MAS 555
| This page is about the Italian motor torpedo boat MAS 555. For other versions, see MAS 500 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Velocissimo Classe 500, MAS 555 is a rank I Italian motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters".
General info
Survivability and armour
The MAS 555's hull is protected only by 40 mm of wood with the superstructure featuring 15 mm of wood. It does not have any kind of external or internal armour this means that the ship is more vulnerable to ammunition. The survivability of the MAS 555 in general is poor because the ship only has 13 crew members, which makes it an easy target to destroy in combat.
Comparable options to the MAS 555 are the LS 3, the G-5, or the PT-6, they however have more survivability and can resist more shots.
Mobility
The MAS 555 is a very fast ship up to 80 km/h in RB, 112 km/h AB. It is very manoeuvrable, this makes it very fast and agile. Providing the ability to reach the enemy quickly to initiate a first strike by launching its torpedoes and allowing sneak attacks with its use of depth charges to destroy enemy boats easily with a few drops. Thanks to its agility, it can dodge shots and make surprise/lateral attacks.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | Turn Time (s) | Turn Radius (m) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||||
| AB | Stock | 82 | 33 | ~20 | ~41.56 |
| Upgraded | 112 | 45 | ~13 | ~25.29 | |
| RB/SB | Stock | 68 | 28 | ~22 | ~46.69 |
| Upgraded | 80 | 32 | ~19 | ~39.48 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
The primary armament, in fact the only armament, is a Breda 20 mm cannon. It has a firerate of 240 shots/min and a 12 shot magazine before reloading for a minimum of 1.8 seconds. The cannon is unable to shot in front of the ship, it is necessary to locate broadside or turn your ship 180 degrees.
Three different belts containing two different shells are available:
- Perforante mod.35 (unlocked by default): API-T · HEFI-T
- Granata mod.35: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · API-T
- Perforante mod.35: API-T · API-T · API-T · HEFI-T
These belts are mostly the same, the HEFI-T belt is slightly more suitable against wooden boats, like PT-6 and the MTB 1, as well as low flying aircraft, while the API-T belt is slightly more suitable against component damage and steel boats, like the LS 3 and the G-5.
Additional armament
Two 450 mm steam turbined W.200/450X5,75 torpedoes on the left and on the right of the ship are a useful tool against larger sub chasers and gunboats when being able to sneak up. They have a maximum speed 81 km/h, a range of 3 km, and an explosive filler of 200 kg, enough to destroy any ship at the battle rating.
The MAS is one of the reserve boats able to carry six B TG depth charges with an explosive filler of 50 kg. These however are extremely situational and most of the time defensive in nature, as you have to drive in front of the enemy ship, or wait for the enemy to pass you, to utilize these weapons. Furthermore, 50 kg of explosives is very weak for a depth charge, as most others have around 100-140 kg of TNT, limiting effective use even further.
But despite the drawbacks, making a kill with these is one of, if not the most, satisfying ways to destroy an enemy player and equally humiliating for those who are on the receiving end.
Usage in battles
The MAS 555 is a rather strange boat, despite being the reserve boat equipped with the largest calibre, its slow firerate and small magazine, as well as the inability to fire directly forwards drastically limits its potential. However, it can still be a significant threat to other ships.
The best strategy whilst using the cannon is not to drive forward into battle, but to turn your rear to the enemy, and sailing in reverse. This way you can negate the limiting firing arcs at the front and still only reveal a small part of the hull, which extends your life expectancy by a few crucial seconds. The best way is to stay behind cover and move only rearwards when engaging and then back into cover. A one on one fight against almost any other PT boat will not go in your favour, therefore the element of surprise is most important.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good top speed forwards and backwards
- Good turn time
- Equipped with 2 torpedoes
- Good acceleration.
Cons:
- The 20 mm cannon can't shoot in the front of the ship, angle of fire is only 270°
- The cannon has small magazines and a slow rate of fire
- Very unstable gun platform, can be very difficult to make precise shots
- Although it a good armament for a reserve boat, the 20 mm does not consistently inflict damage
- No anti-aircraft protection
- Poor survivability: no armour and low crew count
- Aircraft can strafe the ship and knock it out with a few well placed shots.
History
MAS type "500"
The project for the MAS type "500" was presented in November 1935, because Italy needed motorboats armed with modern torpedoes (for that time) with a guaranteed speed of 44 knots assured by 2 petrol engines Isotta Fraschini "Asso" of 1,000 horsepower each.
This new class of MAS was studied by Cantieri Baglietto of Varazze and was shown to the Minister of the Navy and then accepted by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.
The MAS type "500" were small fast wooden boats, unlike the MAS of the First World War they were much faster. They got different armaments over time and also different modifications.
The MAS type "500" were composed of almost 100 units, these wooden boats then obtained several modifications such as the use of metal instead of wood for the hull of the boat, and increases in size and crew complement.
The MAS type "500" were produced in four series.
The first units of the MAS "500" had a wooden hull (the MAS 525 had a metal hull) with a hull with two steps and a range of 400 miles at 42 knots and 1,000 at 6 knots with auxiliary engines.
There were 26 units of 1st Series from MAS 501 to MAS 525. In particular, the MAS 424 had 3 Isotta Fraschini engines with 3 propellers instead of 2 but without auxiliary engines.
There were 24 units of 2nd Series from MAS 526 to MAS 550. 2nd Series had the greater dimensions, were built with two-stepped wooden hulls, and had a range of 360 miles at maximum speed or 1,100 miles at 6 knots. MAS 550 had a metal hull.
There were 13 units of 3rd Serie from MAS 551 to MAS 564 divided into 2 groups.
1st Group from MAS 551 to MAS 554 had metal hulls, with a range of 350 miles at maximum speed and 850 miles with auxiliary engines.
2nd Group from MAS 555 to MAS 564 had wooden hulls, with a range of 395 miles and 913 miles respectively.
The MAS of 3rd Series changed the 13.2 mm Breda machine gun with the 20/65 Breda machine gun, this made the gun more effective against enemies at medium distances.
There were 12 units of 4th Series from MAS 566 to MAS 576. These units were almost identical to those of the 3rd Series with some minor changes such as the adoption of the helm of manoeuvre in the bridge, the replacement of the shaft with support for the Breda 6.5 mm machine gun and the increase in the supply of ammunition for the 20/65 Breda machine gun
MAS 555
After the armistice of 8 September 1943, the MAS 555 was used by Co-Belligerent Italy, in particular it was used together with two British motor boats against a German landing convoy on 12 November 1943, after a few hours the MAS 555 was sunk during the German landing at Rhodes.
Media
- Skins
- Images
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See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| 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 |
