Exploding MTM type boats

The development of small vessels for special operations began in Italy in the mid-1930s. The purpose of the creation of such vessels was an invisible and sudden attack on the enemy’s naval infrastructure, including in bays and ports. In addition to the human- controlled torpedoes " Mayale ", special surface explosive boats were created, which received the designation MTM (Motoscafo Turismo Modificato or Motor boat of a tourist modification). The first boats of this type were built in Varazze in 1939 . The following 1940, they passed the test, successfully sinking the decommissioned battleship "Kuarto". After that, the naval department of Italy gave an order for 18 units of such boats, and in total during the war years about 100 units were built.

The boats had a displacement of 1 ton, which made it easy to transport them even by small ships. The body consisted of wooden sets covered with a thick tarpaulin. MTM was equipped with a gasoline engine Alfa Romeo AR 6cc capacity of 95 liters. with. which allowed him to reach a maximum speed of 33 knots. Combined screw-steering wheel was an external unit, like the outboard motor. To overcome the underwater obstacles, he easily climbed. In the stern of the boat there was a control post, and in the front part there was a compartment with explosives with a total weight of 300 kg.

Carefully overcoming obstacles and anti-torpedo nets, the driver determined the course to the object of attack and pointed the boat at him. Then he gave full speed, fixed the steering wheel and was immediately thrown into the sea. In order not to be in the water at the time of the explosion, he quickly climbed onto a wooden wooden raft, which served as a backboard on the boat.

The boat, continuing on its way, hit the target, as a result of which the powder charges, arranged in a ring around the hull of the boat, exploded, cutting the boat in two. The aft part was separated from the fore and quickly sank. At the same time, the nose of the main charge, reaching a set depth equal to the draft of the ship, exploded under the action of hydrostatic pressure. The explosion in the underwater part of the ship formed a large hole.

The MTM boats, if used correctly, mainly at night, based on accurate reconnaissance data, were an effective combat weapon, however, unlike the Mayle torpedoes submerged, MTM worked only on the surface, it was easier to detect and destroy, especially because of the noise of their motor.

The first military baptism of exploding boats was the attack of the 10th MAC flotilla in the Court Bay in March 1941, as a result of the success of which two British ships were damaged. But the attack on Malta in July of the same year failed.

Unlike the similar Japanese exploding Shinyo boats, which were driven by a conscious kamikaze undermined along with the boat, the Italian crews, having sent the boat at the target, jumped into the water. However, sometimes (for example, in Malta) the pilot was forced to stay on MTM and died.

At the end of the 1940s, a small part of the MTM boats went to the special reconnaissance and sabotage unit of Shiyet 13 of the newly created Israeli navy. These boats were used during the First Arab-Israeli War in the Red Sea , where several Egyptian ships were sunk.

To this day, several copies of boats of the MTM type have been preserved, one of them is on display in the Maritime Museum of Milan , the other in the Museum of Haifa .

• 10th MAS Flotilla
• Royal Italian Navy
• The Battle of the Mediterranean (1940-1943)

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• De Risio, Carlo. I mezzi d'assalto , USMM - Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. Roma, 2001
• Giorgerini, Giorgio. Attacco dal mare. Storia dei mezzi d'assalto della Marina Italiana , Mondadori. Milano, 2007 ISBN 978-88-04512431
• Luigi Rimessa All'ultimo quarto di luna. Le imprese dei mezzi d'assalto Mursia ISBN 9788842534396