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Attack to Suda Bay |
| The attack on Suda Bay on the island of Crete was the first of the
surface division of the Xa Flottilla MAS and a very successful one. Suda is a naturally
protected harbor on the northwest coast of the island. It was chosen by the Xa because of
the almost continuous presence of British cruisers and other military ships. |
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| The attack was conducted the night of March 25, 1941. The six attack units, some very
light and extremely fast boats, were launched from the destroyers Crispi and
Sella under the command of
Liutenant Luigi Faggioni (the other men on the mission were: Alessio de Vito, Emilio
Barberi, Angelo Cabrini, Tullio Tedeschi and Lino Beccati). After having managed to bypass
the harbor water defenses and having avoided searchlights, the units were finally able to
reach the inner harbor. Here, the heavy cruiser York, famous for powerful guns and a
not-too-graceful silhouette, was the target of the first attack. The British, who wanted
to avoid her loss, beached the unit, which was sinking rapidly. |
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| Nevertheless, the ship was a total loss and also the source of a future controversy
between the R.M. and the Luftwaffe over credit for her sinking. The matter was solved by
British war records and by the ship's own war log. |
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The Cruiser Coventry was missed by less than two meters, while the tanker Pericles was sunk and soon followed by a second, smaller tank and a cargo ship. All six daring attackers survived and were caught by the British, but news of the splendid victory soon reached the base at Serchio, thus rejuvenating the Xa fighting spirit. |
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