COMSUBIN reveal underwater vehicles
Images of a museum display may not sound newsworthy to the uninitiated, but when it comes to the secretive world of special forces it can be a huge deal. There are museums which are not open to the public, and for very good reasons.
Italy invented and pioneered the concept of naval special forces. And every modern force, from the US Navy SEALs to France's Commando Hubert, to Pakistan's SSG(N), owes some debt to them. I would wager that there isn't a maritime focused special forces unit on the planet which doesn't have at least an indirect connection. Even Britain's SBS, who were also pioneers (and it must be said that Italy borrowed from the SBS also).
Yet compared to the US Navy SEALs and many other forces, comparatively little information is out there. Today, COMSUBIN (Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori), Italy's top-tier naval special forces, are particularly secretive. And especially when it comes to their underwater vehicles.
So what is this article about then? Well, finally COMSUBIN has shared high quality imagery of some of their historic underwater vehicles (Facebook video). The short documentary shows the range of diver transports from 1930s to 1970s. Anything more modern is still a closely guarded secret. Researchers and friends of the Incursori (as the Italian frogmen are called) have been allowed in, and a few pieces written (mostly in Italian). Readers of my Covert Shores: The Story of Naval Special Forces Missions and Minisubs book may also recognise them. But this is the best footage I have seen. So what does it show?
SLC 'Maiale' chariot, 1938
After World War One Italian Special Forces pioneered various diving and submersible technologies. The frogmen unit became Decima MAS (10th Flotilla, aka X-MAS). The minisubs were used them to devastating effect against the Allies during World War Two. The main underwater vehicle was the SLC (Siluro a Lunga Corsa which means long running torpedo). This was described as a ‘human torpedo’ and popularly known as the maiale (meaning pig). Two frogmen sat astride a torpedo body with a massive mine on the nose. They would sneak into an enemy port and attach the mine to the target using clamps. Suspended between the bilge keels, the mine was large enough to sink a capital ship. The SLC was used in several successful attacks in the Mediterranean, including disabling of two battleships. The effectiveness of these tactics led the British to copy the design, developing their Chariot.
Two SLCs are on display in the museum.
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Tipo-B chariot, 1952
During World War Two Decima MAS developed the advanced SSB (Siluro San Bartolomeo) with the crew sitting inside the craft. The SSB never saw combat because it arrived too late, but was the model which influenced the post-war development of SDVs. The Tipo-B was the first postwar incarnation.
The baseline Tipo-B was essentially identical to the SSB. Some were modified with a revised fairing on the crew compartment which was shaped to run better on the surface. This reflected the evolution of the Modus Operandi with the SDV travelling much further on the surface. This allowed the hist platform to remain further offshore.
Another change was that the tandem explosive charges of the SSB were reduced to single mine.
Tipo-B Specifications
Length: 6.565 m
Hull diameter: 0.78 m
Operating depth: 10 m
Speed: 4.4 kt max, 2.2 kt cruising
Endurance: 50 nm
Armament: 1 x charge in nose, limpet mines
Crew: 2
Tipo-C chariot, 1954
The Tipo-B was only an interim solution which helped the postwar Incusori regain their SDV capabilities. It was quickly replaced by the CABI Cattaneo Tipo-C which incorporated the new postwar thinking. It was optimized for running on the surface, semi-submerged, before submerging for the final phase of the mission. This made it more boat-like in appearance.
Tipo-C Specifications
Length: 6.430 m
Hull diameter: 0.76 m
Operating depth: 30 m
Speed: 4.8 kt max, 2.3 kt cruising
Endurance: 26 nm
Armament: limpet mines
Crew: 2+
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BIR-58 Swimmer Delivery Vehicle, 1958
In 1958 CABI Cattaneo built the BIR-58 named after Gino Birindelli. It was able to carry five divers, meaning two swim pairs plus a pilot. The craft had a secondary gasoline engine for surface running. This greatly increased its independent radius of action. The craft was otherwise a lot like the Tipo-C and only a bit bigger.
The concept of a large SDV with its own pilot dropping off a special forces team was ground breaking at the time. Earlier SDVs, and those in service with other navies, were two-person vehicles. This meant that the team had to pilot the vehicle and then make the attack, which was exhausting and further limited endurance. The US Navy SEALs (and UDT) followed the new Italian model years later with the SDV Mk.VII and more so the SDV Mk.VIII. But the Italians were, as usual, about 10 years ahead of everyone else.
BIR-58 Specifications
Length: 6.45 m
Hull width: 1.18 m
Empty weight: 1.5 tonnes
Operating depth: 20 m
Speed: 4.5 kt max, 3.5 kt cruising
Endurance: 40 nm on batteries, 70 nm with engine (surface)
Armament: limpet mines
Crew/PAX: 5
TE diver propulsion vehicle, 1960
The first outside influence probably came from the French single-man ‘tracteurs sous-marins’. The Italian equivalent was tested around 1960 and was termed the TE (Trasportatore Elementare). It was slightly longer than the diver was tall. A storage bin built into the nose allowed room for a large limpet. The diver held on to pistol grips on either side, with a metal frame extending behind with hooks for the arms. These single diver 'propulsors' offered many interesting possibilities but they were relatively slow. Additionally navigation was very limited. Ultimately the type did not enter full service.
TE Specifications
Length: 2.15 m
Hull diameter: 0.425 m
Operating depth: Tbc
Speed: 2.4 kt max, 1.8 kt cruising
Endurance: Tbc
Armament: limpet mine(s)
Crew: 1
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TEC submersible canoes, 1966 & 1972
Not content with the TE, COMSUBIN tried a submersible canoe format in the late 1960s. There may have been some influence of the British wartime 'Sleeping beauty' submersible canoe. Elements of Italian and British naval Special Forces thinking had been coming together during the period. COMSUBIN had adopted military canoes and, through training with SBS and RN Clearance Divers, were aware of the Sleeping Beauty. The Italian take on the submersible canoe was the TEC (Trasportatore Elementare Carenato). This came in both single and two-person models.
With the focus on air-mobility, the hull was built from fiberglass which was a departure from earlier craft. The difference between the two models was simply the hull length.
TEC Specifications
Length: 4.5 m (single cockpit), 5.6 m (twin ciockpit)
Hull diameter: Tbc
Operating depth: 30 m
Speed: 2.5 kt max, 2.5 kt cruising
Endurance: 26 nm
Armament: limpet mines
Crew: 1 or 2
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