- Yes
- No
MAS 429 on 9 august 1937, in Naples, Italy
Introduction & brief history of the MAS 429
The MAS 427 class of motor gunboats were built in the year 1919, at “Società Veneziana Automobili Navali” in Venice.
Their purpose was to oppose enemy torpedo boats and perform anti-submarine duties.
To attain that, it was decided to design a vessel that could combine the heavy armament of ELCO gun boats, and the high speed of SVAN motor torpedo boats, which resulted in a design that could reach a respectable 28 knots thanks to 3 powerful engines, and mount a heavy 76 mm cannon, with the addition of 2 secondary machine guns.
The class consisted of 3 units - MAS 427, MAS 428, and the MAS 429, which differed from the other two only by having a shorter hull, by 2 meters, causing the unit to have lower tonnage.
The units of the class entered service very late and many years after their construction, with the MAS 427 & 428 in 1925, and the MAS 429 only by 1927.
MAS 428 and MAS 429 were scrapped by 1937 and 1938, with the 427 sinking in 1929, which suggests that the characteristics of the class weren’t satisfying, and that isn’t surprising considering that 6 years passed before they entered service.
longitudinal section of MAS 429
General specifications
- Displacement : standard 30.800 kg.
- Length : 22 m.
- Draught : 1,3 m.
- Breadth : 4 m.
- Machinery : 3 Isotta Fraschini petrol 400 h.p. engines, for a total of 1200 h.p.
- Max speed : 28 knots.
- Complement : 11.
Armament and equipment
- 1x1 : 76/40 Mod. 1916 R.M.
- 2x1 : 6,5/80 Colt machine guns
- 10 depth charges
Why I’m proposing her?
MAS 429 would make a very unique addition to tier I of the Italian coastal tech tree, both in its gameplay and appearance. It’s armed with a 76/40 cannon, but it wouldn’t be too powerful, as the unit has very weak AA protection, has the durability of a motor torpedo boat while being on the slower side, with a top speed of 52 km/h. It would be a decent 1.0-1.3 gun boat, in my opinion.
Sources
0329 – MAS 429 l.f.t. 22 m – 1:20 | Associazione Navimodellisti Bolognesi (anb-online.it)
“SVAN” type motor torpedo boats (MAS427) (1925 - 1927) (navypedia.org)
Торпедные катера Италии (narod.ru)
NH 47069-A M.A.S. 429 (Italian Motor Patrol Boat, 1927-1938) (navy.mil)