1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 The Raid on Souda Bay was an attack by the Decima MAS (X-MAS), a specialist unit of the Regia Marina that used unconventional weapons.

Decima MAS used explosive boats (MTM) against British ships lying in Souda Bay, Crete, during the early hours of 26 March 1941.

The MTM explosive boats had been ferried from Astypalaia by the destroyers Francesco Crispi and Quintino Sella and launched at the approaches to the bay.

After crossing the three boom defences, the MTM attacked the British heavy cruiser HMS York and the Norwegian tanker Pericles (8,324 GRT).

Two MTM hit York, which took on a list and was towed by the destroyer HMS Hasty and beached; Pericles was sunk in shallow waters.

The interest of the Regia Marina in small boat warfare lay dormant between 1918 and the diplomatic crisis with Britain over the Second Italo-Ethiopian War 1935–1936.

On 28 September 1938, Supermarina ordered the I Flottiglia MAS (1st Torpedo Motorboat Flotilla), based at La Spezia, to establish a research department (the Sezione Armi Speciali (Special Weapons Section) from 1939.

[2] The Siluro lenta corsa (SLC, slow speed torpedo), known as a Maiale (pig), was designed by Tesei and Toschi in 1935 and 1936.

The maiale crews the Gamma frogmen wore Belloni rubberised suits with a closed-circuit re-breathing apparatus to avoid bubbles.

[3] The modified destroyers Francesco Crispi and Quintino Sella, had carried the MTM used in the successful Raid on Souda Bay (25/26 March 1941).

Italian submarine Gondar was sunk on 30 September, even though the three maiali cylinders could be flooded, allowing the boat to reach a depth of 295 ft (90 m).

Early in 1941, a smaller MT Ridotto was built with a height of 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) to fit inside the deck cylinders of submarines with the same explosive charge but they were never used in this manner.

[8] On 24 March, aerial reconnaissance photographs showed a cruiser, two destroyers and twelve merchant ships at anchor in Souda Bay.

On the night of 25/26 March 1941, Crispi and Sella departed from the island of Astypalaia, each carrying three 2 long tons (2.0 t) MTM (barchini), the six pilots led by Tenente di vascello (Lieutenant) Luigi Faggioni were Alessio de Vito, Emilio Barberi, Angelo Cabrini, Tullio Tedeschi and Lino Beccati.

At 05:11 the officer of the watch on York heard the sound of an engine, mistook it for an aircraft and before he could raise the alarm the ship was hit.

[15] Ian Playfair, the British official historian of the Mediterranean campaign, wrote in 1956 that the attack was the first of Italian unconventional operation and that took skill and bravery.

[16] The British official historian of the Royal Navy, Stephen Roskill, wrote in 1957 that the loss of York was the inevitable consequence of using a base that was not adequately defended.

The poor defences there limited its use to that of an advanced fuelling station, forcing the Mediterranean Fleet to operate from Alexandria, 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) to the south.

[18] The six pilots were captured and an MTM was recovered undamaged; while being inspected there was an explosion, wounding a British officer and damaging the vehicle.

[26] Pericles was taken in tow by destroyers but broke in two during a storm and was sunk by gunfire on 14 April 1941 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) north-west of Alexandria.