The Alexandria Raid (1941): Italy’s Daring Underwater Strike in WWII

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The Alexandria Raid, officially known as Operation GA3, was one of the most audacious naval commando operations of World War II. On the night of 18–19 December 1941, Italian naval special forces struck the heart of British sea power in the eastern Mediterranean—Alexandria Harbor, Egypt—using human-piloted torpedoes.

Background: A Battle for the Mediterranean

Control of the Mediterranean Sea was vital. Britain relied on it to supply forces in North Africa, while Italy sought to weaken British naval dominance. Unable to challenge the Royal Navy in open battle, Italy turned to unconventional warfare through its elite unit, the Decima Flottiglia MAS (10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla).

Elite Italian frogmen of the Decima Flottiglia MAS prepare manned torpedoes.

These commandos developed Siluro a Lenta Corsa (SLC)—slow-running, manned torpedoes nicknamed “Maiale” (“Pigs”). Each carried two divers and a detachable explosive warhead designed to be fixed beneath enemy ships.

The Plan

The Italian submarine Scirè secretly transported three SLCs and six frogmen from Italy to the Egyptian coast. The team’s objective was bold: penetrate Alexandria’s heavily guarded harbor and cripple the British Mediterranean Fleet at anchor.

Italian submarine Scirè surfacing silently near the Egyptian coast at night.

The six raiders were divided into three teams:

Luigi Durand de la Penne & Emilio Bianchi
Antonio Marceglia & Spartaco Schergat
Vincenzo Martellotta & Mario Marino

Their primary targets were Britain’s most powerful battleships:

HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Valiant
Plus nearby fuel tanks and support vessels

Infiltration into Alexandria Harbor

Late on 18 December, Scirè surfaced near the harbor entrance. The frogmen launched their SLCs and slipped beneath the water, navigating minefields, anti-submarine nets, and patrols—all in near darkness.

Italian frogmen, launching manned torpedoes into the sea at night.

The mission quickly became dangerous:

One SLC malfunctioned
Divers struggled with oxygen equipment
Navigation errors forced manual towing of the torpedoes

Despite these setbacks, all three teams reached their targets.

The Attacks

Underwater view of Italian commandos, riding slow-running torpedoes beneath anti-submarine nets.

Italian frogmens, attaching a magnetic explosive charge beneath the massive hull of HMS Queen Elizabeth battlship

De la Penne and Bianchi placed explosives beneath HMS Queen Elizabeth. They were discovered and detained aboard the ship but refused to reveal details.
Marceglia and Schergat successfully mined HMS Valiant and escaped to shore.
Martellotta and Marino attacked a tanker and damaged harbor facilities.

Just before the charges detonated, De la Penne warned British officers to evacuate the ship—without revealing the exact location of the bomb.

Explosions and Aftermath

Massive underwater explosions rocking Alexandria Harbor at dawn.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant partially submerged in Alexandria Harbor.

In the early hours of 19 December 1941, massive underwater explosions tore through the harbor:

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant were both severely damaged and settled on the harbor floor
A tanker was crippled
British naval operations in the eastern Mediterranean were temporarily paralyzed

Remarkably, no lives were lost.

Though the British initially concealed the damage, the raid effectively removed two battleships from service for months.

Captivity and Respect

Captured Italian frogmen standing calmly under British guard.

All six Italian commandos were captured. However, their bravery impressed the British. De la Penne was later awarded Italy’s highest military honor, and after Italy switched sides in 1943, he even cooperated with Allied forces.

Historical Significance

The Alexandria Raid proved that small, highly trained special forces could change the balance of naval power. It directly influenced the development of:

Modern naval special operations
Underwater sabotage techniques
Later commando units, including British and American frogmen

Ironically, just days earlier, Japan had demonstrated a similar principle at Pearl Harbor—marking December 1941 as a turning point in naval warfare.

Legacy

Today, the Alexandria Raid is remembered as one of the most daring commando missions of WWII—an operation defined by precision, courage, and innovation, showing how ingenuity could rival even the most powerful fleets.