ITALIAN HUMAN TORPEDO MIGNATTA

Mignatta is the name of an Italian torpedo from the First World War. The torpedo length was 8.2 meters, its maximum speed was only 2 knots, and its diameter was 600 mm. The people responsible for creating the Mignatta torpedo were Major Engineer Rafaele Rossetti and Lieutenant Rafaele Paolucci, who were also the torpedo pilots. Mignatt's main weapon was 2 detachable explosives (warheads) weighing up to 170 kg each, which were then attached to the sides of the attacked ship. They had a time fuse, with a delay of several hours, which allowed the crew to sail away after the load planted. Mignatta was used by the Italian Navy on the night of October 31 to November 1, 1918 against the Austro-Hungarian battleship Viribus Unitis. The attack was successful, although the battleship was already then occupied by the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, i.e. the Italian ally.