Difference between revisions of "MS-53"
(→Modules) (Tag: Visual edit) |
(→Description) |
||
| (20 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | {{Specs-Card|code=it_ms53_2a}} | + | {{About |
| + | | about = Italian motor torpedo boat '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
| + | | usage = other versions | ||
| + | | link = CRDA60t (Family) | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | {{Specs-Card | ||
| + | |code=it_ms53_2a | ||
| + | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}} | ||
| + | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' --> | <!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' --> | ||
| − | [[ | + | Launched on October 28, 1942, completed and commissioned March 9, 1943, and deployed in the 5th Motor Torpedo Squadron, the MS-53 is one of the [[CRDA60t (Family)|CRDA 60t]] motor torpedo boats from the 2nd Series of construction of its type. <!--, in this case when we talk about series we are talking about series of construction which were almost all identical and differed very little from those of the 1stseries,-->The MS-53 participated near Sicily in operations against Allied ships, performed several combat operations against other ships and small boats such as PT boats. After the armistice, she took part in special operations, but eventually due to bad weather in Termoli while in port she was taken to land by the tide, severely damaged the hull. She was later repaired, however was less efficient than before. At the end of the war, she was given to Russia under the peace treaty in 1947, but the Russian Navy did not accept her and she was sent back to the Italian Navy only to be decommissioned and scrapped 1 July 1950. |
| − | + | ||
| − | The '''{{Specs| | + | The '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''' was introduced with the Italian Naval Tech tree in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It has good combat and movement capabilities. The armament consists of two single 20 mm Breda cannons that are quite strong and capable of damaging enough enemy boats you will find. The most powerful armament you have are 4 torpedoes, specifically 2 x 533 mm torpedoes and 2 x 450 mm torpedoes perfect for destroying enemies in one shot and have a good range. The last armament you have are the depth charges placed in the back of the boat, though they are very difficult to use due to needing to approach closer to the enemy and only having 12 depth charges. For the ship's manoeuvrability, the ship's three engines manages to reach a good speed and manoeuvre very well. Utilize the manoeuvrability to set up ambushes by popping out and back into cover, as the MS-53's low survivability mean it can't take many hits that it could otherwise dish out with its armament. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
| + | {{Specs-Fleet-Armour}} | ||
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' --> | <!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' --> | ||
| − | + | The MS-53 has a crew of 19 people, 40 mm of wood for protection in the hull and 15 mm of wood for the structure, meaning it can be easily destroyed by HE belts. | |
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
| + | {{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}} | ||
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' --> | <!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' --> | ||
| − | + | The MS-53 is powered by 3 Isotta Fraschini "ASSO" Engines that make it reach 58 km/h. It's slower than its predecessor MS-15 because it carries more additional armament. Turning speed and manoeuvrability are good for its BR. | |
{{NavalMobility}} | {{NavalMobility}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Modifications and economy === | ||
| + | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armament == | == Armament == | ||
| + | {{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}} | ||
=== Primary armament === | === Primary armament === | ||
| + | {{Specs-Fleet-Primary}} | ||
<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' --> | <!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' --> | ||
{{main|20 mm/65 Breda (20 mm)}} | {{main|20 mm/65 Breda (20 mm)}} | ||
| − | + | As main armament, the MS-53 uses 2 x 20 mm/65 Breda cannons. These cannons cause little damage, and have magazines of only 12 shots before reloading. The cannons can take motor torpedo boats but not bigger targets. | |
| − | + | * Universal: {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} | |
| − | + | * HE belt: {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}} {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} | |
| − | {{ | + | * AP belt: {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} |
| − | + | {{:20_mm/65_Breda_(20_mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T}} | |
| − | === | + | === Additional armament === |
| − | <!-- '' | + | {{Specs-Fleet-Additional}} |
| − | {{main|B TG depth charge}} | + | <!-- ''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.'' --> |
| + | {{main|S.I. 270/533X6.84 Tipo L (533 mm)|W.200/450X5,75 (450 mm)|B TG depth charge}} | ||
| − | + | As additional armament, the MS-53 can carry 2 different types of torpedoes and depth charges. The S.I.270 torpedoes have a maximum speed of 93 km/h (81 km/h with torpedo mode), 270 kg of explosive and a range of 4 km (8 km with torpedo mode) while the W.200 have a maximum speed of 81 km/h, 200 kg of explosive and a range of 3 km (with the torpedo mode or not). The B TG depth charges have 50 kg of explosive. | |
== Usage in battles == | == Usage in battles == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | The MS-53 is a slower version of the [[MS-15]] but it got more additional armament that is 2 torpedoes so you have more possibility to destroy some enemies with the torpedoes. The cannon are quite bad because the 20 mm cause too much little damage, the best advice is not to attack frontally or get surrounded by the enemy but to go around them and shoot them from the side. You will immediately notice the little damage the cannons cause so it is recommended using 2 belts one AP for tough targets and armoured and the other HE for targets with little protection. | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | ||
| − | |||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Can carry 4 torpedoes with various degrees of spread. |
| + | * Good reload speed for the main guns | ||
| + | * Good speed (58 km/h) | ||
| + | * Good turn radius | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Lacks armament (only 2 x 20 mm cannons) |
| + | * The 20 mm cannons have small magazines and a slow rate of fire | ||
| + | * Terrible survivability | ||
| + | * No anti-aircraft guns | ||
| + | * Bad rear cannon placement with mediocre firing angles | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | ||
| − | + | {{main|MS-15#History|l1=History of the MS-15}} | |
| + | [[File:MS-53 I.png|thumb|MS-53 During Sail]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Operational history of MS-53 === | ||
| + | On 22 October 1942, MS-53 was launched at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone, entered service on 9 March 1943 and was assigned to the 5th Torpedo Boat Squadron (Va Squadriglia Motosiluranti). | ||
| + | |||
| + | MS-53 was sent in July to Sicily to operate against the Anglo-American naval forces engaged in the invasion of the island. In the same month, the MS-53 and its twin MS-51 took part in a violent battle against Allied torpedo boats off the coast of Acireale. In the night of July 21, MS-53, along with her sister ships MS-21, MS-51 and MS-66, attacked the British destroyer Quantock and the Greek destroyer Adrias east of Cape Campolato. During the combat at close range, the MS-66 was seriously damaged, on which the commander of the 5th Torpedo Boat Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Curzio Castagnacci, died. The destroyers Quantock and Adrias were slightly damaged and some members of the crew died after being hit by the guns of the Italian torpedo boats. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Afterwards, the MS-53, together with the MS-21, MS-65 and MS-66, clashed against the American PT-203, PT-214 and PT-218 motor torpedo boats in a confused night skirmish on July 21. The American torpedo motorboats, returning to Palermo (already occupied by the Allies on 22 July 1943) after a fruitless night attack to attack the ships involved in the evacuation of the Axis troops through the Strait of Messina, detected the Italian MS on radar and launched a salvo of torpedoes against them. The torpedoes, however, passed without exploding under the hulls of the Italian MS. Then, PT-218 attacked the Italian MS with its machine guns in a close encounter. A fight ensued, which ended with the PT-218 riddled with bullets and having suffered very serious damages, with many losses among the crew meanwhile the Crew of MS were unharmed and the Italian boats got minimal damage. | ||
| + | |||
| + | On 8 September 1943, upon the announcement of the armistice between Italy and the Allies, MS-53 was located in Crotone. The next day, at 2:00 AM, the MS-53, together with the MS-65 and the MAS 547, left Crotone bound for Taranto to avoid the risk of being captured by German troops moving in the area. The three small units reached Taranto at 8:30 AM. In the evening, the MS-53 (Second Lieutenant Mario Manusardi), together with the corvette Flora (Lieutenant Giorgio Volpe), escorted the tug Tarantola and the motor raft MZ 758, which carried a company of the Battalion "San Vito" sent to reinforce the garrison of the coastal battery "Toscano", which reported that German troops are approaching its stronghold with unclear intentions. The MS-53 remained based in Taranto until November. | ||
| + | |||
| + | During November and December 1943, the MS-53, together with the MS-54, 55, 56, 61, 65 and 73, was transferred to Termoli to be employed in special missions, alongside MS-31, 33 and 74 (moved there in October) of transporting and landing British informers and commandos on the Adriatic coast of Central and Northern Italy occupied by German forces. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Sinking === | ||
| + | The operational life of the MS-53 came to an abrupt end on the night between 31 December 1943 and 1 January 1944. That night a violent storm broke out in Termoli and created a breach in the pier, removing the mooring holds of the MS 53. The commander of the torpedo boat, Lieutenant Mario Manusardi, tried in vain to bring his unit to a sheltered corner of the port, but the engines did not respond, and the MS 53 would end up going on the land, causing damage to the hull. | ||
| + | |||
| + | On 22 January 1944 the MS-53 was towed to Manfredonia, with the escort of the MS-31. Here it could only be ascertained that it was impossible to restore the torpedo boat to full efficiency: consequently, the MS-53 - declared out of service - was laid up in December 1944, and never returned to service. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After the 1947 peace treaty, the MS-53 was assigned to the Soviet Union; on 18 May 1949 the MS-53 was removed from the naval cadre and formally incorporated into the Soviet Navy under the new name of TK-971, but was refused by the Soviet Navy because of her poor condition (in 1948 she was reduced to the hull), which made her restoration inconvenient. Returned to the Italian Navy, the motor torpedo boat was again decommissioned on 1 July 1950 and subsequently demolished. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | ||
| − | + | ||
| + | ;Images | ||
| + | <gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200"> | ||
| + | File:MS-53 Media.png| | ||
| + | File:MS-53 Media 2.png| | ||
| + | </gallery> | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 105: | Line 112: | ||
* ''reference to the series of the ship;'' | * ''reference to the series of the ship;'' | ||
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
| − | |||
| − | * | + | * [[MV-611]] |
| − | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
| − | |||
* ''other literature.'' --> | * ''other literature.'' --> | ||
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
| − | |||
* ''other literature.'' | * ''other literature.'' | ||
| + | {{ShipManufacturer CRDA}} | ||
{{Italy boats}} | {{Italy boats}} | ||
Latest revision as of 15:20, 27 May 2023
| This page is about the Italian motor torpedo boat MS-53. For other versions, see CRDA60t (Family). |
Contents
Description
Launched on October 28, 1942, completed and commissioned March 9, 1943, and deployed in the 5th Motor Torpedo Squadron, the MS-53 is one of the CRDA 60t motor torpedo boats from the 2nd Series of construction of its type. The MS-53 participated near Sicily in operations against Allied ships, performed several combat operations against other ships and small boats such as PT boats. After the armistice, she took part in special operations, but eventually due to bad weather in Termoli while in port she was taken to land by the tide, severely damaged the hull. She was later repaired, however was less efficient than before. At the end of the war, she was given to Russia under the peace treaty in 1947, but the Russian Navy did not accept her and she was sent back to the Italian Navy only to be decommissioned and scrapped 1 July 1950.
The MS-53 was introduced with the Italian Naval Tech tree in Update "Starfighters". It has good combat and movement capabilities. The armament consists of two single 20 mm Breda cannons that are quite strong and capable of damaging enough enemy boats you will find. The most powerful armament you have are 4 torpedoes, specifically 2 x 533 mm torpedoes and 2 x 450 mm torpedoes perfect for destroying enemies in one shot and have a good range. The last armament you have are the depth charges placed in the back of the boat, though they are very difficult to use due to needing to approach closer to the enemy and only having 12 depth charges. For the ship's manoeuvrability, the ship's three engines manages to reach a good speed and manoeuvre very well. Utilize the manoeuvrability to set up ambushes by popping out and back into cover, as the MS-53's low survivability mean it can't take many hits that it could otherwise dish out with its armament.
General info
Survivability and armour
The MS-53 has a crew of 19 people, 40 mm of wood for protection in the hull and 15 mm of wood for the structure, meaning it can be easily destroyed by HE belts.
Mobility
The MS-53 is powered by 3 Isotta Fraschini "ASSO" Engines that make it reach 58 km/h. It's slower than its predecessor MS-15 because it carries more additional armament. Turning speed and manoeuvrability are good for its BR.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 82 | 33 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 58 | 23 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armament
Primary armament
As main armament, the MS-53 uses 2 x 20 mm/65 Breda cannons. These cannons cause little damage, and have magazines of only 12 shots before reloading. The cannons can take motor torpedo boats but not bigger targets.
- Universal: API-T · HEFI-T*
- HE belt: HEFI-T* · HEFI-T* · HEFI-T* · API-T
- AP belt: API-T · API-T · API-T · HEFI-T*
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEFI-T* | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| API-T | 38 | 36 | 27 | 19 | 14 | 10 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEFI-T* | 830 | 0.14 | 0 | 0.1 | 3 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| API-T | 832 | 0.14 | 0.001 | 1 | 1.7 | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
Additional armament
As additional armament, the MS-53 can carry 2 different types of torpedoes and depth charges. The S.I.270 torpedoes have a maximum speed of 93 km/h (81 km/h with torpedo mode), 270 kg of explosive and a range of 4 km (8 km with torpedo mode) while the W.200 have a maximum speed of 81 km/h, 200 kg of explosive and a range of 3 km (with the torpedo mode or not). The B TG depth charges have 50 kg of explosive.
Usage in battles
The MS-53 is a slower version of the MS-15 but it got more additional armament that is 2 torpedoes so you have more possibility to destroy some enemies with the torpedoes. The cannon are quite bad because the 20 mm cause too much little damage, the best advice is not to attack frontally or get surrounded by the enemy but to go around them and shoot them from the side. You will immediately notice the little damage the cannons cause so it is recommended using 2 belts one AP for tough targets and armoured and the other HE for targets with little protection.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Can carry 4 torpedoes with various degrees of spread.
- Good reload speed for the main guns
- Good speed (58 km/h)
- Good turn radius
Cons:
- Lacks armament (only 2 x 20 mm cannons)
- The 20 mm cannons have small magazines and a slow rate of fire
- Terrible survivability
- No anti-aircraft guns
- Bad rear cannon placement with mediocre firing angles
History
Operational history of MS-53
On 22 October 1942, MS-53 was launched at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone, entered service on 9 March 1943 and was assigned to the 5th Torpedo Boat Squadron (Va Squadriglia Motosiluranti).
MS-53 was sent in July to Sicily to operate against the Anglo-American naval forces engaged in the invasion of the island. In the same month, the MS-53 and its twin MS-51 took part in a violent battle against Allied torpedo boats off the coast of Acireale. In the night of July 21, MS-53, along with her sister ships MS-21, MS-51 and MS-66, attacked the British destroyer Quantock and the Greek destroyer Adrias east of Cape Campolato. During the combat at close range, the MS-66 was seriously damaged, on which the commander of the 5th Torpedo Boat Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Curzio Castagnacci, died. The destroyers Quantock and Adrias were slightly damaged and some members of the crew died after being hit by the guns of the Italian torpedo boats.
Afterwards, the MS-53, together with the MS-21, MS-65 and MS-66, clashed against the American PT-203, PT-214 and PT-218 motor torpedo boats in a confused night skirmish on July 21. The American torpedo motorboats, returning to Palermo (already occupied by the Allies on 22 July 1943) after a fruitless night attack to attack the ships involved in the evacuation of the Axis troops through the Strait of Messina, detected the Italian MS on radar and launched a salvo of torpedoes against them. The torpedoes, however, passed without exploding under the hulls of the Italian MS. Then, PT-218 attacked the Italian MS with its machine guns in a close encounter. A fight ensued, which ended with the PT-218 riddled with bullets and having suffered very serious damages, with many losses among the crew meanwhile the Crew of MS were unharmed and the Italian boats got minimal damage.
On 8 September 1943, upon the announcement of the armistice between Italy and the Allies, MS-53 was located in Crotone. The next day, at 2:00 AM, the MS-53, together with the MS-65 and the MAS 547, left Crotone bound for Taranto to avoid the risk of being captured by German troops moving in the area. The three small units reached Taranto at 8:30 AM. In the evening, the MS-53 (Second Lieutenant Mario Manusardi), together with the corvette Flora (Lieutenant Giorgio Volpe), escorted the tug Tarantola and the motor raft MZ 758, which carried a company of the Battalion "San Vito" sent to reinforce the garrison of the coastal battery "Toscano", which reported that German troops are approaching its stronghold with unclear intentions. The MS-53 remained based in Taranto until November.
During November and December 1943, the MS-53, together with the MS-54, 55, 56, 61, 65 and 73, was transferred to Termoli to be employed in special missions, alongside MS-31, 33 and 74 (moved there in October) of transporting and landing British informers and commandos on the Adriatic coast of Central and Northern Italy occupied by German forces.
Sinking
The operational life of the MS-53 came to an abrupt end on the night between 31 December 1943 and 1 January 1944. That night a violent storm broke out in Termoli and created a breach in the pier, removing the mooring holds of the MS 53. The commander of the torpedo boat, Lieutenant Mario Manusardi, tried in vain to bring his unit to a sheltered corner of the port, but the engines did not respond, and the MS 53 would end up going on the land, causing damage to the hull.
On 22 January 1944 the MS-53 was towed to Manfredonia, with the escort of the MS-31. Here it could only be ascertained that it was impossible to restore the torpedo boat to full efficiency: consequently, the MS-53 - declared out of service - was laid up in December 1944, and never returned to service.
After the 1947 peace treaty, the MS-53 was assigned to the Soviet Union; on 18 May 1949 the MS-53 was removed from the naval cadre and formally incorporated into the Soviet Navy under the new name of TK-971, but was refused by the Soviet Navy because of her poor condition (in 1948 she was reduced to the hull), which made her restoration inconvenient. Returned to the Italian Navy, the motor torpedo boat was again decommissioned on 1 July 1950 and subsequently demolished.
Media
- Images
See also
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (C.R.D.A) | |
|---|---|
| Motor Torpedo/Gun Boats | |
| Motosilurante CRDA 60 t Type I | MS-15 · MV-611* |
| Motosilurante CRDA 60 t Type II | MS-53 |
| Motosilurante CRDA 60 t Convertibile | MS-472 · MS-473 |
| Folgore-class | MC-490 |
| Freccia-class | Saetta P-494 |
| Light Cruisers | |
| Etna-class | RN Etna |
| *MS-11 converted to a motovedette (patrol boat) | |
| Italy boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | MC-490 · Freccia P-493 · MAS 555 · MAS 561 · MAS 569 |
| MS-15 · MS-53 · MS-472 · Stefano Turr · VAS 201 · GIS 811 · MS 444 · MC 485 | |
| Motor gun boats | MAS 441 · MS-473 · MV-611 · Alano · Sparviero |
| Motor torpedo gun boats | Saetta P-494 |
| Gunboats | Albatros · Alcione |
