Italian Human Torpedo

Kyt · Jan 24, 2008

Italian Human Torpedo Enters National Maritime Museum - 24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage

The National Maritime Museum in Cornwall has taken delivery of a replica 1930s Italian Mark 1 human torpedo - an underwater craft used for covert operations to attach explosives to warships during World War Two.

The torpedo is to take pride of place in a major exhibition at the museum, entitled ‘Under The Sea’, which explores man's quest to explore life under the ocean waves.

Siluro a lenta corsa, or slow speed torpedoes (as the manned torpedoes were also known), were used in one of the most daring raids on the British fleet in WW2.

In 1941, Italian frogmen disabled two of the most powerful ships in the British Fleet by navigating the torpedoes through mine fields outside Alexandria harbour in Egypt.

Incredibly, on the earliest model, two pilots sat with their heads out of the water in extremely vulnerable situations.

Following the attack, Winston Churchill recognised the potential of the new stealth tool and ordered a British fleet of them be made.

Jenny Wittamore, assistant curator at the museum, said: “Although never intended for suicide missions, the human torpedo was a formidable force. It’s a great privilege to bring what is a relatively unknown element of Britain’s history to Falmouth”.

‘Under The Sea’, opens on January 28 2008 at The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.
Click to expand...

spidge · Jan 24, 2008

A little on the inventor:

Teseo Tesei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From:Comando Supremo: Events of 1941

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Monaco] MALTA July 25 - The Decima Flottiglia Mas is ordered to strike Malta. Italian naval auxiliary ship Diana, carrying 8 small EMB's, and 2 Torpedo Boats each towing a Maiale leave the port of Augusta, Sicily for the surprise attack. The plan was to attack the convoy ported in Grand Harbour, while one Maiale attacks any submarine ported in Fort Manoel and the other was to blast through the defenses of Grand Harbour, which would create a breech for the EMB's to sink the convoys. This was all to occur with a simultaneous attack by the Regia Aeronautica to cause disorder. This plan was destined to fail from the start. The first thing to go wrong was that the Auxiliary ship Diana was spotted on radar 20 miles of the coast of Malta. The second problem was that the air attack by the Regia Aeronautica was concluded to early, much before the Maiale's were in position to strike. This early strike only caused the defenders of Malta to be more alert. Nevertheless, the plan continued.

Decima Flotiglia MAS
The Diana put her EMB's overboard, and they, along with the motorboats, navigated towards the Grand Harbour. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti manned the human torpedo Maiale's.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Monaco]The first explosion occurred at the foot of St. Elmo. This caused the waters to be illuminated by search lights as the Royal Malta Artillery opened fire. The viaduct to the Grand Harbour was then destroyed by another explosion by either Tesei's warhead or by a EMB that managed to enter the Harbour after the first explosion. This inadvertently closed the entrance to the Harbour, but at this point, the Italian attack no longer had the element of surprise. The remaining EMB's raced to the Harbour to do as much damage as possible, but all were managed to be sunk by artillery from shore. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti were never seen again.[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Italian Human Torpedo

Kyt Άρης

spidge Active Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Italian Human Torpedo

Thread Tools

Kyt Άρης

spidge Active Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches