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Valerio Borghese

Valerio Borghese (1906–1974) was an Italian naval officer, captain of the second rank ("Black Prince"), commander of the frogman sabotage unit of the 10th MAS Flotilla, and organizer of special operations by underwater swimmers against the ships of the Allies and the USSR.

Overview

Junio Valerio Borghese, who descended from the ancient princely House of Borghese, gained worldwide fame during World War II as commander of the 10th MAS Flotilla (Decima Flottiglia MAS) — a special unit of combat swimmers and naval saboteurs of the Italian Navy. Under his leadership, covert underwater attacks were carried out against British naval bases (Alexandria, Gibraltar, Malta) and combat operations were conducted in the Black Sea off Sevastopol in 1942.

After the 1949 transfer of the Italian battleship "Giulio Cesare" to the Soviet Union, Borghese publicly swore to avenge the disgrace. In October 1955, a special group of the 10th MAS Flotilla under his leadership carried out the sabotage bombing of the battleship Novorossiysk in Sevastopol Bay.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • 10th MAS Flotilla (Decima Flottiglia MAS): the only unit of Fascist Italy's armed forces that earned recognition from both allies and enemies alike for the exceptional effectiveness of its underwater sabotage.
  • Combat operations in Sevastopol (1942): in 1942, Borghese's unit operated in the Black Sea using MAS motorboats and informal CB-type midget submarines, sinking a Soviet cruiser and two submarines.
  • Tactics and armament: the use of SLC midget submarines ("maiale" / "pig") — underwater craft for delivering two saboteurs and an explosive charge directly beneath the keel of enemy ships.
  • Vow of revenge and the 1955 sabotage: the organization of the bombing of the battleship Novorossiysk (formerly the "Giulio Cesare") in Sevastopol on 29 October 1955; the information was officially confirmed in 2013 by flotilla veteran Ugo D'Esposito.
  • Postwar fate: after the split of Italy in 1943, he continued to fight on the side of the Nazis in northern Italy. In 1945 he was sentenced by a military tribunal and served 4 years in prison.