941: The destroyers Crispi and Sella left Leros harbour at night, each carrying 3 MTMs (Motoscafo da turismo modificato), small motor assault boats (2 tons), each with its foc'sle laden with a 300 Kg charge of TNT. These one pilot crafts (commanded by Captain Faggioni) were transported and directed by the destroyers some 10 miles off Suda Bay, Crete. There were lying at anchor several Royal Navy units and auxiliary ships. The MTMs or barchini, were specially fitted to remove obstacles and fences; then the pilot aimed the assault craft at his motionless victim and launched it in a collision course against the selected ship, and ejected from his boat before ramming the target. After the impact, the warhead exploded at contact. Once inside the Bay, the 6 boats pinpointed their targets, the heavy cruiser York, a large tanker, the Norwegian Pericles (8300 tons), and another cargo ship. Two MTMs hit the York amidships, flooding her aft boilers and magazines. Two British sailors lost their lives in this action. The Pericles was also hit and broken in two. The other barchini apparently missed their intended targets, one of them finishing stranded in the beach. The daring Italian sailors were taken prisoners. The disabled York was finally scuttled by her crew before the fall of Crete in German hands. The Pericles sank while taken in tow by RN destroyers trying to make Alexandria in May.

Image depicting the beached HMS York inspected in 1942 by a boarding party from the Italian escort destroyer Sirio.

• May 25, 1941: The Sciré left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes. At Cadiz, in Spain it secretly loaded six crew for them. At Gibraltar, they found no warships because the Renown, Ark Royal and Sheffield had been ordered to the Atlantic for convoy protection against the German battleship Bismarck, which was sunk on May 27. The manned torpedoes tried, unsuccessfully, to sink a ship. Their six crew returned to Italy via Spain.
• July 26, 1941: Two manned torpedoes (SLC) and ten MTMs speedboats carrying explosives left Italy to attack Valletta, Malta. They sank no ships. In Valletta, they came under heavy gunfire from land and aircraft attacks: 15 of their crew died, and 18 were captured.
• July 27, 1941: at dawn, Major Tesei was killed in action off the waters of Malta. 6 MTMs, 2 SLCs, and two MAS boats were lost. The disaster forced the Decima to make a huge reassessment.
• September 10, 1941: The Sciré left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes. At Cadiz in Spain, it secretly loaded six crew for them. At Gibraltar, its manned torpedoes sank three ships; two tankers, Denbydale and Fiona Shell, and a cargo ship, the Durham. Their crews swam to Spain and returned to Italy, except two (Lt.Visintini and Petty Officer Magro) who were probably killed by depth charges. Their bodies were recovered, and their swimfins were taken and used by two of Gibraltar's British guard divers (who dived with Davis Escape Sets and (up to here) breast stroke swimming and no fins) (Sydney Knowles and Commander Lionel Crabb).
• December 3, 1941: The Sciré left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes. At the island of Leros in the Aegean Sea, it secretly loaded six crew for them (among was the famous Luigi Durand De La Penne). On December 19 it reached Alexandria in Egypt and released its manned torpedoes 10 miles from Alexandria harbor. Lieutenant de Penne rode the lead chariot. They entered the harbour when the British opened the harbor's guard net to let three destroyers pass. After placing his explosive with many difficulties, de Penne and his fellow-rider had to surface and were captured. Questioned, they refused to speak. De Penne noted that he was locked up in a compartment of the HMS Valiant above where the bomb was. Fifteen minutes before the explosion, he asked to speak to the British captain, informed him of the imminent explosion, but refused to give other information. He was brought back in the hold. He was not killed by the explosion. All six torpedo-riders were captured. They sank a tanker and two British battleships, Valiant and Queen Elizabeth.

March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... Leros (Greek: Λέρος)is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... MTM is an abbreviation which can stand for: Mark-to-market, an economics term. ... forecastle with figurehead Grand Turk Focsle of the Prince William, a modern square rigged ship, in the North Sea. ... The term heavy cruiser is used to refer to large cruisers, a form of warship. ... HMS York (90), launched in 1928, was a County class cruiser. ... Image File history File links Suda5. ... Image File history File links Suda5. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... This article is about the Spanish city. ... HMS Renown was the lead ship of the three 26,500-ton Renown class battlecruisers of the Royal Navy, the other two were HMS Repulse and the cancelled HMS Resistance. ... HMS Ark Royal (91), was the third ship of the Royal Navy to carry the name and the second to be an aircraft carrier. ... HMS Sheffield (24) was a Southampton class cruiser in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. ... The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earths surface. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ... The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... A 1962 Rebel. A wooden speedboat with an outboard engine. ... Valletta, population 7048 (official estimate for 2000), is the capital city of Malta - The city is located at , (35. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. ... A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... A pair of Viper® swimfins. ... The Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus (also referred to as DSEA), is an early make of oxygen rebreather invented in 1910 by Sir Robert Davis, head of Messrs. ... Part of the breaststroke. ... Sydney Knowles was a British frogman in and after WWII. He was one of a group of underwater guard divers who checked for limpet mines in Gibraltar harbor during the period of Italian frogman and manned torpedo attacks. ... Lionel Crabb (1909-1956?) was a British Royal Navy frogman who vanished during a reconnaissance mission around a Soviet cruiser in 1956. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Leros (Greek: Λέρος)is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... The Aegean Sea. ... Luigi Durand De La Penne (February 11, 1914 - January 17, 1992) was an Italian naval diver in Decima MAS during World War II. As part of a team of divers he took part in the human torpedo attacks on British vessels in the Mediterranean. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy built at the Fairfield shipyards in Glasgow and launched in November 1914. ... HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of Dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. ...

1942

• April 29, 1942: The Italian submarine Ambra left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes. At Leros island, it secretly loaded six crew for them. On May 14 it reached Alexandria in Egypt to sink a British floating dock, but the Ambra was spotted and could not sink anything. All six torpedo-riders were captured.
• July 1942: Italian frogmen set up in a secret base in the Italian cargo ship Olterra which was interned in Algeciras near Gibraltar. All materials had to be moved secretly through Spain and this limited operations.
• July 13, 1942: Twelve Italian frogmen swam from the Olterra into Gibraltar harbor and set explosives, and then returned safely. They sank four ships.
• August 29, 1942: El Daba, Egypt. The Hunt class destroyer HMS Eridge is torpedoed at close range by a MTSM, a torpedo-carrying version of the MTM. 6 of her crew were lost. The Eridge was towed to Alexandria, but soon after was declared a CTL (Constructive Total Loss), and in 1946 was scrapped[2].
• December 4, 1942: The Ambra left La Spezia to attack Algiers, carrying frogmen and two manned torpedoes. Ten frogmen carrying limpet mines swam with the manned torpedoes, but because of the distance they did not reach the harbor, but attacked ships outside it, sank two and damaged two others.
• December 17, 1942: Six Italians on three torpedoes left the Olterra to attack the three British warships HMS Nelson, HMS Formidable, and HMS Furious in Gibraltar. A British patrol boat killed one torpedo's crew with a depth charge. Another British patrol boat spotted another torpedo, and chased and shot at it and captured its two crewmen. The remaining torpedo returned to the Olterra without its rear rider.

April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Leros (Greek: Λέρος)is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Alexandria Modern Alexandria, from Qaitbays Citadel Alexandria, sphinx made of pink granite, Ptolemaic. ... The word internment is generally used to refer to the imprisonment or confinement of people without due process of law and a trial. ... Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, near the British colony/Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, slightly to the north from Tarifa, which is the southernmost town of the peninsular Spain and Europe (, ). Both cities are situated on the Strait of Gibraltar; Algeciras also faces the Mediterranean. ... July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... The Hunt class was a class of destroyer escorts of the Royal Navy. ... MTM is an abbreviation which can stand for: Mark-to-market, an economics term. ... Alexandria Modern Alexandria, from Qaitbays Citadel Alexandria, sphinx made of pink granite, Ptolemaic. ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Italy showing La Spezia in the northwest La Spezia is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Gulf. ... Nickname: al-Bahjah Location of Algiers within Algeria Algiers 944 A.D. Area    - City 273 km² Population    - City (2003) around 2. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... HMS Nelson was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy active in World War II. She was named in honour of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, the victor at the Battle of Trafalgar. ... HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and commissioned on 24 November 1940. ... HMS Furious was a modified Courageous class large light cruiser (an extreme form of battlecruiser) converted into an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ...

1943

• May 8, 1943: three Italian manned torpedoes left the Olterra to attack Gibraltar in bad weather and sank three British ships. All returned safely to the Olterra.

This drawing shows a Norwegian tanker broken in two by Olterra manned torpedoes, August 1943

• July 25, 1943: Mussolini was replaced by Pietro Badoglio as the head of the Italian government.
• July 1943: This site says that the Xª MAS sank or crippled the ship Kaituna (10000 tons) at Mersin in Turkey.
• August 3, 1943: in the evening, three Italian manned torpedoes left the Olterra to attack Gibraltar and sank three ships and returned to the Olterra, but one of their men was captured.
• August 1943: This site says that the Xª MAS sank or crippled the Norwegian cargo ship Fernplant (7000 tons) at Iskenderun in Turkey.
• September 8, 1943: Italy signed an armistice with the Allies and changed sides. The Olterra was towed into Gibraltar, and the British found what had happened in it.
• September 1943: During the long siege of Leningrad, a group of Russian commando frogmen entered a German naval base at Strelna near Leningrad and destroyed combat boats of the Decima Flottiglia MAS.
• October 2, 1943: A bigger Italian frogman-carrier called Siluro San Bartolomeo or SSB was going to attack Gibraltar; it was 33 feet long and carried four frogmen;, but by now Italy had surrendered and the attack was called off.
• October or November, 1943: British frogmen went to Brindisi in Italy, where they were combined with those Italian frogmen who were in the Allied-controlled areas and those Italian frogmen who had been prisoners in Britain, as a single organization.

May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... Image File history File links OlterraVictim-2. ... Image File history File links OlterraVictim-2. ... CGI image of two frogmen with Siebe Gorman CDBA rebreathers riding a human torpedo. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Pietro Badoglio (September 28, 1871 - November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician. ... Mersin is the capital city of İçel Province, in Turkey. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... Ä°skenderun, formerly known in the west as Alexandretta or previously as Scanderoon (Arabic الإسكندرون al-ʼIskandarÅ«n), is a city in the Turkish province of Hatay. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... Combatants Axis Powers, Spanish Blue Division Soviet Union Commanders Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Georg von Kuechler Kliment Voroshilov Georgy Zhukov Strength 725,000 930,000 Casualties Unknown 300,000 military, 16,470 civilians from bombings and estimated 1 million civilians from starvation The Siege of Leningrad (Russian: блокада Ленинграда) was the German... Боевой Пловец (Boyevoy Plovets, combat swimmer) is a Russian term for members of a special purpose unit of Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces). ... Modern Naval Tactics It is tempting to regard modern naval combat as the purest expression of tactics. ... The Constantine Palace in 1921 Strelna (Russian: Стрельна) is a historic village situated about halfway between Saint Petersburg and Peterhof and overlooking the shore of the Gulf of Finland. ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... Categories: Italy-related stubs | Towns in Puglia ...

After Italy surrendered

See British commando frogmen#1944 for a further underwater action that those Italian frogmen took part in. Britains commando frogman force is now the SBS, which is part of the Royal Marines. ...

Admiral Karl Dönitz and Junio Valerio Borghese planned to attack New York using midget submarines, but this attack never happened. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ... Karl Dönitz (IPA pronunciation:  ); September 16, 1891–December 24, 1980) was a German naval leader, famous for his command of the Kriegsmarine during World War II and for his twenty-day term as President of Germany after Adolf Hitlers suicide. ... Prince Junio Valerio Scipione Borghese (6 June 1906 - 26 August 1974) was an Italian naval commander and controversial political figure. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... German midget submarine Seehund, with a torpedo A midget submarine is a small submarine, typically with a one or two person crew and with no on-board living accommodation. ...

See Italian commando frogmen for Italian commando frogmen after 1945. COMSUBIN (in full Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei ed Incursori Teseo Tesei) is modern Italys combat frogman force. ...

Continued Participation in the Axis

A Xª MAS female auxiliary recruitment poster, featuring a woman kissing the Italian Social Republic war flag

Some Xª-MAS men who were in German-occupied land remained part of the Axis forces, joining the Italian Social Republic under the command of prince Junio Valerio Borghese, also known as the "Black Prince". The Xª MAS negotiated with the German Armed Forces a deal that gave them ample autonomy, allowed them to fight under an Italian flag, under the command of the German Armed Forces. Borghese was recognized as the leader of the corp. [3] An Italian Social Republic naval poster recruiting for the womens auxillary service of the 10th Flotilla. ... An Italian Social Republic naval poster recruiting for the womens auxillary service of the 10th Flotilla. ... War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ... Prince Junio Valerio Scipione Borghese (6 June 1906 - 26 August 1974) was an Italian naval commander and controversial political figure. ...

Ideology

The main themes in the Xª MAS's ideology became honour in defending Italy from the betrayal of the armistice with the Allies, probably a real treason. Alexander Hamilton defending his honour by obliging to duel Aaron Burr. ... Betrayal, as a form of deception, is the violation of a social contract (trust, confidence) that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship between individuals, organizations, or individuals and organizations. ...

The corp had its own weekly magazine, L'orizzonte ("The Horizon"). The magazine had problems in its distribution, as it was thought that Borghese's popularity among the fascist hardliners might damage Mussolini's. [4]

Relation to the RSI

Relationships with the Italian Social Republic were not easy. On January 14, 1944 Mussolini tried to arrest Borghese while receiving him in Garniano, to gain direct control of the Xª MAS. Word of the arrest by chance reached the command of the Decima, whose local command evaluated the idea of marching on Salò. The German command had likely a role in resolving the situation, since they needed the equipment and expertise of the Xª MAS in the Adriatic sea, where the Germans had no marine equipment of their own. Ref. [5] (in Italian). January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Salo (Italian: Salò) is a small town in the Province of Brescia in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy on the banks of Lake Garda. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ...

Assignments

After 1943, La Decima fought against partisan in this civil war:

When the war in Italy was nearing its end, the Xª MAS moved its headquarters to the Piedmont and tried to finance itself on the black market. On April 26, 1945 in what is now the Piazza della Repubblica in Milan, Borghese finally ordered the Xª MAS to be disbanded. Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte) is a region of northwestern Italy. ... The or underground market is the part of economic activity involving illegal dealings, typically the buying and selling of merchandise or services (for example sexual services in many countries) illegally. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Country Italy Region Lombardy Province Milan (MI) Mayor Letizia Moratti Elevation 120 m Area 182 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 1,308,311  - Density 6,988/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Milanesi Dialing code 02 Postal code 20100 Patron St. ...

External links

• (Italian) Official site X Flottiglia Mas
• (English) Comando Supremo: Italy at War - Italian naval assault units: Decima Flottiglia MAS
• (Italian) Decima Flottiglia MAS Network
• (English) [6] page with an image of a wartime Italian frogman and an image of an Italian manned torpedo