The idea of using frogmen to sink warships was an idea developed in the Italian Navy in the mid-1930s. The creator of these special strike units was Admiral Valerio Borghese, scion of an aristocratic family. The elite frogmen units were part of the 10th Light Flotilla commanded by Borgese. The special training of the men was particularly tough in order to cope with the peculiar missions that they would have to perform, and apart from the men of the Navy, the training was also voluntarily passed by officers from the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n
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For these elite units, a special underwater “human torpedo”, carrying two men, had been planned in the mid-1930s and operationally completed, shortly before the start of World War II. The new secret weapon was known as the “Maiale” (pig) because of its peculiar shape. The dimensions of the torpedo reached 7 meters in length and only 50 centimeters in diameter.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Propulsion was achieved using a silent electric motor, placed behind the operator’s seat, having a radius of action of 16 kilometers with a maximum speed of 4 h.p.h. and 30 meter diving capability. In the middle of the boat were placed the pockets of compressed air that ensured surfacing and diving. Behind the co-pilot’s seat was the storage area where the appropriate materials for each mission were transported. The carrying capacity of explosives reached 300 kg, stored in the forward part of the boat. Access to the explosives was achieved by removing a single screw. The space where the crew was on board was not specially prepared for greater freedom of movement in the water and during the dive it was necessary to use a “Davis” breathing apparatus, which was of British origin but of Italian manufacture. The autonomy of the breathing apparatus reached 6 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main concern of the Italian frogmen was missions to sabotage enemy ships in difficult targets, such as harbors, where it was extremely difficult for submarines or other surface ships to enter due to heavy security measures. After two failed attempts against the British Navy in the harbor of Alexandria where the remaining Queen Elizabeth and Valiant were located, it was decided by the leadership of the Italian Navy that the only way to strike the harbor was to use the new secret weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Already the “human torpedoes” had been used in several missions against the ports of Malta, Souda, Gibraltar and Alexandria in the period 1940-1941, with the last unsuccessful operation on September 29, 1941 against the port of Alexandria, where the “Maiale” they were carried, although not used, in watertight carriers fitted to the vessel of the submarine “Godard”. The port of Alexandria was one of the largest naval bases of the English and perhaps the only port with so many artificial as well as natural security measures. The British, relying on draconian security measures, were almost certain that no enemy submarine could pass the harbor entrance undetected. Unfortunately for them, the Italian Rear Admiral Luigi Durand de la Penne had a different opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The mission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n De La Penne was an experienced frogman and was stationed in the 10th Light Flotilla at La Spezia Naval Base in Northern Italy. Admiral Mporgese urged the 27-year-old vice-admiral, believing in his subordinate’s abilities and restless spirit, to plan a new operation against Alexandria. Ne La Pen undertook the mission with great enthusiasm, although he knew – having already taken part in the two previous missions to Alexandria – how risky it was for a group to penetrate the port. About 30 miles northwest of the port, the British had laid a minefield that stretched several miles to protect its entrance. Should a ship pass the first minefield, it would be extremely difficult to avoid the second, which was located 6 miles before the harbor entrance, consisting of bottom mines at a depth of 10 meters and capable of being fired from the shore. Also around the harbor there were, for more security, automatic alarm cables.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another natural obstacle was the irregular morphology of the seabed, with many shallow underwater sections, shoals in nautical terminology, which forced ships entering the port to follow a specific route. The inner opening of the harbor where most of the ships moored was separated from the sea by two piers on the east and west sides. The intermediate distance between the piers, 200 meters wide, was the harbor entrance. To protect the entrance there were three steel mesh barriers, which combined with constant coastal patrols that simultaneously dropped depth charges in front of the security barriers made access almost impossible. In general the port was guarded by a complete land, sea and air control system, with numerous anti-aircraft guns and coastal artillery. For added security, during the night, much of the harbor was controlled by the use of rotating searchlights. For the additional protection of the ships, camouflage nets and anti-submarine barriers were placed around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside this water fortress were the two valuable British warships that were the main objectives of the expedition planned by De La Penne. As a Navy officer and an experienced frogman, he knew that the only advantage he had was surprise. After several days of studying all the possible factors that would positively or negatively affect the outcome of the operation, he presented himself to Borghese and presented him with the complete plan of the operation. The plan was simple and its success depended on absolute secrecy and surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially, 4 pairs of SEALS were to be selected, of which only 3 would take part in the mission. The fourth pair was spare. After a short training session to get more familiar with handling the “Maiale” and coordinate the pairs with each other the mission could begin. In great secrecy, the 3 “pigs” that were to be used in the mission and which were originally to be transported from La Spezia to the island of Leros were loaded into special sealed submarine carriers. The transfer of the men would be by air and their boarding on the submarine would follow in great secrecy. On December 17th the submarine would be at a safe distance from the entrance to the port of Alexandria, where it would drop the “human torpedoes”, after which the 3 pairs would quietly infiltrate the harbor and head for the pre-selected targets, which were for the first pair the cruiser Valiant, for the second the battleship Queen Elizabeth, and for the third an aircraft carrier or any large target of opportunity. After attacking the targets, they would have to escape to the city of Alexandria and by the evening of December 22, reach the shores of Rosetti, so that an Italian submarine could pick them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n De La Penne’s plan found agreement with Captain Borghese, who immediately acted accordingly for its approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Preparation of the mission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the importance of the objective and after Borgese’s strong intervention, the Italian leadership approved the mission, giving it the code EA\/3. When Borghese learned of this, he visited the frogmen of the 10th Light Stoliscus, outlined the mission without mentioning the objective, and asked for volunteers. Many came forward, although they knew their chances of survival were slim. Ultimately Borghese chose 6 men for the mission and two more as a backup pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mission was led by its designer, then naval diver De La Pen, who, together with Caller Emilio Bianchi, would make up the pair of the first torpedo, numbered No. 221. The second pair, which would aboard No. 222, was made up of Engineer Captain Antonio Marcellia and Corporal Spartacus Sergat. Captain Vincenzo Martola and Sergeant Mario Marino were selected for the third torpedo with code No. 223. All of them were experienced divers with combat experience. From the very next day, fast-paced training began. To minimize unpleasant contingencies and to better coordinate the operation, the Cartographic Service of the Italian Navy constructed a model of the port of Alexandria, based on maps, aerial photographs and information from Italian agents operating in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The training and final study of all elements was completed at the beginning of December. What had to be done next to achieve surprise was the secrecy of the movements and constant information from the intelligence network operating in Alexandria, as well as from the reconnaissance flights of the aircraft. The submarine “Skyre” that would take part in the mission, underwent a small modification, with the placement on the deck of 3 watertight carriers for the transport of the special torpedoes. The problem of secure communication during the transport was ensured by reconnaissance aircraft that would accompany the submarine during the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the early afternoon of December 3rd, the Skire, with Borghese on board to keep a close eye on the mission, left La Spezia. In order to ensure the secrecy of the operation and as Captain Ernesto Forza was to replace Borghese as commander of the 10th Light Flotilla, the unit was renamed the 10th Light Flotilla. According to the official announcement about the departure of the “Skire”, its mission was of an educational nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shortly after leaving the base, the submarine encountered a barge carrying the frogmen. With swift movements the torpedoes were transferred from the barge to the submarine’s watertight carriers and the frogmen re-boarded the barge to return to La Spezia. The submarine set off for the island of Leros, where it arrived on December 9 without encountering any problems during the voyage. The next day, the strike team was flown in from La Spezia. De La Pen and his men met with Borghese to debrief and plan further moves. Also present at the meeting is the Commander of the Aegean Naval Forces, who, believing that an exercise was about to be conducted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the morning of December 18th the Skire was within 30 miles of Alexandria and a signal was received indicating that reconnaissance aircraft had spotted the Queen Elizabeth and the Valiant in the harbor but no information about the aircraft carrier. A meeting of the mission members was immediately held and it was decided that the third pair, Captain Martola and Sergeant Marino, would hit any other large target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the afternoon the “Skire” was 2.5 km from the lighthouse of the port of Alexandria. Around 22.00 in the evening, after having previously checked the area with the periscope, the submarine surfaced and the three pairs of frogmen with their equipment went up on deck, put on the breathing apparatus “Davis” and immediately the submarine dives to a shallow depth. With quick movements the frogmen removed the torpedoes from the watertight carriers, boarded them and disappeared into the frozen night. Borgese from the submarine’s hydrophones monitored the noise of the electric motors and made his way back.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Torpedo No. 221 with Vice-Captain De La Penne and Clevestis Bianchi, sailed along the west pier. The other two torpedoes followed close behind. Arriving at the entrance of the port, a patrol boat was spotted dropping depth charges. The lit projector of the lighthouse greatly facilitated the Italians in their navigation. But suddenly the searchlight went out, so all 3 pairs, located in front of the steel barrier at the port entrance, dived. The Italians tried to find an opening at the bottom of the mesh without success and the only solution they had was to cut the mesh with the special scissors they had with them. But a closer look at the layout of the grid revealed that there were alarm wires and explosives on it. It is already past midnight and time is beginning to press on the frogmen. The only way in is through some possible opening in the top of the grid. Rising to the surface, the beacon’s searchlight is turned on and the grid opens to let three Allied destroyers and a transport ship through. De La Penne’s party seized the opportunity and following the propellers of the British ships at close range, they quietly entered the harbor and followed the directions they had in mind, based on the latest information they had about the positions of the targets.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n De La Penne and Bianchi headed to the left and after finding that they were on the right course, they dived and relatively easily managed to locate the “Valiant”. The freezing water and prolonged diving have begun to bend the physical endurance of the two men, but not their morale. De La Penne directs his torpedo towards the center of the ship, taking care of the anti-submarine netting that protects it. After a while he realized that it was ‘Queen Elizabeth’. Without losing his cool, he continued in the same direction, and in a few minutes his torpedo gently struck another anti-submarine net, the one protecting the Valiant. At a depth of 5 meters, the torpedo approaches the middle of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n De La Penne holds his torpedo with one hand and the cruiser with the other. Perhaps from an undercurrent or due to De La Penne’s tenuous grip in the icy water, the torpedo lightly bumped the cruiser and began to drift away. Unable to restrain her, De La Penne watches her sink and hooks himself into the battleship’s hull. Bianchi, seeing the torpedo sink, dives and discovers that it is stuck in the mud of the bottom and that the propeller of its engine has become entangled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things were much easier for the crew of Torpedo No. 222, Captain Marcellia and Sergeant Serkat. After a short walk around the east pier area, they spotted the Queen Elizabeth anchored about 300 yards from the Valiant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although they were quite exhausted from the long dive, they managed to get under the anti-submarine mesh and place the explosives on the battleship’s hull, specifically in the engine room area and set the clock mechanism for 06.00. The two men, boarding the torpedo, surfaced alongside the battleship and quietly headed for the harbor trading post, which they judged to be the safest place to pass unnoticed. During the voyage, they scattered incendiary bombs to ignite the oil from the ships that would be blown up. At some distance from land, they sunk their torpedo and after swimming for an hour they reached land. The time was 04.30. With quick movements they removed and hid their diving suits and headed towards the city unseen.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Martellotta and Marino with the third torpedo No. 223, after circling the harbor twice and not spotting the aircraft carrier, decided to place the explosives on the oil tanker “Sagona”. During the dive to place the explosives, Martellotta felt generally unwell because in his attempt to properly place the snorkel, his mask broke. The cool-headed Marino, with quick movements, removed the screw that held the explosives in the torpedo and placed them on the ship’s reefs, setting the clock mechanism to 06.00.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterwards, Martellotta and Marino emerged a short distance from the oil tanker and, scattering incendiary bombs, headed towards the waterfront. With quick and synchronized movements they hid their diving suits and moved away. After a few meters, however, they ran into a guardhouse from where the English guard realized they were Italians and arrested them. Meanwhile, De La Penne and Bianchi, while still attached to the buoy, were spotted by the light of a searchlight falling on them and arrested. The two men were taken to the “Valiant” and detained in the ammunition depot, around 03.30.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while the English put them on a boat and took them to the shore, where they handed them over for questioning to an English officer. For a moment the two men thought they would be kept ashore and would be out of danger when the ship was blown up. But after the interrogation and since they did not reveal their mission, they were taken back to the “Valiant” and locked in the ammunition depot. During the meeting with Captain Charles Morgan he revealed to him that he had planted explosives but not the spot. Morgan pressed him to reveal it to him, but when he realized that the Italian was unconvinced, he ordered him locked up in the ammunition depot again. This time De La Penne was alone, for the English had transferred Bianchi elsewhere. After a few minutes a terrible explosion shook the “Valiant” and De La Penne, losing consciousness, was thrown into the sea by the breach created in the ship. The cold water helped him and swimming he reached the captured ship where he climbed and together with his crew waited at the stern for his evacuation. At that very moment a new explosion shook the harbor and from the smokestack of the “Queen Elizabeth” oil was thrown to a great height, together with pieces of the engines.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a difference of a few minutes, the two largest units of the English Mediterranean Fleet “sat” at the bottom of the port. But the explosions don’t end there. Another explosion from the “Sagona” adds to the panic, when the stern and propeller of the tanker are thrown high into the air, causing heavy damage to the destroyer “Jarvis” which at the time was being refueled by the “Sagona”. The only positive for the English fleet was that the bombs dropped by the Italian frogmen did not ignite.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus ended one of the largest cruiser operations of the Second World War, which literally rendered the English Mediterranean Fleet non-existent for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consequences and the fate of the Italians<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The only ones who briefly escaped capture were Captain Marcellia and Corporal Sergat. After drying their clothes, the next morning pretending to be French sailors and trying to reach Rosetti by train, they discovered that the English pounds they had were not valid and exchanged them through a merchant for Egyptian pounds. Without any problem they reached the beach of Rosetis where they looked for a means to reach the point where the “Zefyro” would be waiting for them. Just as they were about to steal a boat\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The naval confrontations in the Mediterranean sea area in the period 1940-1941 were characterized by great losses of the British Navy in ships. But…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2362,7,2846],"tags":[3972,3944,3970,644,3971,3394],"class_list":["post-11650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-science","category-research","category-wars-battles","tag-frogmen","tag-great-britain","tag-italian-navy","tag-italy","tag-seals","tag-wwii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11650"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11996,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11650\/revisions\/11996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-169.png\")
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About 20 minutes before the explosion, De La Penne, knowing that now the English even if they knew where the explosives were placed, would not have time to do anything, asked to be presented to the captain of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-219.png\")
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