X Flottiglia MAS
The X Flottiglia MAS or Decima Flottiglia MAS was a italian special military unit of the Regio Marina (Navy of the Kingdom of Italy) until 1943, and then of the Marina Nazionale Repubblicana of the Italian Social Republic until the end of World War II under the command of Junio Valerio Borghese.
History
Decima MAS was active during the Battle of the Mediterranean and took part in a number of daring raids on Allied shipping. These operations involved surface speedboats (such as the Sinking of HMS York), manned torpedoes (the Raid on Alexandria) and Gamma Frogmen (against Gibraltar). During the campaign Decima MAS took part in more than a dozen operations which sank or damaged five warships and 20 merchant ships totaling 130,000 GRT (Gross Register Tonnage).
- "What madness the Western Allies are committing by supporting Stalin! If Germany ever loses, Europe's heart will be struck! Churchill, Roosevelt, the British, and the Americans will one day bitterly regret having allied themselves with militant communism. We will fight with you to the end because we are Italian patriots and conscious Europeans." — Prince Borghese in conversation with Otto Skorzeny in October 1943[1]
During the "armistice" between Italy and the Allies on 8 September 1943, which violated international law (Fall Achse), Prince Borghese went to the German naval command in Liguria and offered his cooperation. The unit, which – although now exclusively deployed on land – continued to operate as the Xª Flottiglia MAS (Regno d'Italia) (German: 10. Schnellbootflottille, colloquially known as the Decima MAS), was subsequently considerably expanded and (apart from brief missions against Allied troops, such as the repulsion of the American-British invasion at Anzio-Nettuno) was primarily used in counter-partisan operations. Through his successes, including his collaboration with the German naval combatants or Meereskämpfer in Valdagno and later with the remnants of the "Brandenburg" coastal infantry detachment (Küstenjäger-Abteilung „Brandenburg“), Borghese secured the recognition and protection of the German authorities, which enabled his unit to operate almost autonomously and protected him from repeated interventions by the Italian authorities. In January 1944, Mussolini even had Borghese arrested, but was forced to release him under German pressure. The Xª Flottiglia MAS was disbanded in Milan on 26 April 1945.
