| Special Forces Operations in October 1940 |
| October 21st, 1940 – September 6th, 1940 |
| Operazione Baia di Gibilterra 2 |
| 1° Flottiglia MAS |
| On October 17th, 1940, Supermarina issues orders to Commander Junio Valerio Borghese for Operazione Baia di Gibilterra 2, detailing the mission’s route, deployment procedures, and recovery plans. Scirè departs La Spezia on October 21st, 1940, carrying three Siluro a Lenta Corsa teams and two reserve operators. During the journey, the submarine evades multiple British destroyers before reaching its launch point near Almina Point on October 30th, 1940. Despite successful deployment, all three teams face severe technical failures. Gino Birindelli and Mario Paccagnini’s Siluro a Lenta Corsa becomes inoperable, forcing them to abandon it and swim to safety. Teseo Tesei and Alcide Pedretti experience equipment malfunctions and abort their mission, scuttling their warhead before escaping to Spain. Luigi Durand de la Penne and Emilio Bianchi struggle with a malfunctioning Siluro a Lenta Corsa and nearly drown before reaching the Spanish coast. Scirè returns to La Spezia on November 3rd, 1940. British divers later recover parts of the damaged SLCs, while Spanish authorities seize Tesei’s nearly intact craft, returning it to Italy in 1975 as a memorial. Though unsuccessful, the operation demonstrates the potential of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, influencing future missions. Several operatives receive honours, including the Medaglia d’Oro al Valore Militare for Borghese and Birindelli. The experience gained from this mission contributes to the later success of the Alexandria attack in December 1941. |