Motozattera

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The Motozattera ( MZ ) were Italian landing craft during the Second World War .

The Italian Navy had no suitable landing craft for the Italian invasion of Malta (→ Operation Hercules ) planned for mid-1942 under the designation Operazione "C3" . From the allied Germans, Italy received the construction plans for the German Naval Ferry Frame (MFP) Type A, which were essentially adopted. The main differences lay in the use of Italian engines and weapons. All boats were propelled by three diesel engines with three shafts. The payload was 65 t. Two 20 mm and one 76 mm anti-aircraft guns were provided as armament , but additional and other available weapons were also used, often also prey weapons. 95 MZ were built in two versions. They carried the identifier "MZ" with consecutive numbers from 701 to 800.

The first 65 boats of the type "MZ A" or "Bette Classe A" from 1942 corresponded to the German MFP type A with 47 m length, 6.5 m width and a maximum draft of 1.4 m. Unloaded, they reached a top speed of 12  kn with a range of around 1200  nm at 7 kn.

The 30 boats of the second series, which were completed by mid-1943, had a redesigned hull to improve seaworthiness and increased range. The "Type MZ B" was half a meter shorter, had a draft of only 1.18 m and reached a top speed of 11 knots.

The first order for the landing craft was not made until 1942; therefore these boats would not have been ready in time for a mission against Malta anyway. After the actual purpose of the boats was finally given up, they performed general replenishment tasks, especially for the troops in North Africa. Almost two thirds of the population was lost in this alone. After Italy changed sides and became a German occupation, the Navy took over the surviving boats in September 1943 . 16 MZ, however, were sent to the Allies by their crews and served them with the identification "MTC". At the end of the war, nine of them were still active.

With the MZ 737 one of the boats has survived to this day. It is part of the exhibition at the Venice Arsenal .

A third construction lot corresponding to the German MFP type D was no longer carried out under Italian management. Under German occupation, however, type D marine ferry frames were built according to German specifications at Italian shipyards.

References

literature

  • Greene, Jack and Massignani, Alessandro: The Naval War in the Mediterranean . Chatham Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-885119-61-5 .
  • Marcon, Tullio: I Mule del Mare . Albertelli, Parma 1998. ISBN 978-8887372021
  • Sadkovich, James J .: The Italian Navy in World War II . Greenwood Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0313287978

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