Italian Assault Craft, 1940-1945. Human Torpedoes and other Special Attack Weapons

Книга на английском языке
This edition of Italian Assault Craft 1940-1945 is inspired by the volume that I prepared with my friend Marco Spertini - who unfortunately passed away several years back - in the now distant 1991. It was the first - and is still the only - work dedicated to this typically Italian naval speciality whose content is oriented above all to the technical-historical aspects of the conception, realisation and development of our assault craft. Obviously, there is no lack of extensive references to their operational activity - a topic closely linked to the refinement of technical characteristics - which has been discussed in detail in many other works. The extraordinary endeavours that have been
A ‘slow-running torpedo’ (or SLC, nicknamed ‘pig’) in Venice-S Andrea in summer 1945. (Imperial War Museum)
carried out by Italian assault operators since the Great War have in fact prompted many authors, including some of the protagonists, to produce works expressly dedicated to them, among which the most famous is undoubtedly the fundamental Decima Flottiglia Mas.

Содержание
Introduction and Acknowledgements
Part 1. Origins, development and use of assault craft
The Great War and the birth of assault craft in Italy
‘Grillo’ type ‘jumping’ boats
Rossetti self-propelled torpedo (‘Mignatta’)
Projects and experiments in the 1920s and 1930s
Development and use of Italian assault craft 1940-1943
What the British knew
Armistice and Italian co-belligerencies 1943-1945 (Xa Mas; Mariassalto)
Explosive motorboats in the Middle East in 1948
Assault craft used by other navies during the Second World War
British Chariot type submarine self-propelled craft
Chronology and summary of the main actions carried out by Italian assault craft (1918 and 1940-1945)
Part 2. Description of Italian assault craft
Surface craft
Explosive Motorboats (MAT/MA; MT; MTM; MTR, MTRM)
Light Motor Torpedo Boats (MTS; MTSM; MTSMA)
Prototypes, experimental craft and projects
Underwater craft
‘Slow running torpedo’(SLC)
‘San Bartolomeo torpedo’ (SSB)
The ‘Modified San Bartolomeo’ project (SBM)
‘CA’ type assault submarines
Prototypes, experimental craft and projects
Assault divers (frogmen and ‘Gamma’)
‘Approacher’ craft
Converted ships
Special craft
Motor torpedo boats
Submarines
Prototypes, experimental craft and projects
Aircraft
Land convoys
Infrastructure
Commands and main bases
Schools and training centres
Advanced bases and support units
Appendices
1. Systems, materials and special equipment
2. Assault craft colours and distinctive numbers
3. Assault craft and related memorabilia preserved in Italian and foreign museums and sites
Bibliography
Index