Meet the MAS 429, a pre-war Italian patrol boat with a small secret!

Vehicle History

The MAS 427-class gunboats were built in 1919 at the Società Veneziana Automobili Navali shipyard in Venice. Their primary purpose was to counter enemy torpedo boats and perform anti-submarine missions. The class consisted of three units: MAS 427, MAS 428, and MAS 429. The latter had a shorter hull than the first two, resulting in a smaller displacement.

Despite being built in 1919, the boats entered service significantly later: MAS 427 and 428 were commissioned in 1925, and MAS 429 in 1927. By the end of the 1930s, all three boats were decommissioned: MAS 428 was scrapped in 1937, MAS 429 in 1938, and MAS 427 sank in 1929.

Introducing the MAS 429!

It has been a while since we’ve featured a Coastal fleet boat in a dev blog for an upcoming major update, and today we’re fixing that, for good reason! The MAS 429 is a pre-war patrol boat with a 76 mm gun, coming to Italy at rank I in the next major update. Shall we take a wee look?

Right, that good reason mentioned above is of course that 76 mm gun! These are rare to find on Coastal fleet boats at rank I, and are unique to the game except for the Japanese Type 5! The Italian MAS 429 is armed with a 76 mm Ansaldo Model 1916 gun, which fires armor-piercing and high-explosive shells with impact and time fuzes. Additionally, a pair of 6.5 mm machine guns are mounted on the stern.

The MAS 429 isn’t the most compact boat in the game, but it has no particular issues with maneuverability or speed. It can quickly reach just over 50 km/h and maneuvers freely in shallow water and can easily flit between cover.

The MAS 429’s unique armament dictates a unique playstyle. Just a couple of well-placed hits from the 76 mm gun can be enough to sink virtually any small boat, but the long reload time forces you to be cautious and deliver powerful strikes either from cover or by taking advantage of the chaos of active combat. The MAS 429 itself is vulnerable to practically every weapon, from machine guns to autocannons. The lack of armor in its all-wooden hull exposes the small crew to all the perils of naval combat, so surprise will be the primary tactical tool for delivering devastating 76 mm shells to targets!

Over, this one be. You’ll be able to give the MAS 429 a go with the release of the next major update. In the meantime, keep an eye on our news for more dev blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.