Q&A · 1:30:10-1:31:33

Italian naval special forces after the armistice

Plans for Italian naval special forces in the Far East are distinguished from operations against German targets in Italy and the country's internal conflict.

Question

Were there plans to deploy Decima Flottiglia MAS forces against Germany or Japan after Italy changed sides?

Short answer

Wider deployment was considered, including Italian participation in the projected invasion of Japan, while actual operations discussed here remained in Italy.

Notes

Italian forces were considered for deployment to the Far East as part of the projected invasion of Japan. Those wider plans did not produce the deployment envisaged here. Operations in Italy did include action against German targets, with the panel recalling an attack intended to prevent a carrier from blocking a harbour. The discussion also turns to the Italian civil war and Borghese's anti-partisan regiment. These were different commitments within a divided Italy, so they should not be described as a single force fighting entirely on the Allied side.