Page Created |
January 31st, 2025 |
Last Updated |
February 1st, 2025 |
Italy |
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Realted Pages |
Xa Flottiglia MAS Motoscafo Turismo Modificato Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato |
Related Operations |
May 1942 – September 8th, 1943 |
Crimean Deployment, Decima Flottiglia MAS |
Objectives |
- Operations against the Soviet Black Sea Fleet
Operational Area |


Allied Forces |
- Soviet Black Sea Fleet
Axis Forces |
- Xa Flottiglia MAS
- Capitano di Corvetta Salvatore Todaro
- Capitano di Corvetta Aldo Lenzi
- Tenente di Vascello Roberto Romano
- Tenente di Vascello Aldo Massarini
- Sottotenente di Vascello Luigi Cugia di Santorsola
- Guardiamarina Roberto Peliti
- Capitano Guido Cattaneo
- Sottotenente di Vascello Silla Volonteri
- Sottotenente di Vascello Renato Ciravegna
- Capo di 2a Classe Eliodoro Grillo
- Capo di 2a Classe Alfredo Montanari
- Sergente Osvaldo Ferrarini
- Capo di 2a Classe Mario Lavoratori
- Capo di 2a Classe Cesare Barberi
- Capo di 2a Classe Ernesto Berti
- Sergente Dionisio Pascolo
- Sergente Carlo Zane
- Sottocapo Pietro Tosino
- Capo di 3a Classe Amerigo Dini
- Sergente Pietro Testini
- 5 Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato Boats (MTSM 204, 206, 208, 210 & 216)
- 5 Motoscafo Turismo Modificato Boats
Operation |
Impressed by the significant successes of Italian assault craft during the first two years of war in the Mediterranean, Großadmiral Erich Raeder of the German Kriegsmarine, sees merit in seeking Italian support. On January 14th, 1942, he formally requests Italian naval involvement in the Black Sea.
Notably, between 1940 and 1943, this marks the only occasion on which Germany makes a specific request for Italian military assistance.
From April 1942 on, Italy deploys a naval force to the Black Sea to support German and Romanian operations against the Soviet fleet. Turkish neutrality forces Italian vessels to be transported overland by rail and reassembled in Constanța, Romania. The mission aims to disrupt Soviet supply lines, support Axis convoys, and engage enemy vessels.
The Italian contingent consists of Xa Flottiglia MAS and regular Regia Marina units. Xa Flottiglia MAS, operates five CB-class midget submarines, six MAS torpedo boats, five MTSM and five MTM explosive motorboats with a total of 80 personnel. Other Italian forces assist in convoy protection and anti-submarine warfare.
This operation aimed to support the 101ª Squadriglia Mezzi Speciali, commanded initially by Lieutenant Commander Aldo Lenzi and later by Lieutenant Commander Salvatore Todaro and Lieutenant Roberto Romano. The unit will be operating under the command of VII Flottiglia MAS, led by Capitano di Fregata Francesco Mimbelli. These units integrate with eight MAS boats (XVII and XIX Squadriglia) and six CB-type mini-submarines (1a Squadriglia) until February 1943.
Motoscafi Armati Siluranti |
On April 22nd, 1942, an Italian MAS squadron departs from Venice, bound for the Black Sea. The convoy reaches Vienna by road, then continues by river transport along the Danube to Galați. On 4 May 1942, the squadron arrives under its own power at the logistics base in Constanța.
The MAS units destined for the Black Sea in 1942 belong to the fourth series of the 500-class, built by Cantieri Baglietto. Unlike earlier wooden-hulled models, these have metal hulls, improving stability at the cost of some speed. Powered by two 1,000-horsepower Isotta-Fraschini ASSO engines, they achieve speeds of 43 knots. The layout includes a continuous bridge with a semi-enclosed control cabin for crew protection against air attack, enhanced in later series. Portholes illuminate crew compartments and the engine room, and skylights provide additional lighting on the bridge deck. Crews operate from land bases or support ships, boarding only for missions. Armament includes two 450 mm torpedo tubes, a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun, and depth charges.
The transport operation from Venice to Vienna via Verona and the Brenner Pass proves challenging due to the size of the vessels, which measure 17 metres in length and 4.4 metres in width. Special trailers carry MAS 566, 567, 568, and 569, but engineers frequently intervene to navigate low bridges, as seen on 25 April in Oberaudorf, or to dismantle obstacles blocking the route. Analysis of photographs suggests the convoy includes Alfa Romeo 800 and OM Taurus trucks towing trailers, with additional vehicles transporting removed structures, weapons, torpedoes, and engineering support. Personnel travel in separate vehicles, possibly including a bus.
The operation concludes in under two weeks. In summer 1942, another transport follows, adding MAS 570–575 to the Italian naval presence in the Black Sea.
CB-Class Midget Submarines |
On April 25th, 1942, the submarine squadron departs from La Spezia, Italy, travelling entirely by rail, and reaches Constanța on May 2nd, 1942. This transit appears to be less problematic compared to other redeployments. It is probable that in La Spezia, a single railway convoy is assembled, comprising six disassembled CB submarines covered with camouflage netting, along with a few goods wagons serving as storage and workshops, one or two passenger coaches for staff, a command carriage, and several tank wagons equipped with anti-aircraft defences.
After departing La Spezia, the train follows a route via Verona, the Brenner Pass, and Vienna before reaching Constanța on the Black Sea. Given the significance of the cargo, the convoy is likely escorted along the Balkan route by Littorine Blindate (LiBli), armoured AB41 vehicles, and the Railway Engineers’ Autocarrette, patrolling the tracks to prevent partisan sabotage.
CB-Class Midget Submarines are specifically designed for transportation overland and by rail from the manufacturing facility to their operational destinations. Although precise transport details remain scarce, photographic evidence shows a CB submarine being unloaded upon arrival at the Black Sea. Standard low-platform railway wagons with supporting structures are used, likely repurposed from Caproni’s regular shipping operations. Analysis of the image suggests that to fit within railway gauge limits and tunnel clearances, the conning tower, periscope, and deck equipment are completely disassembled, leaving only the hull and submerged appendages intact.
Motoscafo Turismo Modificato and Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato |
In April 1942, a land convoy was assembled at La Spezia, specifically at the Cottrau Battery, to transport assault craft and equipment to the Black Sea.
The convoy, named Autocolonna Moccagatta in tribute to a Xa Flottiglia MAS leader killed in the July 1941 attack on Malta, comprises 31 vehicles designed to carry all necessary personnel, equipment, and supplies. This includes essential clothing and personal weapons, the convoy transports field kitchens, motor compressors, power generators, and spare parts for maintenance. The initial convoy consists of:
- 5 trucks, each transporting an Motoscafo Turismo Modificato boat
- 5 specialised trailers, carrying an Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato boat each
- 3 tractors for logistical support
- 5 Fiat 666 heavy trucks
- 2 torpedo trailers
- 1 tanker, with a 12,000-litre fuel capacity
- 3 trailers carrying water, lubricating oil, and other fluids
- 1 mobile workshop for on-the-move repairs
- 1 flatbed trailer with a crane for heavy lifting
- 1 crane truck, specifically for handling boats
- 1 Fiat 621 accommodation and command bus, fitted with 8–12 foldable bunks (registration: RM 26 104)
- 1 radio/secretary vehicle for communications and administration
- 1 Fiat 1100 colonial model car
- 1 Fiat 1100 tarpaulin van
The Moccagatta convoy departs La Spezia, Italy on May 6th, 1942. The convoy is transferred onto a rail transport convoy in Verona, collecting the assault craft that have arrived there by rail. To bolster its defensive capability, two 20-millimetre anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on wheeled carriages are incorporated into the convoy’s armament. It then proceeds through Austria via the Brenner Pass. From there, it follows a route through Vienna, and Lviv, heading towards Crimea. Upon arrival in Simferopol, the capital city of Crimea, on May 19th, 1942, the vehicles are unloaded from the train. Here the convoy continues it’s journey by road, joining up with trucks arriving from other transfer points. On May 21st, 1942, the convoy, now consisting of 40 vehicles, moves through Yalta. On May 23rd, 1942, the convoy reaches Foros on the southern coast of Crimea, positioned near Balaclava and south of Sevastopol.
Upon arrival, the boats are unloaded, launched. In June 1942, preparations are underway at the Foros base in Crimea to launch Motoscafo Turismo Modificato’s and Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato’s from a slipway.
Operational Deployment |
Between May and July 1942 alone , the Italian IV Flottiglia MAS, under Commander Francesco Mimbelli, undertakes extensive naval operations in the Black Sea against Soviet forces. The four MAS torpedo boats, carry out 65 missions during this period. Additionally, Italian Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato’s conduct 56 sorties, while CB-class midget submarines perform 24 sorties. These missions include:
- June 10th, 1942: MTSM 216 (Sottotenente di Vascello Aldo Massarini) launches an attack against the Soviet destroyer Tashkent off Sevastopol. However, the torpedo, possibly fired from too close a range, fails to detonate.
- June 11th, 1942: MTSM 210 (Capitano di Corvetta Salvatore Todaro) conducts an attack on a small Soviet military vessel, but the operation is unsuccessful.
- June 13th, 1942: MTSM 210 (Sottotenente di Vascello Aldo Massarini; Secondo Capo Eliodoro Grillo) executes a second attack, successfully launched a torpedo at a large Soviet merchant vessel off Cape Chersonesus, disabling it. While the Soviet ship was taken under tow by its escort, the Italian motorboats evaded detection. The next day, German aircraft complete the attack, sinking the ship.
- CB submarines patrol Soviet supply routes.
- June 13th, 1942: CB-3 torpedoes and sinks the Soviet submarine ShCh-203.
- June 13th, 1942: Soviet Yak and Ilyushin fighter-bombers, supported by a dozen torpedo boats, attack Yalta harbour. In the assault, submarine CB-5, commanded by Sottotenente di Vascello Alberto Farolfi, is sunk.
- June 18th, 1942: two Italian MAS boats launch a night attack on a convoy of large Soviet motor barges carrying troops, escorted by six gunboats en route to Sevastopol. In the engagement, the MAS units succeed in sinking a Soviet transport. However, during the battle, Sottotenente di Vascello Ettore Bisagno, serving aboard MAS 571, is mortally wounded.
- June 19th, 1942: Italian motor torpedo boats MAS 571 and MAS 573 engage and sink the Soviet submarine Shch-214 in the Black Sea. This action occurred during the Siege of Sevastopol, where Shch-214 is operating as a transport unit to support Soviet forces. The submarine is torpedoed while on the surface by MAS-571. Two crew members are taken as prisoners of war, with one later escaping.
- Participate in minelaying and coastal reconnaissance, assisting Axis efforts.
- June 28th, 1942: MTM 80, is expended in a diversionary attack off the Balaklava coast.
- A planned Xa MAS attack with MTM’s on Novorossiysk is abandoned.
- August 3rd, 1942: During the night, MAS 573, commanded by Capitano di Corvetta Curzio Castagnacci, MAS 568, under Sottotenente di Vascello Emilio Legnani, and MAS 569, led by Sottotenente Ferrari, engage Soviet naval forces southwest of Kerch. Their targets, the heavy cruiser Molotov (Kirov-class) and the destroyer Kharkov (Leningrad-class), are en route to intercept German transport vessels. Commanded by Commodore N. E. Basisty, the Soviet warships manoeuvre near the coastline and open fire with their 181 mm, 122 mm, and 100 mm guns. Meanwhile, the Italian MAS boats, along with German small barges, position themselves between Iwan Baba and Feodosia. MAS 573 and MAS 568 launch an immediate torpedo attack. The torpedoes from MAS 573 fail to hit their mark, but Legnani’s MAS 568 closes to a very short distance from Molotov and fires two torpedoes. The first misses, but the second strikes the aft section of the cruiser’s hull. Despite the damage, Molotov continues to engage the Italian boats with its 100 mm and 45 mm guns. Following the torpedo impact, MAS 568 executes evasive manoeuvres at high speed to escape. The destroyer Kharkov, having arrived to assist Molotov, pursues the Italian vessel at full speed. In response, Legnani orders his crew to jettison all ten depth charges aboard, setting them to detonate at minimal depth. The explosions erupt directly ahead of Kharkov, causing severe damage and forcing the Soviet destroyer to halt its pursuit. Both Molotov and Kharkov then withdraw eastward towards their base. As MAS 568 makes its way back to Yalta, it comes under attack from Soviet aircraft drawn by the explosions. Meanwhile, on the morning of 3 August 1942, MAS 573 and MAS 569 successfully return to Feodosia. The attack inflicts severe damage on Molotov, rendering the cruiser inoperable. It is later towed to the shipyard at Batumi, where repairs take nearly two years. The restoration work includes the complete replacement of approximately twenty metres of the aft hull, using a section taken from its incomplete sister ship, Frunze. Meanwhile, Kharkov, though less severely damaged, requires several weeks of repairs at a Soviet shipyard before returning to service.
- August 1942: Italian MAS units continue operations in the Black Sea, conducting six further patrols. During these missions, they succeed in sinking a 3,000-ton steamer.
- September 9th, 1942: MAS 571 is sunk by Soviet aircraft. Several others are damaged.
- May 12th, 1943: MAS 572 is sunk after colliding with MAS 566.
Withdrawal and Surrender |
On September 9th, 1942, following Admiral Raeder’s official visit to the Italian naval base at Yalta, Soviet fighter-bombers launch an air raid on the installation. The attack results in the sinking of MAS 571, MAS 573, and a barge, while MAS 567, MAS 569, and MAS 572 sustain damage. MAS 571 is completely destroyed in the raid.
Between October 1942 and January 1943, Italian naval operations decline due to combat losses and fuel shortages. As a result, the Regia Marina orders the withdrawal of Italian personnel, transferring the remaining vessels to German forces. German crews receive training at the Regia Marina base in Pola, Istria, and at the Isotta Fraschini motor factory in Milan.
For the Xa Flottiglia MAS a land convoy is scheduled for redeployment to the Crimean Capital, Simferopol, with the ultimate goal of transferring operations to the Caspian Sea. However, the Soviet counter-offensive in February–March 1943 forces force the Italians to scale down operations and withdraw. This causus a complete withdrawal to Itlay, all Xa Flottiglia MAS MTM’s except one, MTSM’s and personnel return to Italy on March 16th, 1943.
During the withcrawal the Italians consolidated their logistic positions in Feodossija and Iwan Baba. The Italian naval units persist in their combat operations in the Black Sea. On April 17th, 1943, during a German offensive aimed at reclaiming a significant bridgehead near Novorossiysk, seven Italian MAS boats, alongside German torpedo motorboats, are deployed to Anapa to target Soviet coastal shipping. After several unsuccessful attempts, all operations in this sector are suspended on April 25th, 1943.
Due to an intensified Soviet aerial campaign, Italy evacuates its bases at Feodosia and Iwan Baba. The final mission of the Italian MAS occurs on May 13th, 1943 off the coast of Yalta. Subsequently, on May 20th, 1943, the Italian forces officially transfer their remaining vessels to the Kriegsmarine in a formal ceremony. MAS 570, 573, 574, and 575 are transferred to Germany.
After Italy’s armistice on September 8th, 1943, German forces seize the five remaining Italian CB-class midget submarines, CB-1, CB-2, CB-3, CB-4, and CB-6, are transferred to the Royal Romanian Navy. Following King Michael’s Coup in August 1944, these submarines were scuttled in the Black Sea to prevent their capture by advancing Soviet forces.
Subsequently, four of these submarines, CB-1, CB-2, CB-3, and CB-4, are salvaged by the Soviets. They are commissioned into the Soviet Navy on October 20th, 1944 as TM-4, TM-5, TM-6, and TM-7, respectively, and remained in service until they are stricken on February 16th, 1945 and subsequently scrapped.
Aftermath |
Despite their small numbers, Italian forces contribute to Axis naval efforts, sinking at least two Soviet submarines and disrupting enemy convoys. Their impact remains limited due to Soviet superiority, effective enemy air and submarine operations, and Axis inability to maintain control in the Black Sea after 1943. The Italian effort demonstrates Decima MAS expertise in small-scale naval warfare but remains a minor chapter in the conflict.
Several Xa Flottiglia MAS servicemen are honoured for their courage and dedication during operations in the Black Sea. Capitani di Corvetta Salvatore Todaro and Aldo Lenzi, along with Tenente di Vascello Aldo Massarini and Sergente Dionisio Pascolo, receive the Medaglia d’Argento al Valore Militare. Tenente di Vascello Roberto Romano, Sottotenente di Vascello Luigi Cugia di Santorsola, Guardiamarina Roberto Peliti, Capitano Guido Cattaneo, Capo di 2a Classe Eliodoro Grillo, Capo di 2a Classe Alfredo Montanari, and Capo di 2a Classe Cesare Barberi are awarded the Medaglia di Bronzo al Valore Militare. Sergente Osvaldo Ferrarini, Capo di 2a Classe Mario Lavoratori, Sergente Carlo Zane, and Sottocapo Pietro Tosino receive the Croce di Guerra al Valore Militare
Of the other two units, Sottotenente di Vascello Ettore Bisagno, who is mortally wounded during the attack on a Soviet transport on June 18th, 1942, is posthumously awarded the Medaglia d’Oro al Valor Militare for his bravery in action. Sottotenente di Vascello Alberto Farolfi, commander of the midget submarine CB-5, receives the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare for his service in the Black Sea before his vessel is sunk in the Soviet air raid on Yalta on June 13th, 1942. Capitano di Corvetta Curzio Castagnacci, commander of MAS 573, is decorated with the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare for his leadership in torpedo operations against Soviet naval units. Sottotenente di Vascello Ferrari, commander of MAS 569, is also awarded the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare for his role in attacks against Soviet warships. Sottotenente di Vascello Emilio Legnani is awarded the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare for his successful torpedo attack on the Soviet cruiser Molotov on the night August 3rd, 1942. The crew of MAS 568, involved in the attack on the Cruiser Molotov, receive collective commendations and several members are awarded the Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare for their actions.
Multimedia |
Motoscafi Armati Siluranti |


CB-Class Midget Submarines |


Xa Flottiglia MAS |



