Cernuschi, Enrico/Hector, Gareth (Illustr.)/Groult, Edourd A. (Illustr.) Italian MAS & MS Boats 1915–49

Italy's fast coastal forces

The narrow waters around Italy made fast torpedo boats particularly suitable for the Regia Marina. The first were derived from the glamorous motorboats of the pre-war Venice hotels; although too slow, they achieved remarkable successes against Austria-Hungary, sinking two battleships among other targets and performing valuable and little-known anti-submarine work. Researched from unpublished primary sources, this book is the first authoritative work in English to cover the MAS boats, their larger MS-class successors, and their operations in the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, and beyond. Renowned Italian naval historian Enrico Cernuschi examines their technological development, their missions, and their service in two world wars. Illustrated with unpublished photos and outstanding original artwork, the book traces their history from their famous missions in the First World War, through the difficult search for a truly velocissimo (very fast) MAS boat, to their varied duties in the Second World War, from convoy battles off Malta to the naval battle in the Black Sea. It also sheds light on little-known episodes, such as their dangerous secret missions after 1943, the landing of secret agents and commandos, and their secret battles against Yugoslav communist invaders between 1945 and 1948.