▁the ▁Dec ima ▁known ▁as ▁ ▁( MT ). ▁Each ▁M T ▁( nick named ▁ ▁- ▁" l ittle ▁boat ") ▁carried ▁a ▁ ▁explos ive ▁charge ▁inside ▁its ▁bow . ▁The ▁M T s ▁were ▁spe cially ▁equ ipped ▁to ▁make ▁their ▁way ▁through ▁obst acles ▁such ▁as ▁tor ped o ▁n ets . ▁The ▁pilot ▁would ▁ste er ▁the ▁assault ▁craft ▁on ▁a ▁collision ▁course ▁at ▁his ▁target ▁ship , ▁and ▁then ▁would ▁jump ▁from ▁his ▁boat ▁before ▁impact ▁and ▁war head ▁det on ation . ▁ ▁The ▁attack ▁ ▁At ▁ 2 3 : 3 0 , ▁the ▁M T ▁were ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁destroy ers ▁ ▁off ▁Sou da . ▁Once ▁inside ▁the ▁bay , ▁the ▁six ▁boats , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Lieutenant ▁Luigi ▁F agg ioni , ▁identified ▁their ▁targets : ▁the ▁heavy ▁cru iser ▁HMS ▁York , ▁a ▁large ▁tank er ▁( the ▁Norwegian ▁Per icles ▁of ▁), ▁another ▁tank er ▁and ▁a ▁cargo ▁ship . ▁At ▁ 4 : 4 6 , ▁two ▁M T s ▁hit ▁HMS ▁York ▁amid ships , ▁flo oding ▁her ▁a ft ▁bo ilers ▁and ▁mag az ines , ▁and ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁be ached ▁by ▁her ▁own ▁crew ▁to ▁avoid ▁caps izing . ▁Two ▁se amen ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁explos ions . ▁Per icles ▁was ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁and ▁settled ▁on ▁the ▁bottom , ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁tank er ▁and ▁the ▁cargo ▁ship ▁were ▁s unk , ▁according ▁to ▁Italian ▁sources . ▁According ▁to ▁British ▁reports