Italy - Human Torpedoes of the 10th Flottilla

[JimZ]

A walk in the National War Museum of Malta as well as the Italia Naval Museum in Venice reveals two of the weopons that have always fascinated me. These are the human torpedoes! Having waged a war against Malta, the Italians used a number of weopons which were supposed to keep a low profile and yet, have a devastating effect on their target. The first type of human torpedo is the one used in 1941 by Maggiore Teseo Tesei. towards the end of July 1941, the 10th Flottilla planned an attack on the Maltese harbour. An aerial bombardment was to distract the gun emplacements around the harbour and the boats would sneak in and launch their attack on the fortifications and on the ships within the harbour.

The plan in itself was daring and brave but had a few flaws. The arial bombardment was nothing more than a solitary plane attacking the defences, and unknown to the Italians, the radar installed on the Island picked up the incoming flottilla of boats. Moreover, most of the ships that were planned as targets were not in the harbour leaving the Italians with nothing of substance to attack! The plan in itself was already doomed, only that Maggiore Tesei plowed hid craft into the bridge spanning the entrence to the breakwater. The blast of the torpedo pulled part of the bridge down, obstructing the remaining boats that had not already been destroyed from entering the harbour. A disaster indeed!

One of these crafts was found beached nearby and is now on display at the local war museum.

[JimZ]

Teseo Tesei

Preparations for the attack

Pic source: http://www.regiamarina.net/xa_mas/malta/malta_us.htm

Edited April 10, 2007 by JimZ

[JimZ]

The bridge where Tesei crashed his torpedo

The bridge (or lack) of as it stands today

Edited April 10, 2007 by JimZ

[JimZ]

But Maggiore Tesei is known for having invented the Slow Moving Torpedo known as the "Maiale" (Pig)

A full write up including some technical data can be seen on http://www.regiamarina.net/arsenals/slc/sl...echnical%20Data

Also for full pics of a restored Italian Maiale please check http://www.psubs.org/museum/gosport_maiale.html

[JimZ]

And of course, look out for the following one in the Imperial War Museum!

Jim

[JimZ]

In addition to the above may I add that the Vice-governor of Malta, Sir Edward Jackson, in commemoration of the Italian attack on 4 October 1941 wrote something to this effect (translated from Italian therefore not a perfect quothe):

"last July the Italians led an attack with great determination in order to penetrate the port, using SLC (slow moving topedoes) and "human torpedoes " in a suicide attack....... To carry out this attack has demanded the highest form of personal courage."

Incidentally Tesei also had the an Airport named after him on the Island of Elba.

[JimZ]

Surviving SLC on display at the National War Museum in Valletta

[JimZ]

Recovery of Human Torpedo