German and Italian Beach Reconnaisance & Assaults on Malta

[OzSubmariner]

Hello All,
I am a new member in this forum and my interest lies in submarine launched and supported special operations during WW2, by both Allied and Axis forces. I would be much obliged if anyone can point me in the direction of further and better particulars regarding the three items shown below, with their reference sources:

Item 1
https://maltagc70.wordpress.com/category/1942/may-1942/

“A feature of the month has been the increase of enemy E Boat activity around the Island.  Undoubtedly some of these boats have been engaged in mine laying but this is probably not the only explanation of their activities.  On 17th some of these E Boats were engaged by our coast defences and one was left abandoned.  Rather than let this boat fall into our hands and reveal its secrets it was bombed and sunk by enemy aircraft.  On 18th an Italian came ashore at post T4 and, from information given by this prisoner, it appeared that the enemy may possibly be testing our coast defences with a view to making a ‘Commando’ raid against the Island. “

IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM TRENOWDEN'S BOOK WHETHER THIS ITALIAN OPERATIVE WAS DELIVERED ASHORE BY E-BOAT or SUBMARINE. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THIS ITALIAN RECON MISSIONS AGAINST MALTA, AND/OR CAN ANYONE POINT ME TOWARDS AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE FOR THIS INFORMATION?

Item 2
"Stealthily By Night - The COPPists - Clandestine Beach Reconnaissance and operations in World War II" by Ian Trenowden, Crecy Books1995

Page 19: “ …..By contrast Adolph Hilter did place some credence in beach reconnaissance, on 7 May 1942 – having landed clandestine beach reconnaissance troops on some Maltese beaches – abandoned his plans to invade that island. In fact two German parties were landed: one was captured and the other achieved nothing. Operation Herkule, the projected invasion, had envisaged preliminary parachute landings by German forces and a seaborne landing by Italian forces, using captured Russian tanks. “

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THESE TWO GERMAN RECON MISSIONS AGAINST MALTA , AND/OR CAN ANYONE POINT ME TOWARDS AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE FOR THIS INFORMATION??


Item 3

"Periscope View - A Memoir of the 10th Submarine Flotilla at Malta 1941-1943" by Capt George Simpson RN (the first commander of the 10th), 2010, Seaforth Publishing, 148:

"Before midnight on 25 July I was told to report to naval H.Q. where I was warned that something suspicious was occurring about six miles north east of Valetta and I must not allow any of my submarines to sail or arrive until the mystery was resolved. Something had appeared on the radar screen which seemed to be a stationary ship.
At dawn gunfire woke me and I dashed up to Fort Manoel for a good view. Fast motorboats were approaching and zigzagging as they skimmed the smooth sea at about 40 knots. The multiple Hotchkiss guns at Fort St Elmo guarding the entrance let them come within effective range and then mowed them down, and as each one sank it exploded.
The intention had been that these fast, one-man boats, driven by Isotta-Frascini engines, were to dash into harbour through gaps made in the boom defences by midget submarines. The boat-men having passed the boom were to point their boat at one of the six ships of the newly arrived convoy (operation 'Substance') and about fifty yards before collision the crewman was to jump over the stern. On contact the explosive bow fell off and sank and exploded at a set depth to blow the ship's side in below the waterline.
In the event one midget submarine was lost at the harbour entrance, while two attacked at the wrong places, so the boom was not breached. This was of no importance since the St Elmo gunners sank all boats well out to sea, except one or two prematurely abandoned which were finally brought into harbour for inspection.On the horizon the Italian vessel Diana from whom they had been launched was retreating whilst two large E0Boats, which I believe towed the explosive boats from Diana for the first few miles towards the harbour, were now attacked by Hurricanes and were gutted. Nothing but Diana got away."

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THIS ASSAULT AGAINST MALTA , AND/OR CAN ANYONE POINT ME TOWARDS AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE FOR THIS INFORMATION??

KIND REGARDS GUS

[Dili]

Item 3 is this:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/vi ... nd-harbour


Also look at this
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmelo_Borg_Pisani

[OzSubmariner]

Hello Dili,

Thank you for that lead on the X MAS raid on Malta, it is much appreciated. The clarification that two SLC's were used has been useful, as has the name of the commander.