11. The Italian Frogmen in Alexandria
During WWII, the Italian military did not exactly cover itself in glory. Indeed, the Italians came out of the conflict with a pretty poor reputation for all things martial, much of it well-earned. However, there were some Italian units that performed quite well during the conflict. None more so than the elite outfit of specially trained frogmen known as the Decima Flottiglia MAS, or “10th Assault Vehicle Flottila” – a force of underwater commandos who worked with battery-powered 22-foot-long manned torpedoes.
Their torpedoes had a speed of 2.5 miles and a range of 10 miles, were submersible to a depth of about 100 feet and carried a detachable 660-pound explosive charge. On December 3rd, 1941, an Italian submarine left La Spezia, Italy, carrying three manned torpedoes. It stopped at the island of Leros in the Aegean, where it picked up three crews of two men each to man the torpedoes. Submarine and frogmen then set course for the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt – the British Royal Navy’s Mediterranean headquarters and main base – to conduct one of WWII’s most daring attacks, carried out with great skill and courage.