Dalla ricerca nelle Forze Special della Marina all’applicazione nella pratica clinica = From research in the Navy Special Forces to clinical practice

The COMSUBIN is the primal component for non-conventional warfare of the "Marina Militare Italiana" (Italian Navy). The HQ is based at Varignano, in the gulf of La Spezia. The operators of the COMSUBIN have inherited the long tradition and capabilities of the Royal Navy assault unit of the Second World War: Xa Flottiglia MAS, "Motoscafi Anti-Sommergibili"(10th Anti-Submarine Motor-boats Squadron). The COMSUBIN, in fact, is also called "Teseo Tesei", in memory of the famous war hero. Forged by an extremely hard training, the "subacquei" (divers) and "incursori" (raiders) forming the COMSUBIN are a formidable corp of offence and defence. To obtain the maximum damage for the enemy wasting the least amount of equipment and material: this has always been the guiding principle for the raiders of the Italian Navy. Beginning from the First World War, the standard-bearers of the naval assault units gained fame by performing some spectacular actions, such as the sinking of the Austrian battleships Viribus Unitis and Tegethoff, whose anchors today lay at the entrance of the Ministry for Marine defense in Rome. Formed in 1935, the assault units start from the very beginning to develop the equipment they need by themselves, although an interruption of the researches from 1937 to 1939 compromises some of the efforts made and wastes part of the temporal advantage which has been gained. The armistice in 1943 causes the division of the assault units of the Royal Navy. In southern Italy, the organization is re-established under the name of MARIASSALTO (based at Taranto) and collaborates with the Allied Forces, whereas in the North the missions were addressed to be carried out by "uomini gamma" (gamma men), who availed themselves with a number technological innovations. During the Second World War the raiders, thanks to the hard work of research Tesei undertook, avail themselves of particular vehicles like the piloted SLC, "Siluri a Lenta Corsa" (Slow Run Torpedoes), known as "maiali" (hogs), a two-seated delivery vehicle the prow of which is formed by a 300 kg detachable explosive charge, secured to the target's keel. The surface vehicles are mainly explosive speedboats: slender and swift crafts which are launched against the enemy ship while the pilot jumps in the water just a moment before the impact. Special explosive charges, called "mignatte" (leechs), are towed by combat divers and secured to the hull, whereas the "bauletti" (beauty-cases, or trunk lets) are fastened to the bilge keels. The raiders are deployed using submarines, in particular the glorious Scirè, torpedo-boat destroyers, and vessels of various sorts. Some of the most renown operations are carried out in 1941. The 25th March six explosives speedboats launch an attack against the Suda bay causing the sinking of the British cruiser York and a tanker; the 10th September Gibraltar is breached by "hogs" transported by the Scirè, which manage to mine two ships lying in a roadstead and to destroy a cistern riding at anchor in the port; finally, the 19th December the raiders blow up the battleships Valiant and Queen Elisabeth and sink a tanker, in the port of Alexandria. Unfortunately not all missions are this successful and many raiders pay their bravery and boldness with their lives. After the end of the war, the opposed northern and southern groups are organized together under the name of MARICENTROSUB, which is mainly addressed to the training of divers. The Peace Treaty forbids the Royal Navy to own seated torpedoes and assault speedboats, and thus the specialty is maintained in a state of almost clandestinely, using and repairing the old equipment, and secretly training new operators in Venice. Available crafts are re-adapted and disguised by adopting new denominations. The abolition of the restrictive clauses of the Peace Treaty are almost contemporary to the relocation of the "Scuola Sommozatori" (Divers School) from Venive to Varignano. The new center also includes a "Scuola Gamma" (Gamma School) and a "Scuola Palombari" (Deep-sea divers School), who operate together until, in 1952, the GRUPPARDIN, "Gruppo Arditi Incursori" (Daring Raiders Group), is formed and subsequently renamed MARICENTARDIN. The training of the operators is widened to include parachuting and land warfare. The new raiders course takes place for the first time in 1952. The name of the unit is then changed, in the middle of the 50s, to MARISUBARDIN, then MARICENSUBIN, and finally COMSUBIN.