The action, known as the Raid on Souda Bay, was carried in the night of 26 March 1941. Carried by the destroyers "Francesco Crispi" and "Quintino Sella" till near Souda, the six MTM boats were led by Faggioni inside the bay, where they attacked different objectives. One MTM, operated by Sub-Lieutenant Angelo Cabrini, hit the heavy cruiser HMS "York", partially sinking it in shallow water, and another one, operated by Sergeant Emilio Barberi, damaged the 8,324 GRT oil tanker "Pericles", that would sink a few days later during the tow towards Alexandria. Faggioni's MTM missed its target and hit a pier, while the other three operators missed or were forced to scuttle their boats following mechanical breakdowns (one of them may have also hit "Pericles", in addition to Barberi's one). Faggioni and his comrades were taken prisoner; all six were awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor for the action in Souda Bay.