3 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 : ▁Sc ir é ▁depart ed ▁La ▁Spe zia ▁carrying ▁three ▁man ned ▁tor ped o es ▁to ▁conduct ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Ra id ▁on ▁Alexand ria ▁( 1 9 4 1 ). ▁At ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁L eros ▁in ▁the ▁A ege an ▁Sea , ▁six ▁Dec ima ▁M AS ▁crew men ▁came ▁ab o ard , ▁including ▁Lieutenant ▁Luigi ▁Dur and ▁de ▁la ▁P enne . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 8 ▁Sc ir é ▁released ▁the ▁man ned ▁tor ped o es ▁ 1 . 3 ▁miles ▁from ▁Alexand ria ▁commercial ▁har bour , ▁and ▁they ▁entered ▁the ▁har bour ▁when ▁the ▁British ▁opened ▁the ▁bo om ▁defence ▁to ▁let ▁three ▁of ▁their ▁destroy ers ▁pass . ▁After ▁many ▁difficulties , ▁de ▁la ▁P enne ▁and ▁his ▁crew mate ▁Em ilio ▁Bian chi ▁successfully ▁attached ▁a ▁lim pet ▁mine ▁under ▁, ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁surface ▁as ▁they ▁attempted ▁to ▁leave , ▁and ▁were ▁captured . ▁They ▁refused ▁to ▁answer ▁when ▁question ed ▁and ▁were ▁det ained ▁in ▁a ▁compart ment ▁ab o ard ▁V ali ant . ▁ ▁Fif teen ▁minutes ▁before ▁the ▁explos ion , ▁de ▁la ▁P enne ▁asked ▁to ▁speak ▁to ▁the ▁V ali ants ▁captain ▁and ▁informed ▁him ▁of ▁the ▁im min ent ▁explos ion ▁but ▁refused ▁to ▁give ▁other ▁information . ▁He ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁compart ment ▁and ▁neither ▁he ▁or ▁Bian chi ▁were ▁injured ▁by ▁the ▁det on ation ▁of ▁the ▁mine . ▁The ▁other ▁four ▁tor