Italian MAS (MTB) Torpedo Boats WWI-WWII

[Yevgeniy]

Hi all,

First of all I am happy to be on this board - it is a wonderful place for a ship-lover!

Being currently obsessed with Italian MAS (Motoscafo Armato Silurante or MTB in English ) especially older ones of WWI I searched this forum but found only a few mentioning. To correct this situation I start this thread.

I do not have high-quality photo for that but since the subject is rare I think these ones will suffice for the moment. So this is what I have found and would like to share

MAS-96 in Italian Museum (do not know where exactly)
MAS-15 in another Italian Museum and in real life (strange but there are no other photos of MAS-15 in Museum on the web. If someone visited or will visit this Museum I encourage you to make photos, it is a great boat l- looks like a violin to me ;)
MAS-9
the last photo I can not identify - think that it is also a boat of WWI or of the period between the wars.


Sincerely,

Yevgeniy

[astraltrader]

Thanks for those Yevgeniy - most interesting!

[Yevgeniy]

Glad you like the photos! So let's continue.

Several 'oldies' of WWI and between the wars which are most attractive to me and more contemporary ones of WWII - again sorry for size of the pics but I do not have bigger ones and could not find better on the web.

Yevgeniy

[Vegaskip]

Hi Yevgeniy, Great photos, surely fertile ground for the Model Makers on the forum. I have still to finish my Gay Class boat yet, but I am tempted.
Keep them coming
Regards

[Yevgeniy]

An update for this thread - some group photos
1 photo - MAS 23-44
2d - If I am not mistaken MAS 91 photographed from MAS 102
3d - MAS 555
I can not identify MAS'es on last two photos. Obviously some later pre WWII or WWII series.

Cheers,

Yevgeniy

[astraltrader]

Thanks for the pictures Yevgeniy - much appreciated.

[Don Boyer]

Yevginy:

Your post three shows an MAS boat with what appears to be four mines on board. First time I have seen a small craft used for mining like that. Any information on the where and when of that operation?

Very interesting photos. Thanks for posting them.

[Rob Hoole]

Yevginy:

Your post three shows an MAS boat with what appears to be four mines on board. First time I have seen a small craft used for mining like that. Any information on the where and when of that operation?

Very interesting photos. Thanks for posting them.

Don - Not quite as small as MAS but see these WW II Fairmile 'B' MLs (Motor Launches) laden with moored and ground mines:

www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showpost.php?p=75726&postcount=33 (http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showpost.php?p=75726&postcount=33)

Yevgeniy - If you can find it, I recommend you obtain the well-illustrated book 'The Battle of Grand Harbour' by Joseph Caruana which describes the determined attack on shipping at Malta on 26 July 1941 by members of Decima Flottiglia MAS (Decima MAS or X-MAS - 10th MTB Flotilla). Their forces comprised:


2 x Type MAS (Motoscafo Armato Silurante) motor torpedo boats (MAS-451 and MAS-452)
9 x Type MT (Motoscafo Turismo) explosive boats
1 x Type MTS (Motoscafo Turismo Silurante) small motor torpedo boats
1 x Type MTL (Motoscafo Turismo Lento) SLC carrier boat
2 x SLC (Siluro a Lenta Corsa - nicknamed Maiale (Pig)) human torpedoes
16 of the attacking personnel were killed, 18 were taken prisoner and only 11 returned to Sicily on board MAS-452, the only craft to survive the operation. However, one of these men subsequently died of his wounds.

The book contains many photos and diagrams of these fascinating craft and also describes other operations against Malta using Type MTSM (Motoscafo Turismo Silurante Modificato) MTBs. It is published by Wise Owl Books, BIEB BIEB Publications, PO Box 25, St Julians, Malta GC, STJ 01. Tel: 2145 3303. Email: mamarket@maltanet.net.

[Yevgeniy]

Rob,

Thank you very much for such great profile. I am mainly interested in MAS-15 and early MAS series (although I will dig this topic a little later - I have other shipmodeling projects on the table). But I will keep 'The Battle of Grand Harbour' in mind.

Don Boyer,

I looked through my notes but did not find any clarification about period and operation except that it is MAS-1 (at least it is called so in my files ;)). It also look as mines to me.

If you are interested whether small craft can be used for mining - do not be surprised. To clarify this issue I will post two photos of G-5 torpedo boat with mines instead of torpedoes on-board: one close-up of mines on board, an another photo - just to give you an impression of G-5 (again some strange 'barrel' at torpedo section looking like anti-sub bomb or fuel barrel - I understand that during war everything that moves can carry anything :) ). These are Russian torpedo boats - posted in this topic to clarify question about mining from small torpedo boat so no more offtopic posting from me :)

Cheers,

Yevgeniy

[designeraccd]

Great photos!!! The ones showing the harbor area around the boats I find especially interesting: really sets the time and "scene"! Many thanks. They sure make the USN's PT boats look big; not to mention WW2 Kreigsmarine "E-boats"!

IIRC, weren't some of the Italian boats trucked (?) to the Black Sea in WW2?? Any pics of those? DFO :D:D

[Rob Hoole]

See attachment for edited extract from 'The Battle of Grand Harbour' by Joseph Caruana showing images of the captured MAS-452 alongside jetty at HMS ST ANGELO in Malta in July 1941.

[Don Boyer]

Yevgeniy:

My apoligies for the late reply post. This forum has so much stuff I find myself losing track of some of the things that interest me. Appreciate your posts and photos a great deal. American histories, while acknowledging and detailing much of the naval operations of other countries during WWII, is almost always lacking in photos and details of the combat capabilites of what were once opponents. Your posts fill that gap to a great degree, and it is always nice to learn what "those other guys" were sailing in, and how effective their combat vessels were and what their capabilities were, to say nothing of the courage and resourcefullness of their crew and officers. Looking forward to more posts from your collection. Thanks!

[John O'Callaghan]

Hi Yevgeniy! A great collection of photos. The subject of the use of small craft such as the various MAS boats, human torpedoes and divers as attack swimmers is little known by many people. It is little realised that Italy was a foreunner in the development of these weapons and until overtaken in the middle of WW2 Italy made the most effective use of them in the world. The attacks in the Mediterranian such as Pola in WWI. Malta, Gibraltar, Suda Bay and others in WW2 were the really the starting point for much of what the world now calls Naval Special Warfare.The courage and skill of the operators involved was worthy of the highest praise.
Cheers John O'C.

[dorupantos]

Italian MAS operate also in Black-Sea during WW2 . Here are some pics of italian MAS in Romania and Black-Sea .

[Hank]

Hello Yevgeniy and all- I noticed that thumbnail #8 in post 1 (The side view of the boat with the city-shoreline as background) is mounted with a Colt-Browning Model 1895 Machine Gun. This dates the photo as pre WWI through the early war period. The Revelli became standard.

[Yevgeniy]

Hank, hi! Thank you for this remark - you are attentive! :) I think it is better not to change the title of this thread as we have only one (I think) photo dated before WWI but if we have more which I hope everybody welcomes we can expand this topic to all Italian Torpedo boats. As I am concerned I did not look into earlier period and so far have posted all photos I had for the moment.

[Yevgeniy]

Hello, everyone!

I wonder does anybody has some information about MAS-15 Italian torpedo boat. I am specifically interested in number of shafts and propellers. I know it had 2 gas motors and 2 electric motors but it does not automatically mean it had 2 propellers. Also wanted to know length, width, weight and speed.

Thank you in advance.

Cheers,

Yevgeniy

[astraltrader]

Nothing to do with MAS 15 I appreciate, but I just realised that I have this picture of MAS 23 which I believe was taken in Genoa in 1939.

[Sam Path]

Dear colleague!
It's not the MAS-23, but boat of "MAS 500" typ. The only MAS-23 was built in 1916 and belonged to "SVAN 12-ton" typ (MAS-3 - MAS-22)

[astraltrader]

Thanks Sam - I accept your advice - I know little about these little boats and purely went by the caption that accompanied it and we know how often these are incorrect!!

[Yevgeniy]

But it is great we have photo update for this thread anyway - better other captions then no photo :D Astraltrader, thank you for posting!

[astraltrader]

But it is great we have photo update for this thread anyway - better other captions then no photo :D Astraltrader, thank you for posting!


Thank you kind sir - but it is also nice to have the correct information as well!! [Please call me Terry, Yevgeniy :) ].

[tonclass]

Does anyone know the names of the the 'Dark Class" that were transferred to the Italian Customs fleet ? I have one or two pix of them, but cannot put their original names to them ?????????

[Yevgeniy]

it is also nice to have the correct information as well
Yes Terry, I am thankful for both. Sorry did not notice your signature with the name.

Another photo with early MAS boats - I can not identify them exactly - looks like same series as MAS 15

[Glasisch]

Yevgeniy

The 2nd boat with the Number 121:
it is № 121 (G5 – 1934)

renumbered

until: 25.05.1940: № 124
from: 07.09.1941: № 121

laid down: beginning 1934
launch: summer 1934
in service: 12.11.1934
in the Baltic Red Fleet: 15.12.1934

Fate: 07.08.1942 at Someri, when he tries to land troopps, he stranded (engines gave the Spirit), artillery fire and machine guns gave him the rest.
and a wonderfull picture of № 11 (Northern Fleet) - Type D 3 (wooden hull)

http://thumbnails22.imagebam.com/11904/1a31f5119037205.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1a31f5119037205)

Construction began in 1939; № 5 Shipyard in Leningrad. In service 22/7/1941. On 01.08.1941 arrived by rail in Murmansk, classified there on 16.8.1941 in the NF. Sinking on 20/11/1942 in a bay near Cape Nawolok (Archangielsk) as a result of an accident. 12/23/1942 and overhauled, then in service. On 10/06/1943 in Kuwshinskaya Salma as the boat alongside the commodation ship "Mayak-670 ", was smashed through the port side a flying bomb and the water exploded and the resulting shock to the torpedo boats and he was in very bad condition that the 2nd bomb attack sealed the fate of the boat.