---
title: "ITALIAN MAS & MS BOATS 1915-49"
description: "Sottotitolo: Italy's fast coastal forcesAutore: Enrico CernuschiEditore: Osprey Publishing (Bloomsbury Publishing)"
featured_image: https://libreriadelmare.it/wp-content/uploads/italian-mas-and-ms-boats-1915-49-italy-s-fast-coastal-forces-enrico-cernuschi-osprey-publishing.jpg
date: 2026-09-11
modified: 2026-09-18
author: Libreria del Mare
url: https://libreriadelmare.it/negozio/italian-mas-ms-boats-1915-49-enrico-cernuschi-9781472870216/
---

# ITALIAN MAS & MS BOATS 1915-49

![ITALIAN MAS & MS BOATS 1915-49](https://libreriadelmare.it/wp-content/uploads/italian-mas-and-ms-boats-1915-49-italy-s-fast-coastal-forces-enrico-cernuschi-osprey-publishing.jpg)

**An illustrated history of the motor torpedo boats of Italy's fast coastal forces**, from their raids on enemy battleships in World War I to the dashing campaigns of World War II.

The confined seas around Italy made **fast torpedo boats** particularly suitable for the Regia Marina. The first were derived from the glamorous prewar hotel motorboats of Venice; although too slow, they scored remarkable successes against Austro-Hungary, sinking, among other successes, two battleships, as well as conducting valuable and little-known anti-submarine work.

Researched from **unpublished primary sources**, this is the first authoritative book in English to study the **MAS boats**, their larger **MS successors** and their **wars in the Adriatic, Mediterranean and beyond**. Renowned Italian naval historian Enrico Cernuschi explores their **evolving technology, roles and how the boats fought **in two world wars.

Illustrated with **unpublished photos and superb original artwork**, it traces their history from the famous actions of World War I to the troubled search for a real *velocissimo* (very fast) MAS boat and their multifaceted roles in World War II, from the Malta convoy battles to the **Black Sea** naval war. It also explores little-known episodes such as their dangerous, clandestine roles post-1943, landing **intelligence agents and commandos** and their secret 1945–48 **battles against Yugoslavian communist infiltrators**.
 
Table of Contents:

- INTRODUCTIONThe first MAS: World War I

- DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENTInterwar developments: 1919–34The looming war: 1935–40

- OPERATIONAL HISTORYThe first phase: June 1940–June 1941The MS: a new boatThe second phase: July 1941–December 1942The third phase: January–September 1943North and south

- ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONAfter the endThe last bow

- FURTHER READING

- INDEX

**Illustrated by Gareth Hector & Edouard A. Groult.**

Edition: 2026