The X° M.A.S. flotilla was a special unit of the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) specialized in audacious operations utilizing human torpedo (the Maiali) and explosive motor boats (MTM) to attack enemy ships in harbour. In 1940 they had started to attack allied merchant ships in Gibraltar. This early attacks had mainly failed due to malfunctions of the Maiali.
After the success at Souda Bay, the sinking of HMS York, the “Decima Flottiglia M.A.S.” turned its attention to Malta. Captain Vittorio Moccagatta, Commander of the Flotilla, and Major Teseo Tesei prepared an audacious plan to attack and destroy the infrastructure of the Grand Harbor in La Valetta. Commander Junio Valerio Borghese opposed the action, claiming it too dangerous and not worthy. In other words, the absence of valuable capital ships in the port was not worth the risk. However, the plan was approved.
The plan went as follows: Tesei, with two SLC had to destroy the outer defenses of the harbor. This would have allowed a group of explosive motorboats to enter the inner harbor and conduct the attack.
In the evening of the 25th July 1941, they approached Malta on board the support ship Diana , accompanied by the MAS 451 and MAS 452 (Motor torpedo boats). After reaching point “K,” the Diana released 8 MTMs and one MTL carrying two Human Torpedos. MAS 451 towed the MTL. In the darkness of night, the group of MTMs and the MAS launched the attack.
The daring and incredibly audacious raid resulted in a complete failure. Land-based radar discovered the attacking units and coastal batteries commenced firing as the Italian forces came in. Teseo Tesei and Alcide Pedretti, attempting to buy precious time for the MTM force, sacrificed their lives by immediately detonating the explosive charge of their SLC. This suicide attack was a hopeless attempt to destroy the harbor’s outer defenses and let the MTMs to enter.
After the explosion, the MTM group attacked, but coastal battery fire repealed them. Of the 50 men involved in the action, 18 were captured, and 15 killed, including Commander Moccagatta, leader of the X°M.A.S.
Here’s more info on the X° M.A.S.: https://comandosupremo.com/decima-mas/
