Decima Flottiglia MAS

Decima Flottiglia MAS
Ernesto Forza,commander of the Decima Flottiglia Mas from July 1940 to May 1943
Active	March 1941–September 1943
Country	Italy
Branch	Regia Marina
Type	Marines Commando frogman
Role	Human torpedo Raiding Sabotage
Nickname(s)	Xª MAS
Motto(s)	"Memento Audere Semper" (Remember to always be bold)
March	Inno della Xª MAS
Equipment	SLC "Maiale"torpedoes MTM "Barchini"motor assault boats
Engagements	Souda Bay,Gibraltar,Alexandria,Algiers,sankHMSYorkand 20 merchant ships
Decorations	Golden Medal of Military Valour Individual decorations: 29Golden Medals of Military Valor 104Silver Medals of Military Valor 33Bronze Medals of Military Valor
Commanders
Notable commanders	Mario Giorgini Vittorio Moccagatta Ernesto Forza Junio Valerio Borghese

TheDecima Flottiglia MAS(Decima Flottiglia Motoscafi Armati Siluranti,also known asLa DecimaorXª MAS) (Italianfor "10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla" ) was an Italianflotilla,withmarinesandcommando frogmanunit, of theRegia Marina(Royal Italian Navy). The acronymMASalso refers to various lighttorpedo boatsused by the Regia Marina duringWorld War IandWorld War II.

Decima MASwas active during theBattle of the Mediterraneanand took part in a number of daring raids on Allied shipping. These operations involved surfacespeedboats(such as theraid on Souda Bay),human torpedoes(theraid on Alexandria) andGammafrogmen(againstGibraltar). During the campaign,Decima MAStook part in more than a dozen operations which sank or damaged five warships (totalling 78,000 tons) and 20 merchant ships (totalling 130,000 GRT).

In 1943, after the Italian dictatorBenito Mussoliniwasousted,Italy left theTripartite Pact.Some of the Xª MAS men who were stationed in German-occupied northern and central Italy enlisted to fight for Mussolini's newly formedItalian Social Republic(Repubblica Sociale Italianaor RSI) and retained the unit title, but were primarily employed as an anti-partisanforce operating on land. Other Xª MAS men in southern Italy or other Allied-occupied areas joined theItalian Co-Belligerent Navyas part of theMariassalto(Naval Assault) unit.

Historical background

InWorld War I,on November 1, 1918, Raffaele Paolucci andRaffaele Rossettiof theRegia Marinarode ahuman torpedo(nicknamedMignattaor "leech" ) into the harbour ofPula,where they sank the battleshipJugoslavija,of the navy of theState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs,formerly theAustro-HungarianbattleshipSMSViribus Unitis,and thefreighterWienusinglimpet mines.They had nounderwater breathing sets,and thus had to keep their heads above water to breathe. They were discovered and taken prisoner as they attempted to leave the harbour.

In the 1920s, sportspearfishingwithout breathing apparatus became popular on theMediterraneancoast ofFranceand Italy. This spurred the development of modernswimfins,diving masksandsnorkels.

In the 1930s Italian sport spearfishermen began using industrial or submarine-escape oxygenrebreathers,startingscuba divingin Italy.

Unit origins

This new type of diving came to the attention of the Regia Marina which founded the firstspecial forcesunderwater frogman unit, later copied by theRoyal NavyandUnited States Navy.Capitano di Fregata(Commander) Paolo Aloisi was the first commander of the1ª Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto( "First Assault Vehicle Flotilla" ), formed in 1939 as a result of the research and development efforts ofMajorsTeseo Teseiand Elios Toschi of the navalcombat engineers.The two resurrected Paolucci's and Rossetti's concept of human torpedoes.

In 1941, CommanderVittorio Moccagattare-organised the First Flotilla into theDecima Flottiglia MAS,and divided the unit into two parts – a surface group operating fast explosive motor boats, and a sub-surface weapons group usinghuman torpedoescalledSLC(siluri a lenta corsaor "slow-running torpedoes", but nicknamedMaialeor "Pig" by their crews), as well as "Gamma" assault swimmers (nuotatori) using limpet mines. Moccagatta also created the frogman training school at the San Leopoldo base of theItalian Naval AcademyinLivorno.

Combat record

The Decima MAS saw action starting on June 10, 1940, when Fascist Italy entered World War II. In more than three years of war, the unit destroyed some 72,190 tons of Allied warships and 130,572 tons of Allied merchant ships. Personnel from the unit sank the World War I-eraRoyal NavybattleshipsHMSValiantandHMSQueen Elizabeth(both of which, after months of work, were refloated and returned to action), wrecked theheavy cruiserHMSYorkand thedestroyerHMSEridge,damaged the destroyerHMSJervisand sank or damaged 20merchant ships,including supply ships and tankers. During the course of the war, the Decima MAS was awarded theGolden Medal of Military Valourand individual members were awarded a total of 29Golden Medals of Military Valour,104Silver Medals of Military Valourand 33Bronze Medals of Military Valour.

1940

ItalianMaialehuman torpedo "Siluro San Bartolomeo"displayed at theRoyal Navy Submarine Museum,Gosport,UK.

• June 10, 1940:Benito Mussolinideclared war onUnited Kingdom.
• August 22, 1940: While preparing for an attack on the British naval base atAlexandria,Egypt,the Italian submarineIride(carrying fourMaialeand five two-man crews) and the support shipMonte Garganowere attacked and sunk in theGulf of BombaoffTobruk,Libya,by British land-basedFairey Swordfishtorpedo bombers.Teseo Tesei survived the attack, but casualties among the submarine crew were heavy.
• September 21, 1940: The Italian submarineGondardepartedLa Speziafor Alexandria, carrying threeMaialeand four two-man crews. TheGondarreached Alexandria on the evening of September 30, but was spotted by British and Australian destroyers, which attacked. Severely damaged, it was forced to the surface and scuttled by the crew. They were captured, along with the Decima MAS crewmen (including Elios Toschi).
• September 24, 1940: The Italian submarineSciré,commanded by CommanderJunio Valerio Borghese,departed La Spezia carrying three human torpedoes and four crews, for a planned attack on the British naval base atGibraltar.The operation was cancelled when the British fleet left harbour before the submarine arrived.
• October 21, 1940:Scirédeparted La Spezia and sailed again to Gibraltar carrying three human torpedoes and four crews. TheDecima MASfrogmen entered the harbour, but were unable to attack any ships due to technical problems with the torpedoes and breathing equipment. Only one human torpedo managed to get close to a target, the battleshipBarham.The charge exploded but did not cause significant damage. The two crewmen, Gino Birindelli and Damos Paccagnini, were captured by the British. The other four (including Teseo Tesei) manage to reachSpainand returned to Italy. Valuable experience was gained in this operation by the Decima.Gino Birindellireceived theMedaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare(MOVM), his second, Damos Paccagnini received theMedaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare(MAVM).

1941

Wreck of HMSYorkinspected by the crew of the Italiantorpedo boatSirio,moored alongside

• March 25, 1941: The Italian destroyersFrancesco CrispiandQuintino SelladepartedLerosisland in theAegeanat night, each carrying 3 small (2-ton)Motoscafo da Turismomotor assault boats of the Decima MAS. Each MT (nicknamedbarchinior "little boats" ) carried a 300 kg (660 lb) explosive charge in itsbow.The one-pilot craft were launched by the destroyers 10 miles offSuda Bay,Crete,where several British Royal Navy warships and auxiliary ships were at anchor. The MTs were specially equipped to make their way through obstacles such astorpedo nets;the pilot steered the assault craft in a collision course at his target ship, and jumped from his boat before impact and warhead detonation. Once inside the bay, the six boats located their targets: theheavy cruiserHMSYork,a large tanker (the NorwegianPericlesof 8,300 tons), another tanker, and a cargo ship. Two MTMs hitYorkamidships, flooding her aft boilers and magazines.Pericleswas severely damaged and settled on the bottom, while the other tanker and the cargo ship were sunk. The otherbarchiniapparently missed their intended targets, and one of them was stranded on the beach. All six of the Italian sailors were captured. The disabledYorkwas later scuttled in shallow waters with demolition charges by her crew before theGerman capture of Crete,whilePericlessank in April 1941 en route to Alexandria.
• May 25, 1941: TheScirédeparted La Spezia carrying three human torpedoes. AtCadiz,Spainit secretly embarked eight Decima MAS crewmen. At Gibraltar, they found no warships becauseRenown,Ark Royal,andSheffieldhad been ordered to theAtlanticto hunt the German battleshipBismarck.The torpedoes once again experienced technical problems as they unsuccessfully attempted to attack a freighter. The crew returned to Italy via Spain.
• June 26, 1941: An attack on Malta similar to the July 26, 1941 operation (see below) was planned but was canceled due to bad weather.

The remains ofSt. Elmo BridgeinValletta,which was destroyed in the attack of 26 July 1941

• July 26, 1941: TwoMaialeand ten MAS boats (including sixbarchini)unsuccessfully attacked the portofValletta,Malta.The force was detected early on by a Britishradarinstallation, but the Britishcoastal batteriesheld their fire until the Italians approached to close range. FifteenDecima MAScrewmen were killed (including Commander Moccagatta), and 18 were captured. Teseo Tesei andPetty OfficerAlcide Pedrettion one torpedo died byFort St. Elmoas they attempted to destroy the outer defenses of the harbour.LieutenantFranco Costa andsergeantLuigi Barla on the other torpedo became lost, scuttled their craft, and swam ashore at St. George's Bay two miles NW of Valletta. TheirMaialewas recovered by the British, becoming the first example they had been able to examine.All 6 MTMs, both SLCs and two MAS (MAS 451 and MAS 452) boats were lost, one of them being found adrift in open seas by the British and towed to port by a seaplane. This disaster forced the unit to make a huge reassessment of its operations. CommanderErnesto Forzawas named as commander of the Decima MAS,and Borghese became leader of the sub-surface weapons group.
• September 10, 1941: TheScirédeparted La Spezia carrying three human torpedoes. At Cadiz, Spain, it secretly embarked eight crewmen for them. At Gibraltar, the torpedoes sank three ships: thetankersDenbydaleandFiona Shell,and thecargo shipDurham.All six crewmen swam to Spain and returned safely to Italy, where they were decorated, as were the crew ofSciré.
• December 3, 1941:Scirédeparted La Spezia carrying three human torpedoes to conduct what became theRaid on Alexandria (1941).At the island ofLerosin theAegean Sea,six Decima MAS crewmen came aboard, includingLieutenantLuigi Durand de la Penne.On December 18Sciréreleased the torpedoes 1.3 miles from Alexandria commercial harbour, and they entered the harbour when the British opened the boom defence to let three of theirdestroyerspass. After many difficulties, de la Penne and his crewmate Emilio Bianchi successfully attached a limpet mine underHMSValiant,but had to surface as they attempted to leave, and were captured. They refused to answer when questioned and were detained in a compartment aboardValiant.Fifteen minutes before the explosion, de la Penne asked to speak to theValiant's captain and informed him of the imminent explosion but refused to give other information. He was returned to the compartment and neither he nor Bianchi were injured by the detonation of the mine. The other four torpedo-riders were also captured, but their mines sankValiant,the battleshipQueen Elizabeth,and the Norwegian tankerSagona,and badly damaged the destroyerHMSJervis.The two battleships sank in only a few feet of water and were subsequently re-floated and repaired, being out of action for over a year.

1942

• April 29, 1942: The Italian submarineAmbradeparted La Spezia carrying three human torpedoes. AtLerossix crewmen were secretly loaded for them. On May 14Ambrareached Alexandria and sank a British floating dock. TheAmbrawas spotted and could not sink anything. All six torpedo-riders were captured.
• July 1942: Italian frogmen set up a secret base in the Italian tankerOlterrawhich wasinternedinAlgecirasnear Gibraltar. All materials had to be moved secretly through Spain and this limited operations.
• July 13, 1942: Twelve Italian frogmen swam from the Algeciras coast into Gibraltar harbour and set explosives, and then returned safely. Four ships were sunk.
• August 10, 1942: TheItalian submarineScirèwas sunk byHMSIslaywhile attempting to attack the port ofHaifain BritishPalestine.She had 11 frogmen on board.
• August 29, 1942: OffEl Daba,Egypt. TheHunt-classdestroyerHMSEridgewas torpedoed at close range by anMTSM,a torpedo-carrying version of theMTM.Six of her crew were lost.HMSEridgewas towed to Alexandria, but soon after was declared a "constructive total loss", and was scrapped in 1946.
• December 4, 1942: TheAmbraleftLa Speziato attackAlgiers,carrying frogmen and two human torpedoes. Ten frogmen carrying limpet mines swam with the human torpedoes, but because of the distance, they did not reach the harbour, but attacked ships outside it, sank two and damaged two others.
• December 17, 1942: Six Italians on three torpedoes left theOlterrato attack the three British warshipsNelson,Formidable,andFuriousin Gibraltar. A British patrol boat killed one torpedo's crew (Lt. Visintini and Petty Officer Magro) with adepth charge.Their bodies were recovered, and theirswimfinswere taken and used by two of Gibraltar's British guard divers. Another British patrol boat spotted another torpedo, and chased and shot at it and captured its two crewmen. The remaining torpedo returned to theOlterrawithout its rear rider.

1943

• May 8, 1943: Three Italian human torpedoes left theOlterrato attack Gibraltar in bad weather and sank two British freighters and an AmericanLibertyship.All returned safely to theOlterra.

This drawing shows the Norwegian tankerThorshøvdi,broken in two byhuman torpedoeslaunched from the Italian base-shipOlterra,August 1943

• May 1943: Borghese becomes unit commander when Forza returned to sea
• July 25, 1943: Italian dictatorBenito Mussoliniwas replaced by Field MarshalPietro Badoglioas the head of the Italian Government.
• 9 July 1943: Xª MAS single frogman sank or crippled the shipKaituna(4,917 tons) atMersininTurkey.
• August 3, 1943: In the evening, three Italian human torpedoes left theOlterrato attack Gibraltar. They sank three cargo ships, one of them an AmericanLibertyand returned to theOlterra.One of the Italian divers was captured.
• 1 August 1943: Xª MAS single frogman sank or crippled the Norwegian cargo shipFernplant(7,000 tons) atİskenderuninTurkey.

Armistice

• September 8, 1943: The new Badoglio government of Italy signed an armistice with the Allies. TheOlterrawas towed into Gibraltar, and the British found what had happened in it. Further attacks on Gibraltar using the new and larger replacement for the SLC (theSiluro San Bartolomeotype), and a planned raid onNew York Citywere called off due to the Italian surrender.

Summary of Allied ships sunk or damaged by Decima MAS

Date	Place	Ship(s)
26 March 1941	Suda Bay	CruiserHMSYork(8250 tstandard displacement) TankerPericles(8234 t)
19 September 1941	Gibraltar	TankerDenby Dale(8145 t) TankerFiona Shell(2445 t) MotorshipDurham(10900 t)
19 December 1941	Alexandria	BattleshipHMS Queen Elizabeth(30600 t) BattleshipHMS Valiant(30600 t) TankerSagona(7554 t) DestroyerHMS Jervis(1690 t)
13 June 1942	Sebastopol	Military transport (USSR)
14 July 1942	Gibraltar	SteamshipMeta(1575 t) SSEmpire Snipe(2497 t) SteamshipShuma(1494 t) SteamshipBaron Douglas(3899 t)
29 August 1942	El Daba	DestroyerHMSEridge(1050 t)
15 September 1942	Gibraltar	SteamshipRaven's Point(1787 t)
12 December 1942	Algiers	SteamshipOcean Vanquisher(7174 t) SteamshipBerta(1493 t) SteamshipArmattan(6587 t) TankerEmpire Centaur(7041 t) (repaired) USN Military TransportN.59
8 May 1943	Gibraltar	SteamshipPat Harrison(U.S.) (7191 t) SteamshipMahsud(7540 t) SteamshipCamerata(4875 t)
30 June 1943	İskenderun	MotorshipOrion(Greek) (7000 t)
9 July 1943	Mersin	MotorshipKaituna(4914 t)
1 August 1943	İskenderun	MotorshipFernplant(Norwegian) (7000 t)
4 August 1943	Gibraltar	SteamshipHarrison Gray Otis(U.S.) (7176 t) SteamshipStanridge(5975 t) TankerThorshøvdi(Norwegian) (9944 t)

Successor units

Guardiamarina(Ensign) of the Barbarigo Battalion standing in viale Carso near piazza Bainsizza, in Rome, during a review parade byGeneral der LuftwaffeKurt Mälzerbefore being sent to face theAllied beachhead at Anzio-Nettuno,March 1944.

Following thearmisticeof Italy on September 8, 1943, theXª MASwas disbanded. The Badoglio government in the south of Italy under Allied occupation declared war on Germany and became aco-belligerent. Some Decima MAS sailors joined the Allied cause to fight against Nazi Germany and what remained of the Axis as part of theItalian Co-Belligerent Navy. A new unit was formed, led by Forza and joined by some of the pioneers such as de la Penne newly released from BritishPOW camps. The new unit was namedMariassalto,but continued to be an elite naval force mounting special operations at sea.

In the German-occupied north of Italy. Mussolini set up the Italian Social Republic(Repubblica Sociale Italiana,or RSI) to continue the war as part of the Axis. Led by Borghese,Decima Flottigliawas revived, as part of the National Republican Navy (Marina Nazionale Repubblicana) of the RSI with its headquarters inCaserma del Muggiano,La Spezia.By the end of the war, it had over 18,000 members, and although Borghese conceived it as a purely naval unit, it gained a reputation as a savage pro-fascist, anti-communist, anti-resistance force in land campaigns alongside the German forces, under the command ofSSGeneralKarl Wolff.

Mariassalto

Mariassalto
Active	October 1943–April 26, 1945
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Branch	Italian Co-Belligerent Navy
Type	Naval commandos
Role	Human torpedo Raiding Sabotage
Equipment	Chariot
Engagements	Raid on Genoa Raid on La Spezia
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ernesto Forza

TheMariassaltowas set up atTarantoalongside theBritishfrogman forcein the Mediterranean. Forza was pleased to demonstrate Italian expertise in this area to the British,and the group was also keen to be in action, though if they were caught they would almost certainly have been shot.

In June 1944 came an opportunity to take action, in Operation QWZ, a joint mission against targets inLa Speziaharbour. The attack was against the Italian cruisersBolzanoandGorizia,which had been taken by the Germans after the Italian surrender. This was to thwart a German plan to sink them where they would block the harbour entrance. The mission also aimed to attack German U-boats in the harbour. British chariots would attack the cruisers whilstMariassalto'sGamma Frogmen would attack U-boats penned in the harbour. On 2 June 1944 the Italian destroyerGrecalesailed fromBastiainCorsicatoLa Speziacarrying three speedboats, and Italian frogmen includingLuigi Durand De La Penne,and two British chariots. One chariot broke down and was abandoned, though the other successfully sankBolzano.However, theGammamen were unsuccessful in their attack on the U-boat pens. All the participants escaped, linking with partisan groups on land.

In April 1945 a final mission, Operation Toast, was planned.This was aimed at sinking the newly converted shipping liner now the aircraft carrierAquila,just completed in Genoa. For thisMariassaltomen would make use of two British chariots, as they had none of their own SLCs available. On 18 April 1945 the destroyerLegionario,carrying two high-speed motorboats equipped with chariots sailed from Venice for Genoa led by Captain Chavasse SOE and Forza. Both chariots were deployed and succeeded in penetrating the defences but found the hull ofAquilaso encrusted with barnacles and seaweed the limpet mines could not be attached to it. The frogmen had to lay the charges on the seafloor of the outer harbour mole and when the charge exploded as planned the ship remained afloat in spite of the attack. All of the frogmen escaped safely. The German commander never put his extensive demolition plans for Genoa into action and thus Aquila was never sunk as a blockade to the harbour.

Decima MAS (RSI)

Decima Flottiglia MAS
Active	September 1943–26 April 1945
Country	Italian Social Republic
Branch	Navy
Type	Marines Naval commandos
Role	Amphibious warfare Anti-partisan Close-quarters combat Counter-insurgency Counterintelligence Direct action Raiding Reconnaissance Sabotage
Nickname(s)	Xª MAS
Motto(s)	Memento Audere Semper(Remember to dare always)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Junio Valerio Borghese

Junio Valerio Borghese(right) andUmberto Bardelliof the Decima MAS.

Some Xª MAS men who were in German-occupied Italy remained part of theAxisforces, joining theItalian Social Republicunder the command of Captain Borghese. His reputation and that of the Xª MAS enabled him to negotiate an agreement with the German forces that gave the Xª MAS significant autonomy, allowed them to fight under an Italian flag (under the command of the Germans), and not to be employed against other Italians. Borghese was recognized as the leader of the corps.

Ideology

The main themes in the Xª MAS's ideology became "honour"in defending Italy from the"betrayal"of the armistice with the Allies and a call to defend the territorial integrity of Italy against the Allies. The corps had its own weekly magazine,L'orizzonte( "The Horizon" ), in which authors such asGiovanni Preziosiwrote vehemently anti-Semitic articles aboutJewishconspiracies.The magazine had problems in its distribution, as it was thought that Borghese's popularity among the Fascist hardliners might reduce Mussolini's influence.

Hymn

Quando pareva vinta Roma antica,
sorse l'invitta decima legione;
vinse sul campo il barbaro nemico,
Roma riebbe pace con onore;
quando l'ignobil 8 di settembre,
abbandonò la patria il traditore,
sorse dal mar la decima flottiglia,
che prese l'armi al grido "per l'onore!".

Decima flottiglia nostra,
che beffasti l'inghilterra,
vittoriosa ad Alessandria,
Malta, Suda e Gibilterra;
vittoriosa già sul mare,
ora pure sulla terra,
vincerai!

Navi d'Italia che ci foste tolte,
non in battaglia, ma col tradimento,
nostri fratelli prigionieri o morti,
noi vi facciamo questo giuramento:
noi vi giuriamo che ritorneremo,
là dove Dio volle il tricolore;
noi vi giuriamo che combatteremo,
fin quando avremo pace con onore.

Decima flottiglia nostra,
che beffasti l'inghilterra,
vittoriosa ad Alessandria,
Malta, Algeri e Gibilterra;
vittoriosa già sul mare,
ora pure sulla terra,
vincerai!

When ancient Rome seemed defeated,
arose the invincibleTenth Legion;
On the field she defeated the barbarous enemy,
Rome regained peace with honor;
when, [in] the ignoble September Eight,
the traitor abandoned the Fatherland,
arose from the sea the Tenth Flotilla
who took up arms with the cry "for the honor".

Our [glorious] Tenth Fleet,
that humiliated England,
victorious atAlexandria,
Malta,SoudaandGibraltar;
already victorious over the sea,
now as well on earth,
you will win!

[For] Ships of Italy that were wiped away,
not in battle but by treachery,
our fellows prisoners or dead,
we make this pledge for you:
We swear that we will return later
where God wanted the Tricolour;
We swear that we will fight,
till we'll have peace with honor.

Our [glorious] tenth Flotilla,
that humiliated England,
victorious at Alexandria,
Malta,Algiersand Gibraltar;
already victorious over the sea,
now as well on earth,
you will win!

Relations with the RSI

Marines of theDecima,in 1944

Relationships with the Italian Social Republic were not easy. On January 14, 1944Benito Mussoliniarrested Borghese while receiving him inGargnano,in order to gain direct control of the Xª MAS. Word of the arrest reached the officers of theDecima,who considered marching on Mussolini's capital atSalò.However, the German command used their influence to have Borghese released, as they needed the equipment, expertise and manpower of the Xª MAS as an anti-partisan force.

Naval actions

The Xª MAS (RSI) took little part in the war at sea. Its equipment had been abandoned in the south, and its naval activities were frustrated by Allied action. In November 1944 four frogmen (Malacarne, Sorgetti, Bertoncin, Pavone), who had stayed underGermancommand, were delivered by fast motorboat and swam intoLivornoharbor to set up a secret sabotage base, but were captured.

Anti-partisan actions

Ferruccio Nazionale,Italian partisanhanged by the Xª MAS inIvrea.The sign says: "He attempted to shoot theDecima"

The Decima was mostly employed in anti-partisan actions on land, rather than against the Allies at sea. However, their actions were mostly reprisals following the massacre of soldiers of "Decima" by partisans forces – see Bardelli's homicide. Their anti-partisan actions usually took place in small villages, where the partisans were stronger. Some examples:

• Forno:68 persons, mostly civilians and some partisans, were killed by a combination of SS members and Xª MAS forces.
• Guadine:Random violence to terrorize a population believed to be supporting the rebels, almost complete destruction of the village by fire.
• Borgo Ticino:Together with the SS, murder of 12 civilians, pillage and destruction of the village by fire on the grounds that three German soldiers had been wounded by partisans.
• Castelletto Ticino:In order to give a demonstration of firmness against crime, a Xª MAS officer had five petty criminals publicly gunned down, having taken care to gather a large crowd in order to terrorise them.
• Crocetta del Montello:Episodes oftorturewithwhipsandgasolineandsummary executionsof partisans.

Defense of Italian national borders

However, the Xª MAS units also earned a good combat reputation fighting on the frontline against the Allies atAnzioand on theGothic Line.In the last months of the war Xª MAS units were dispatched to the eastern Italian border againstJosip Broz Tito'spartisanswho marched intoIstriaandVenezia Giulia.

Demobilization

On April 26, 1945, in what is now the Piazza della Repubblica inMilan,Borghese finally ordered the Xª MAS to disband. He was soon arrested by partisans, but rescued by OSS officerJames Angleton,who dressed him in an American uniform and drove him to Rome for interrogation by the Allies. Borghese was tried and convicted of war crimes, and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, but was released from jail by the Italian Supreme Court in 1949. The Americans were keenly interested in infiltrating the Italian Communist groups, something which Borghese had done, and he was enlisted to help createcounterintelligenceunits for the Americans.

Organization of RSI X^aMAS

• Naval units
  • Combat swimmers and frogmen
• 1st Combat Group
  • 'Barbarigo', 'Lupo' battalions
  • 'NuotatoriParacadutisti' Parachute battalion
  • 'Colleoni "artillery battalion
  • 'Freccia' Engineer battalion – 1st company only
• 2nd Combat Group
  • 'Valanga' Assault Engineer battalion
  • 'Sagittario', 'Freccia', and 'Fulmine' battalions
  • 'Castagnacci' recruitment and replacement battalion
  • 'Da Giussano' artillery battalion
  • 'Freccia' engineer battalion – 2nd and 3rd companies
• 8 independent infantry battalions
• 5 independent infantry companies
• Women's Auxiliary Service

After 1945

Further information:Italian commando frogmen

In 2006 the admiralty of the Italian republic recognized the Xth M.A.S. RSI veterans as combatants of WWII and gave the association the battle flag.

Counter-operations against Italian frogmen by British frogmen in Gibraltar was the subject of a 1958 British filmThe Silent Enemybased on the exploits of the team ofLionel Crabb.

Today theComando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Teseiis the frogman corp currently serving theItalian Republic.

In popular culture

• The Decima MAS' Gibraltar operations are depicted in the 1952 Italian filmI sette dell'Orsa maggioreand the 1958 British filmThe Silent Enemy
• The Uniforms of the Decima Flottiglia MAS are used by the collaborationists in the filmSalò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma.
• TheRaid on Alexandria (1941)is depicted in the 1962 British filmThe Valiant
• In the Italian filmMy Brother is an Only Child,set in the 1960s, a young Communist refers to the Decima Mas, and their "dungeon" onVia Tasso.

Prince Valerio Borghese escaped capital punishment after the war (thanks toJames Jesus Angletonof the CIA) in the cold war context and remained an active neo-fascist activist: He attempted a failed fascist coup in the early 1970s (the infamousgolpe Borghese). The Golpe Borghese and its leader are spoofed in a film byMario MonicellicalledVogliamo i Colonelli(We want the Colonels) where Borghese part is played by Italian actorUgo Tognazziimpersonating an ultra right-wing parliament representative called Tritoni (Triton or Newt). One of the best scenes features a boisterous and crazy assault diver and parachute Commando frogman called Barbacane (Giuseppe Maffioli).

See also

• Italian auxiliary ship Olterra– Undercover Italian auxiliary ship from World War II
• Brandenburgers– Members of the German Brandenburg special forces unit during WWII
• Fukuryu– Japanese divers intended to manually detonate mines on invading ships
• Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Tesei– Italian special forces diving unit, theCOMSUBIN
• MAS (motorboat)– Boat used by the Italian Royal Navy
• Military history of Gibraltar during World War II

References

• Caruana, J. (1991). "Decima Flotilla Decimated".Warship International.XXVIII(2): 178–186.ISSN0043-0374.
• Jørgensen, Sven Erik."The First Frogmen 2: Naval Operations with the SLC"(PDF).X-Ray Mag: International Dive Magazine.8.Copenhagen: AquaScope Media ApS: 85–93.ISSN1901-9238.

Further reading

• "Frogmen First Battles"by retired U.S Captain William Schofield's book (ISBN0-8283-2088-8)
• "The Black Prince and the Sea Devils: The Story of Valerio Borghese and the Elite Units of the Decima Mas",by Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani, Cambridge, Mass.:Da Capo Press,2004 284 pages, hardcover (ISBN0-306-81311-4)
• "Sea Devils"by J. Valerio Borghese, translated into English by James Cleugh, with introduction by theUnited States Naval Institute(ISBN1-55750-072-X)
• Paul Kemp:Underwater Warriors(1997)ISBN1-85409-455-6

External links

• The origin of the Xa Flottiglia MAS
• La Decima MAS(in Italian)
• [4]Image of Italian wartime frogman with rebreather whose breathing tube andfullface maskresemble an old type ofgasmask,but with the mask's blowoff valve blanked off.