jai
A Fixture
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2012
- Messages
- 925
Given Martin's vacation, I take the liberty of continuing this column .. at least for today. As usual translation with google .. sorry for the mistakes
"six Italians equipped with low cost materials have shaken the military equilibrium in the Mediterranean to the advantage of the Axis". (W. Churchill)
the most famous of the shares of the X MAS Flotilla, called operation G.A.3.
It was a sort of revenge of the Italian armed forces for the serious naval losses suffered in the night of Taranto (November 1940) and projected into the legend the names of Borghese and his submarine, the Scirè.
In the night between 18 and 19 December 1941, 6 operators of the 10th MAS Flotilla with 3 assault vehicles (pigs) force the heavily armed port of Alexandria in Egypt and sink the battleships HMS "Queen Elizabeth" and HMS "Valiant".
The crews consisted of:
- Durand de la Penne - Bianchi on pig no. 221 who attacked the "Valiant";
- Martellotta and Mario Marino, on pig 222, forced to surf the surface due to an illness of the former, who attacked the tanker Sagona;
- Antonio Marceglia and Spartaco Schergat on pig no. 223 who led the attack on the "Queen Elizabeth".
The destroyer Jervis was also seriously damaged in the attack
The ships settled on the shallow seabed in a horizontal position and were later recovered and then returned to action, Admiral Cunningham to deceive the Italian scouts decided to remain with all the crew on board the flagship and to keep the deception credible with regard to aerial reconnaissance, the ships regularly held daily ceremonies, such as the raising of the flag
The Italians were captured who during the operation who the following morning and only 8 English sailors lost their lives, also thanks to De le Penne who warned the commander of the Vailant of the imminent explosion.
After the armistice of 8 September 1943, all 6 operators of the Xth were released from allied prison camps and repatriated to Italy, where they joined the Southern Kingdom. Framed in "Mariassalto", during 1944 they were decorated in Taranto with the gold medal for military valor which was awarded, as a sign of special honor, by Commodore Sir Charles Morgan, former commander of HMS Valiant.
1/35 scale model victoria
"six Italians equipped with low cost materials have shaken the military equilibrium in the Mediterranean to the advantage of the Axis". (W. Churchill)
the most famous of the shares of the X MAS Flotilla, called operation G.A.3.
It was a sort of revenge of the Italian armed forces for the serious naval losses suffered in the night of Taranto (November 1940) and projected into the legend the names of Borghese and his submarine, the Scirè.
In the night between 18 and 19 December 1941, 6 operators of the 10th MAS Flotilla with 3 assault vehicles (pigs) force the heavily armed port of Alexandria in Egypt and sink the battleships HMS "Queen Elizabeth" and HMS "Valiant".
The crews consisted of:
- Durand de la Penne - Bianchi on pig no. 221 who attacked the "Valiant";
- Martellotta and Mario Marino, on pig 222, forced to surf the surface due to an illness of the former, who attacked the tanker Sagona;
- Antonio Marceglia and Spartaco Schergat on pig no. 223 who led the attack on the "Queen Elizabeth".
The destroyer Jervis was also seriously damaged in the attack
The ships settled on the shallow seabed in a horizontal position and were later recovered and then returned to action, Admiral Cunningham to deceive the Italian scouts decided to remain with all the crew on board the flagship and to keep the deception credible with regard to aerial reconnaissance, the ships regularly held daily ceremonies, such as the raising of the flag
The Italians were captured who during the operation who the following morning and only 8 English sailors lost their lives, also thanks to De le Penne who warned the commander of the Vailant of the imminent explosion.
After the armistice of 8 September 1943, all 6 operators of the Xth were released from allied prison camps and repatriated to Italy, where they joined the Southern Kingdom. Framed in "Mariassalto", during 1944 they were decorated in Taranto with the gold medal for military valor which was awarded, as a sign of special honor, by Commodore Sir Charles Morgan, former commander of HMS Valiant.
1/35 scale model victoria
. I seem to remember seeing a "pig" on display somewhere - maybe in Valetta, Malta. The Italian Navy were very advanced in this field of warfare, in fact I think the German "K-Men" were trained in Italy.
