Italian commando frogmen
| "COMSUBIN" Comando Subacquei ed Incursori "Raiders & Divers Group" |
|
|---|---|
Personnel of COMSUBIN
|
|
| Active | 1952–present |
| Country |
 Italy
|
| Branch |
 Italian Navy
|
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role |
Search and rescue special operations Direct Action |
| Size | ~700 commandos |
| Garrison/HQ | Porto Venere (HQ) |
| Motto(s) | "E Fluctibus irruit in hostem" |
| Engagements |
Iraq War War in Afghanistan Lebanon Wars UNOSOM |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Rear Admiral Paolo Pezzutti |
| Notable commanders |
Admiral Gino Birindelli M.O.V. Admiral Luigi Faggioni M.O.V. |
COMSUBIN (Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Tesei; Teseo Tesei Diver and Raider Command Group) is the elite commando frogman force and one of the Italian special forces.
Italy was the first nation to use frogmen and human torpedoes. The Italian Naval Assault Divisions are considered to be the precursors to modern Naval Special Forces.
Their record can be traced back to World War I and the operation against the Austrian-Hungarian Battleship Viribus Unitis in Pula Harbour in 1918.
In World War II famous operations were Suda Bay, Alexandria, Gibraltar, and Malta.
Italy's frogman group originated in 1938 as the 1a Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto (1st Flotilla Assault Vehicles), which was reformed in 1940 as the Decima Flottiglia MAS (10th Flotilla Assault Vehicles, X MAS).
After World War II ended, the victors forbade Italy from maintaining special operations personnel. The Decima Flottiglia MAS was disbanded but the training experience gathered during the war was not lost, it was preserved in units scattered across the new Marina Militare.
COMSUBIN is currently based in three detachments near the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of north-west Italy. In keeping with its traditions, the command has long been known for its acquisition and use of unconventional weapons and small arms, such as the Armalite AR-10.
Some nations including Italy have continued to make and keep human torpedoes after 1945.
Though technically referred to as a special operations force, COMSUBIN is somewhat different in that it considers itself a naval specialisation. Perhaps the most storied task of COMSUBIN is the destruction of enemy naval assets, particularly by sea. However, COMSUBIN's six principal components (described below) all perform markedly different tasks each as essential as the other. COMSUBIN GOI are largely drawn from the ranks of the Navy's own San Marco Marine Regiment after a rigorous selection process.
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Wikipedia