The list of Forza Navale Speciale pennant numbers in 1942-43

[de domenico]

I am confident that this subject will be of interest to the many shiplovers of the Forum.


We are publishing here on the current (2014) issue of the Bollettino AIDMEN (Associaz. Italiana di Documentaz. Marittima e Navale), we believe for the first time, the complete list of the pennant numbers which the Regia Marina attributed to the vessels included in the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS) created on 1 June 1942 for the Operazione C3, the planned landing in Malta.
This list, the outcome of painstaking research work done by AIDMEN member Marco Ghiglino at the Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare (USMM), is intended as the first instalment of a complete reappraisal of all the pennants given to Regia Marina requisitioned merchant vessels during World War II, an overdue updating of the well-known Dr. Jung Liste published on Forum-Marinearchiv.
The list includes both converted Regia Marina vessels and requisitioned ships. It was in fact intended to include both the landing craft being built ad hoc for Operazione C3 and merchant vessels taken up and adapted for the purpose. So the 100 small 15-ton motolance (ML) took up numbers 601 to 700, while the 65 239-ton motozattere of the fist batch wore numbers 701 to 765.
The sequence continues with our Ghiglino' List: nos 801 to 824 were 24 requisitioned and converted Venice motoscafi lagunari (MF), 831/832 were two small Venice lagoon passenger motor-ships, 833 to 835 were DURAZZO Class minelayers fitted with fire brigades' escalators, 841 to 844 were the four SESIA Class water tankers designed as infantry landing ships, 851 to 852 were two Messina Straits ferries, 861 to 863 were small passenger motor-vessels and steamers.
The sequence continues from number 901 to 949 with about fifty motor-schooners previously taken over for the Corfu and Crete landings and now re-numbered for Malta.
It is significant to note in this context that when a second, additional batch of 40 motozattere was ordered in July 1942, nine motozattere of the first batch were re-numbered with the names/pennants of vessels which had become early war losses, so as to allow the pennant numbers of the second batch not to go beyond number 800 and therefore to avoid any overlapping with the motoscafi lagunari: a proof of the fact that the FNS pennants were not intended as a mere interim.
Operazione C3 was actually abandoned on 27 July 1942, but several vessels of FNS were employed in November 1942 for the Corsica landings. The Forza Navale Speciale was officially disbanded only on 5 January 1943.


You will find the complete list here:
http://www.aidmen.it/articles.html/_/articles/le-sigle-della-forza-navale-speciale-r49

[kgvm]

An excellent document.
Thanks, de domenico.

[Dimitris Galon]

Congrats to both of you Francesco, you did a great job!

Thanks for sharing
DG

[TD]

Danke Francesco !!


Eine feine internationale Zusammenarbeit.

Vielleicht ist es möglich das wir die ganzen Kennungen zusammen im HMA vereinigen und dort für weitere Einträge auch die FR- Kennungen einfügen ?

Ein feines Wochenende

Theo

[t-geronimo]

Many thanks. Great work!! 

[de domenico]

Danke Francesco !!


Eine feine internationale Zusammenarbeit.

Vielleicht ist es möglich das wir die ganzen Kennungen zusammen im HMA vereinigen und dort für weitere Einträge auch die FR- Kennungen einfügen ?

Ein feines Wochenende


I am sorry, Theodor, but as Marco and I wrote in the summary, that is intended to be the first part of an overall revisiting and updating of the so-called Dr. Jung'List, which was actually the result of much work by Achille Rastelli and Guido Alfano, both late members of AIDMEN. So your request cannot be accepted: everybody wishing to see the list has easy access to the AIDMEN site.
Francesco

[MarkusL]

Excellent work. On a topic that hasn't been much researched yet.
So great a compliment to you.
Thanks, grazie
Markus 

[MarkusL]

Enclosed and maybe of interest for you the map of Malta as seen in the eyes of the German "Marinedienstvorschrift" (in fact naval intelligence manual) from 1941.
Sorry for the poor quality. Old photocopies from the 90s but the manual is now hard to find.
Grazie e ciao
Markus

[Peter K.]

WOW 

Ist das die komplette M.Dv.?

[MarkusL]

Komplett leider nicht, aber noch Fragmente...
Gruß
Markus

[MarkusL]

so, hier noch nächster Teil

[Peter K.]

Danke! 

[MarkusL]

Hier noch der bei mir vorhandene Rest.
Leider, that's all. Aber immerhin keine lästigen Copyrightprobleme.
Gruß
Markus

[Peter K.]

... ja genau, immerhin ...

Nochmals vielen Dank für´s Zeigen dieser interessanten Sache! 

[de domenico]

I attach a pair of pictures of Forza Navale Speciale boats with recognizable pennant numbers, also published in Bollettino AIDMEN no. 28/2014.