''Siluri umani'' (internationally released as ''Human Torpedoes'') is a 1954 Italian

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

credited to

Antonio Leonviola Antonio Leonviola, sometimes Leon Viola (13 May 1913 – 4 August 1995), was an Italian screenwriter and film director and co-founder of the "Libera Università del Cinema di Roma". Life and career Leonviola was born in 1913 in Montagnana as ...

, who abandoned production and was substituted by director

Carlo Lizzani Carlo Lizzani (3 April 1922 – 5 October 2013) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and critic. Biography Born in Rome, before World War II Lizzani worked as a scenarist on such films as Roberto Rossellini's '' Germany Year Zero'', ...

(uncredited). The movie depicts the successful

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

1941

raid on Souda Bay The Raid on Souda Bay was an attack by the (X-MAS), a specialist unit of the that used unconventional weapons. MAS used MT explosive motorboat, explosive boats (MTM) against British ships lying in Souda Bay, Crete, during the early hours of 26 ...

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

by Italian Navy frogmen on the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

heavy cruiser A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...

and a Norwegian

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...

. One of the military advisors to the film was former admiral Marcantonio Bragadin.

Plot

Italy, probably at the end of 1940. Several officers and non-commissioned officers of the Italian Navy meet at a naval base at the invitation of the Italian Navy. Here they are told that a special operation against the

is planned in Crete, which will require highly qualified personnel. All volunteer. In a specially prepared training area, the volunteers train in the use of small torpedo boats and speed boats of the explosive boat type M.T. against the British. The boats carry only one torpedo. The tactic is to sneak up on the enemy ships at night and then head towards the target at top speed. Shortly before the collision, the speedboat drivers, who are wearing diving suits, are supposed to jump backwards off the boats. It is expected that the British will then rescue those who voluntarily shipwrecked. As the training officer points out, this is not a

kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

operation. The unit is transferred to the Greek island of

Leros Leros (), also called Lero (from the Italian language), is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by a nine-hour ferry ride or by a 45-min ...

. But before the mission against Crete takes place, an emergency occurs. An Italian submarine is attacked and sunk by two British fighter-bombers. However, since the wreck lies in shallow waters, there is an opportunity to rescue part of the crew, who are in an area of the boat separated by bulkheads. In a highly dramatic rescue operation, the members of the commando succeed in first laying an oxygen line in the submarine and then opening a hatch so that the crew, who are extremely nervous, can finally get out of the sunken wreck and be rescued. The command then attacks Souda Bay at night. With great difficulty it proves possible to overcome sea-mine barriers. Although they are spotted by the British guards and come under frenzied fire, the attack on the British units succeeds. The torpedo men who jumped off in time are rescued by the British and become prisoners of war.

Cast

Raf Vallone Raffaele Vallone (17 February 1916 – 31 October 2002) was an Italian actor and footballer. One of the top male Italian stars of the 1950s and 1960s, he first became known for his association with the neorealist movement, and found success in ...

: Carlo Ferri *

Franco Fabrizi Franco Fabrizi (; 15 February 1916 – 18 October 1995) was an Italian actor. Life and career Son of a barber and a cinema cashier, Franco Fabrizi started his career as a model and an actor in fotoromanzi. Fabrizi also starred on several re ...

: Antonio *

Ettore Manni Ettore Manni (6 May 1927 – 27 July 1979) was an Italian actor, active in film and television from 1952 and 1979. He was a popular leading man during the 1950’s and ‘60s, when he was a star of the peplum genre. In the following decade, ...

: Marco *

Andrea Checchi Andrea Checchi (21 October 1916 – 29 March 1974) was a prolific Italian film actor. Biography Born in Florence, Checchi appeared in over 150 films in his lengthy career, which spanned from 1934 to his death in 1974. The son of a painter, he s ...

: Giorgio *

Elena Varzi Elena Varzi (21 December 1926 – 1 September 2014) was an Italian film actress. Life and career Born in Rome, in spite of a non-professional acting background, Varzi made her film debut in a leading role, as the Sicilian Maria Antonia in Renat ...

: Anna *

Enrico Maria Salerno Enrico Maria Salerno (18 September 1926 – 28 February 1994) was an Italian actor, voice actor and film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Chris ...

: Virgilio *

Nerio Bernardi Nerino "Nerio" Bernardi (23 July 1899 – 12 January 1971) was an Italian stage and film actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1970. Life and career Born in Bologna, Bernardi started his acting career in 1918 with a loc ...

: Capitano Mauri *

Emilio Cigoli Emilio Cardi Cigoli (18 November 1909 – 7 November 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Cigoli was born in Livorno to actress Giovanna Cigoli. His grandfather worked as a silent film actor. He began his career on stage at ...

: Admiral *

Christian Marquand Christian Henri Marquand (15 March 1927 – 22 November 2000) was a French actor. Early life Marquand was born in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, to a Spanish father and an Arab mother. He was the brother of actor Serge Marquand and filmmaker N ...

: Paolo * Carlo Pedersoli: Magrini

References

External links

* 1954 films 1950s war drama films 1950s Italian-language films World War II films based on actual events Italian Campaign of World War II films World War II submarine films Italian war drama films Italian World War II films Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub