▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁the ▁destroy er ▁, ▁carrying ▁two ▁high ▁speed ▁motor bo ats ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁ch ari ots ▁sa iled ▁from ▁Ven ice ▁for ▁Gen oa ▁led ▁by ▁Captain ▁Ch avas se ▁SO E ▁and ▁For za . ▁Both ▁ch ari ots ▁were ▁deployed ▁and ▁succeeded ▁in ▁pen etr ating ▁the ▁def ences ▁but ▁found ▁the ▁h ull ▁of ▁Aqu ila ▁so ▁enc r usted ▁with ▁bar n acles ▁and ▁sea we ed ▁the ▁lim pet ▁mines ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁attached ▁to ▁it . ▁The ▁f rog men ▁had ▁to ▁lay ▁the ▁charges ▁on ▁the ▁se af loor ▁of ▁the ▁outer ▁har bour ▁mole ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁charge ▁expl oded ▁as ▁planned ▁the ▁ship ▁remained ▁af loat ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁attack . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁f rog men ▁escaped ▁safely . ▁The ▁German ▁commander ▁never ▁put ▁his ▁extensive ▁demol ition ▁plans ▁for ▁Gen oa ▁into ▁action ▁and ▁thus ▁Aqu ila ▁was ▁never ▁s unk ▁as ▁a ▁block ade ▁to ▁the ▁har bour . ▁ ▁Dec ima ▁M AS ▁( R SI ) ▁ ▁Some ▁X ª ▁M AS ▁men ▁who ▁were ▁in ▁German - occup ied ▁Italy ▁remained ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁A xis ▁forces , ▁joining ▁the ▁Italian ▁Social ▁Republic ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Captain ▁Borg h ese . ▁His ▁reputation ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁X ª ▁M AS ▁enabled ▁him ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁an ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁German ▁forces ▁that ▁gave ▁the ▁X ª ▁M AS ▁significant ▁aut onomy , ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁fight ▁under ▁an