Hi Jimmy,
Your 'souvenir from captured boat' theory is plausable, This is some detailed history for the last days of S-31..
During the night 6/7 May 1942 a minebarrier was being laid by the German schnellboote S-31, S-34 and S-61 north of Malta. After laying the mines the boats bumped into British motorlaunch ML 130, which was fought down in four artilley-runs. The boats captured charts and secret material and took over the CO, the first lieutenant, and nine other crewmembers.
In total four men dead, eight severely wounded on ML 130. On S-31 one person was slightly injured.
Two days later, on 9 May 1942 the Luftwaffe reported that the Welshmann, a British minelayer, was making a solo run to Malta and would arrive at Valletta before dawn of 10 May 1942. Thus the German 3rd MTB Flotilla carried out an operation to intercept the minelayer as she approached Valletta harbour from the north east, which was the usual approach to Valletta by British warships. Four Schnellboote (S-54, S-56, S-57 & S58) would wait for Weshmann off the St Thomas area to attack her as she approached up the south east coast. Three other schnellboote (S-31, S-34, and S-61) were first to lay a minefield stretching out off Sliema point in order to cover this side should the minelayer approach Valletta via north west instead. After laying this minefield the three Schnellboote were to go eastwards to add their torpedoes against Welshmann.
The group left Augusta at 2200 of the 9 May 1942 and at 0414 of the 10 May the three boats began laying the minefield, which was in the shape of an isosceles triangle. The minefield consisted of 20 FMC mines (contact mines), 6 explosive buoys and 2 cutting buoys and it was completed at 0421 (7 minutes). The three Schnellboote had to regroup and go eastwards in search for Welshmann, but suddenly one minute after the lay had stopped S-31 exploded a mine, probably one of its own which had cut loose from its moorings, rising to the surface and drifted onto her. She sunk at 0438, S-61 managed to save 13 survivors including C.O. Lt. Heinrich Haag, 13 others died. At the time of loss S-31 had 2 Italian officers as observers, who were among the survivors.
So, could the part be a souvenir from captured ML-130?
Pointing out, the part was found unmounted (unscrewed) and its mounting holes are intact (ie did not break off).
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