Berlin, 6 July. German military tidings often reported the successful actions of Italian motor torpedo boats off Sebastopol against Russian forces. The Italian press supplied more details about the transport of thee boats towards the Black Sea . Being too large for transport by railway the boats were transported in specially constructed trucks which travelled in 4 days 700 kilometres towards the Donau. During this transport were the guns, screws and torpedoes disassembled. At the destination were the boats placed on pontoons and towed by towboats in three days towards Galatz . There the removed parts were assembled again so that the boats could serve immediately. During the journey were the Alps passed and when railroads were passed were the boats unloaded and by using rolls over the rails towed while it was impossible due to their height to ride under electric and telephone cables. According to the Italian headquarters succeeded these motor torpedo boats in disturbing the Russian victual ling at the Crimea . The Russian forces called the MTB’s sea devils and they attacked mainly the convoys towards Kertsj and Sebastopol which travelled nightly to prevent air attacks. Just one day after the arrival attacked Russian bombers without success the Crimean harbour Jalta where the Italian MTB’s were stationed. An attack with newly built armoured motor boats, another 3 air attacks, an attack with destroyers and finally a landing were also unsuccessful. After the loss of several large transports used the Russian forces only submarines for victual ling Sebastopol of which the Italian forces managed to destroy 3 using depth charges. Finally were the Russian transports stopped caused by the Italian actions. Another Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland daily edition dated 6 July 1942 confirmed this news item adding that at some points the roads were to small too pass causing the partly breaking up of houses.
In the book titled Le navi del Milan 25 May 1942 situated at the road between Cissa and Berceto published dealing with this transport. The involved MTB's were the no.'s 526-529.
