Raid on Algiers
Encyclopedia
The Raid on Algiers took place on 11 December 1942, in the Algiers
harbour. The attack was carried out by manned torpedo
es and commando frogmen from the Decima Flottiglia MAS
.
Ambra of the Italian Royal Navy
(Regia Marina
) left the naval base of La Spezia
, carrying three manned torpedoes and 10 commando frogmen. Air recoinnassance had discovered that the port of Algiers was crowded with Allied cargo ships, thus the Italian high command had decided to launch a combined operation involving both human torpedoes and combat swimmers carrying limpet mines. On the evening of 10 December, Ambra reached Algiers at a depth of 18 m (59.1 ft). One of the swimmers was employed as scout on the surface, and he guided the submarine toward a position 2,000 mt of the southern entrance to the harbour. He spotted six steamers at 21:45, and informed the presence of targets to Ambra by phone. The other swimmers and the manned torpedoes begun to emerge at 23:45 after some delay. The observer reported an intense reaction from the harbour defences. The submarine awaited to recover the operators until 03:00, an hour after the original time set. Then the scout swimmer was recalled on board and Ambra departed back to La Spezia. Meanwhile, at 05:00, the explosions started to rock the freighters. The Ocean Vanquisher (7,174 tons) and the Berta (1,493 tons) sank, while the Empire Centaur (7,041 tons) and the Armatan (4,587 tons) were heavily damaged. The U.S. military transport nº 59 became stranded on the beach. Sixteen Italian divers were captured.
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
harbour. The attack was carried out by manned torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
es and commando frogmen from the Decima Flottiglia MAS
Decima Flottiglia MAS
The Decima Flottiglia MAS was an Italian commando frogman unit of the Regia Marina created during the Fascist regime.The acronym MAS also refers to various light torpedo boats used by the Regia Marina during World...
.
The raid
On 4 December 1942, the Italian submarineSubmarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
Ambra of the Italian Royal Navy
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) left the naval base of La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, carrying three manned torpedoes and 10 commando frogmen. Air recoinnassance had discovered that the port of Algiers was crowded with Allied cargo ships, thus the Italian high command had decided to launch a combined operation involving both human torpedoes and combat swimmers carrying limpet mines. On the evening of 10 December, Ambra reached Algiers at a depth of 18 m (59.1 ft). One of the swimmers was employed as scout on the surface, and he guided the submarine toward a position 2,000 mt of the southern entrance to the harbour. He spotted six steamers at 21:45, and informed the presence of targets to Ambra by phone. The other swimmers and the manned torpedoes begun to emerge at 23:45 after some delay. The observer reported an intense reaction from the harbour defences. The submarine awaited to recover the operators until 03:00, an hour after the original time set. Then the scout swimmer was recalled on board and Ambra departed back to La Spezia. Meanwhile, at 05:00, the explosions started to rock the freighters. The Ocean Vanquisher (7,174 tons) and the Berta (1,493 tons) sank, while the Empire Centaur (7,041 tons) and the Armatan (4,587 tons) were heavily damaged. The U.S. military transport nº 59 became stranded on the beach. Sixteen Italian divers were captured.
Further reading
- The Italian Navy in World War II by Marc'Antonio Bragadin, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1957. ISBN 0405130317
- The Italian Navy in World War II by Sadkovich, James, Greenwood Press, Westport, 1994. ISBN 031328797X