[BGB] X MAS

[Robert Geurden]

Here's an excerpt from an article about the Xa (10th) MAS Flotilla - a naval unit that went over to the Italian Fascist forces after the Italian surrender in September 1943.  Xa MAS eventually became a full-strength semi-motorized infantry brigade/division of 6 battalions (including one para. and one assault engineer, as I recall), artillery and even a few armored vehicles:
The RSI navy would have no effect in the remaining years of the war, and by German order, the only naval vessels allowed to carry the Italian flag were those dependent on the X Flottiglia Mas. Because of that, the Black Prince, Borghese, spent most of the war commanding the naval ground forces of the Barbarigo, Fulmine, Freccia, Sagittario, Lupo, and Valanga autonomous battalions.

These battalions were very respected by both German and Allied forces, however, they still felt the sting of German occupancy. To garnish needed supplies, members of the X MAS would meet German authorities at a Beretta manufacturer, get them drunk and steal the needed weapons. In other situations they would trade pigs for German cannons, managing to assemble 4 batteries of 152's. On another occasion a Xa MAS Lt. was promoted for stealing 5,000 liters of fuel from under the nose of Germans!


Robert M. Geurden
Attorney-at-Law
110 Cedar Street, Suite 110
Wellesley, MA 02481

Phone:  781-431-2610
Fax:      781-489-6568

ATTENTION:  The information contained in this message may be legally privileged and confidential. It is intended to be read only by the individual or entity to whom it is addressed or by their designee. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are on notice that any distribution of this message, in any form, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender at the telephone number indicated above and delete or destroy all copies of this message.

NOTICE CONCERNING TAX ADVICE:  Applicable Treasury regulations require that I inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this e-mail, or any attachment to it, which is not specifically identified as a "Covered Opinion" is not intended as such opinion and may not be relied upon by the taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. tax penalties.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.battlegroupboston.org/pipermail/bgb/attachments/20070125/6f8f87f5/attachment.html