A set of collar tabs for the Decima Flottiglia Mezzi d’Assalto, the elite commando unit of Italy in WWII. Original insignia from metal on newer board.

The Decima Flottiglia MAS (Decima Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto) was An Elite Italian Commando Frogman Unit of The Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) Created During The Fascist Regime. Decima MAS Was Active During The Battle of The Mediterranean And Took Part In A Number Of Daring Raids On Allied Shipping. These Operations Used Surface Boats (Such As The Sinking Of HMS York), Manned Torpedoes (The Raid On Alexandria) And Gamma Frogmen (Against Gibraltar). During The Campaign Decima MAS Took Part In More Than A Dozen Operations Which Sank Or Damaged 5 Warships And 20 Merchant Ships Totaling 130,000 GRT (Gross Register Tonnage). In 1943, After The Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini Was Ousted, Italy Left The Tripartite Pact And Joined The Allies. Some Of The Decima MASS Men Who Were Stationed In German-Occupied Northern Italy Enlisted To Fight For Mussolini's Newly-Formed Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana Or RSI) And Retained The Unit Title, But Were Primarily employed As An Anti-Partisan Force Operating on land. Other Decima MAS Men in Southern Italy or Other Allied-Occupied Areas joined the Italian Co-Belligerent Navy as part of the Mariassalto (Naval Assault) Unit