Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

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TISO
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Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#1

Post by TISO » 26 Sep 2016, 22:55

Interesting article in russian and a serious pic gallery of italian MAS boats on lake Ladoga:
http://dambiev.livejournal.com/499557.html

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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#2

Post by Dili » 28 Sep 2016, 01:13

Thanks for the pointer.


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Patton42
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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#3

Post by Patton42 » 28 Sep 2016, 15:24

Wow. I had never heard of this before. What time frame where they there. How many units? Action? What became of the boats? Thanks

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TISO
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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#4

Post by TISO » 28 Sep 2016, 16:30

Boats were transferred to Finnish navy

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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#5

Post by LColombo » 30 Sep 2016, 17:47

How many units? Action? What became of the boats?
The unit was the 12th MAS Squadron, consisting of MAS 526, 527, 528 and 529. They were tasked with harassing Soviet shipping supplying Leningrad and arrived on Lake Ladoga in June 1942. They claimed the sinking of a Soviet gunboat and a 1,300 GRT steamer; attacks were not very successful because of the low draught of the Soviet ships operating on the lake, that frustrated most torpedo attacks.
The MAS also carried out escort missions (of Germand and Finnish ships), evacuated wounded and landed spies. Some info in English is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XII_Squadriglia_MAS
As I said, the mentioned "sinkings" are actually claims, I do not know how many of them were offically confirmed by Soviet sources.
The four MAS operated on Ladoga for a year, from June 1942 to June 1943, then, due to the deteriorating situation of Italy, the Squadron was dissolved, the crews (99 men) were called back to Italy and the boats were transferred to the Finnish Navy.
They were renamed Jylhä (J 1, ex-MAS 526), Jyry (J 2, ex-MAS 527), Jyske (J 3, ex-MAS 528) and Jymy (J 4, ex-MAS 529) and they remained in Finnish service till 1961, when they were scrapped.

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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#6

Post by Patton42 » 02 Oct 2016, 01:05

Thanks much. 25 plus years of ww2 interest and never heard of this tid bit. Thanks

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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#7

Post by Tamari » 24 Sep 2020, 13:05

Hello,

this is an interesting story and I remembered it when I stumbled today over a YouTube-video which shows some footage about 12th MAS and their boats at lake Ladoga.

https://youtu.be/utV38zHgz9s

It is amazing that the boats were delivered from Italy over the Alps via Munich and Potsdam/ Berlin to Stettinat the Baltic Coast and the to Ladoga

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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#8

Post by jwsleser » 26 Sep 2020, 04:07

Find a copy of Attivita in Mare Nero E Lago Ladoga which is volume XI of the official history. This discusses the activities of the RM on the lake.

Pista! Jeff
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Re: Italian navy in sige of Leningrad

#9

Post by lupodimare89 » 06 Jan 2022, 13:21

LColombo wrote:
30 Sep 2016, 17:47
How many units? Action? What became of the boats?
The unit was the 12th MAS Squadron, consisting of MAS 526, 527, 528 and 529. They were tasked with harassing Soviet shipping supplying Leningrad and arrived on Lake Ladoga in June 1942. They claimed the sinking of a Soviet gunboat and a 1,300 GRT steamer; attacks were not very successful because of the low draught of the Soviet ships operating on the lake, that frustrated most torpedo attacks.
The MAS also carried out escort missions (of Germand and Finnish ships), evacuated wounded and landed spies. Some info in English is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XII_Squadriglia_MAS
As I said, the mentioned "sinkings" are actually claims, I do not know how many of them were offically confirmed by Soviet sources.
The four MAS operated on Ladoga for a year, from June 1942 to June 1943, then, due to the deteriorating situation of Italy, the Squadron was dissolved, the crews (99 men) were called back to Italy and the boats were transferred to the Finnish Navy.
They were renamed Jylhä (J 1, ex-MAS 526), Jyry (J 2, ex-MAS 527), Jyske (J 3, ex-MAS 528) and Jymy (J 4, ex-MAS 529) and they remained in Finnish service till 1961, when they were scrapped.
The specific actions of the MAS on the Lake have been covered in an old threat here with a series of questions&answers to try matching events and info with the Soviet side and actual results were almost nil.

15-August-42: MAS-528 and MAS-527 attacked gunboats Nora and Selemdzha plus some MO crafts. This is related to the biggest italian claim often quoted everywhoere ("1 Bira-class gunboat sunk") but torpedoes exploded under them, Selemdzha was strafed with 1 WIA and that's the biggest damages inflicted by Italians to Soviets on the Lake. MAS-528 suffered heavier in result, with a direct hit.

28-August-42: MAS-528 and MAS-527 claimed a barge, actually attacked gunboat Sheksna that suffered no damage.

1-September-42: MAS-529 encountered a trio of MO crafts and suffered damage, she escaped under cover by Finnish aircrafts that strafed the Soviet boats inflicting some light damages and wounded.

29-September-42: MAS-528 and MAS-529 attacked gunboat Lachta again without result.

22-October-42: MAS-528 took part as escort during the Battle of Suho, the raid of German Siebels crafts against the small garrisonet artificial islet that turned quite costly for the axis (4 Siebels and 1 infantry-boat lost, another Siebel damaged: by combination of accidental grounding and Soviet artillery). Her actions during the Battle aren't completely clear to me but seems no direct contact with the Soviets.



In the end the MAS attacked with energy, but almost on their own (Finnish were passive and Germans attempted offensive operations only in October) and with the above mentioned issue of torpedoes passing under targets.



Out of curiosity there should be in St.Petersburg a museum with crafts remains alleged to be Italian MAS destroyed during a special frogmen sabotage mission in the Baltic side of the Leningrad harbor: this is a wrong Soviet claim of course.

During summer '43 the Germans Army (Heer) employed some speedboats to lay mines in Kronstandt-Leningrad channel: however 3 sunk on 30-August-43 during a fight against the small patrol craft n°605 (KM-2 type) that was herself sunk in a "last-stand" fight never fully recognized by the Soviet themselves (they had no idea what truly happened), while other 2 were destroyed by the unique Soviet frogmen raid in Strelna on 5-October-43. These remains are currently labeled "Italian MAS boats".

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