Launched on June 18, 1942, CRDA at Monfacone, built and commissioned on June 24, 1942, was assigned to the 2°Squadriglia, transferred to bases in the Sicilian Channel in late July 1942, in the same month specifically on the 12th and 13th participated in operations against the British convoy bound for Malta during the Battle of Mid-August, on the night of August 13, 1943,
MS-31, under the command of Lt. Calvani, was in an ambush south of Ras Mustafa, which had intercepted a signal to discover MS-22, found an enemy formation just south of Kelibia, was spotted by enemy ships and retreated only to later attack from 700 meters with torpedoes, the targets whose torpedoes were fired were a destroyer and a steamer, the only target to be hit being the steamer Glenorchy which sank soon after.
Between 1942 and 1943 it participated in various attack, rescue and escort operations, on the date of the armistice MS 31 was in Taranto and remained stationed at that base until October 10, 1943, on the same date it moved to Brindisi joining the reconstituted 1°Flottiglia Motosiluranti, also in the same month with MS 33 and MS-74, it was stationed in Termoli from where it began operations against the Germans in the Adriatic, in which it participated until the spring of 1945.
On the evening of June 19, 1944, under the command of Vessel Scialdone, together with MS-64 she carried out a daring operation to land and recover British saboteurs near Fano. Having carried out the release and recovery of the saboteurs, who had undermined the coastal railroad, she together with MS-64 carried out a firing action against a stationary German military train near the beach, MS-64 and MS-31 fired for a good 5 minutes in which they caused the tank car full of gasoline to explode, and numerous fires on the train after ceasing fire the two units pulled out and headed for Termoli, where they returned the next morning.
After the end of WW2, even though they were to be handed over to the U.S. because of the Peace Treaty, she remained in service with the Italian Navy, after a certain period of inactivity, she became part of the Coastal Forces Group, being employed for exercises in the Adriatic, later transferred to the dependencies of the Gruppo Forze Costiere, in 1957, together with the MS-24, she went into reserve and put under modernization.
MS-473
Before modernization and Italy's entry into NATO, the ship was classified MV-613, after entry renamed MS-613 and eventually after the radiation of the old destroyed units it was named MS-473.
After World War II in 1957 together with MS-24 she was put under modernization, modernization decided by the General Staff consisted only of some modifications to the hull and outfitting, embarkation of new more powerful engines specifically CRM 185-ASM of 1,500 HP and eventually outfitting with more modern and efficient armaments.
The MS-473 was modernized by removing 2 front 553 mm torpedo launchers, and 2 side 450 mm pulse launchers, the 20/65 mm Breda towers present in the torpedo boat were replaced with single 40 mm Bofors guns.
After various training activities and coastal control missions, MS-473 was decommissioned in Taranto on Dec. 1, 1974, and transferred to the reserve, was not scrapped instead was repainted and placed in the Naval Historical Museum in Venice.
