WW II Italian Frogman Combat Rebreather Gear Famous Diver
WW
II ITALIAN UNDERWATER FROGMAN RE BREATHER WITH PROVENANCE<
PIRELLI “ARO” 49/BIS Memorializing 70 Years of Individual Underwater Combat
Presented is an Italian rebreather made by Pirelli as the ARO 49/Bis which was used by both
the Italians and the Germans during WW II. This one was originally the personal property of a naval commander who descended
from Italian nobility and was a baron. It is exactly the same as the one that he was using at the time of his capture on 26
July 1941 at Grand Harbour, Malta. It comes with two face masks and and a comprehensive spare parts and rebuild kit with diagrams
and paraphernalia, that is housed in a canvas case. Since at last report, he is still living, his name will be disclosed to
the buyer at the conclusion of the sale.<
Two pamphlets and various
spare parts plus a second
package rebuild parts
Three schematic
drawings and additional rebuild parts.Plus spare mask shown below
PROVENANCE:>Roberto was born
in Naples on 25 November 1917. As an Italian Navy lieutenant,
he took part in the E-boat attack on Grand Harbour, Malta, on 26 July 1941. After swimming through the nets, he set
off a bomb under a British warship, sustained injuries and was found floating in the harbor. He was captured and taken prisoner
and spent the remainder of the War in that capacity.
The E-boat attack ended with fifteen
Italian dead, and three officers and fifteen ratings taken prisoner. They were housed in the Corradino Military Prison, but
a week later on 2 August 1941, they were taken on board HMS Manxman destined for Skye, Scotland.
After the War, he came to the United States as a consultant to the U.S. Navy, evaluating mine locating equipment in Jamestown,
Rhode Island. This lung was used for many years by him, and could last seven hours underwater.In the above photo, Roberto is shown alongside the the Officer of the Commandos of the Italian Navy at a meeting
of Club Paneri in the parade ground inside the HQ of the Italian Navy Commandos, located near La Spezia in Le Grazie, likely
in 2005.
Roberto was awarded the Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor (Explosive
Boats), Italy’s highest award for his exploits during the raid. It ranks with the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor and Britain’s
Victoria Cross.
SPECIFICATIONS:Lung: 16″ W x 10″ H x 4″ D Tanks: 17″ W x 3 1/4″ D Total weight 36.4 lbs Spare Parts Repair Kit in Canvas Case:
Plastic
envelope 1:Ten individual
packets of various size gaskets and “O” rings; Four rubber patches in 3 sizes;Four hard rubber round plugs; Five metal straps;Two pamphlets for face masks.Shown
with earlier style face mask<
CONDITION:
This device is 70 years old and has been used in a harsh environment. We have not tested its functionality and offer it for
display only. We do not understand Italian and do not know if all the parts are present. We do know that an old repair exists
to the top of the back of the bladder at the horizontal joint using a glue that has the consistency of tar. This is adequate
for display, but should not be relied on. There are additional parts to make up a second mask or rebuild the primary one.
The primary face mask is complete with fittings. The other is missing the outter ring that clamps the glass in place. The lens of one pressure gauge is broken.
Arrows
at top point to earlier repair
Additional
face mask, second pressure gauge and extra parts
<
COMBAT DIVING BACKGROUND:
Such personnel are formally known as combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer. Colloquially they are known as frogmen.
The first well-known combat divers were the navy diver members of World War
II Italian commando divers, now ComSubIn, being part of Decima Flottiglia MAS, nicknamed "Uomini Rana", Italian for "frog
men", because of an underwater swimming frog kick style, similar to that of frogs. Originally these divers were called "Uomini
Gamma" because they were members of the top secret special unit called "Gruppo Gamma", which originated from the kind of Pirelli
rubber skin-suit nicknamed muta gamma used by these divers, but Uomini Rana was afterwards commonly used. This special corps
used an early scuba set which did not make bubbles, called A.R.O acronym of Auto Respiratore ad Ossigeno, an evolution of
the Dräger oxygen self-contained breathing apparatus designed for the mining industry, and of the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
made by Siebe, Gorman & Co., and by Bergomi designed for escaping from sunken submarines. This was used from about 1920
for spear fishing by Italian sport divers, modified and adapted by the Italian navy engineers for safe underwater use and
built by Pirelli and SALVAS from about 1933, and so became a precursor of the modern rebreather.
For this new way of underwater diving, the Italian frogmen trained in La Spezia, Liguria, using the local
Genoese newly diffused spear fishing free diving equipment (diving mask, snorkel, swim fins, wet suit), the first specially
made diving watch, the luminescent Panerai, and the new scuba unit. This was a revolutionary alternative way, and the start
of the transition from the usual heavy underwater diving of the hard hat divers (the only method used from 18th century) to
self-contained divers, free of being tethered by an air line and rope connection.
