Italian ship Ramb I

The Italian ship "Ramb I" was a pre-war "banana boat" that was converted to be an auxiliary cruiser during World War II. The "Ramb I" operated in the area around the Horn of Africa. It was sunk before it could take a single prize. [Miller, "War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II", p. 140]

Details

The "Ramb I" was built at Genoa by Ansaldo in 1937. It had a displacement of 3,667 tons, was oil powered, and was capable of 18½ knots. The "Ramb I" was the first of four ships of her design. The others were the . These ships were built for the Royal Banana Monopoly Business ("Regia Azienda Monopolio Banane") and originally intended to be "banana boats", transporting refrigerated bananas to Europe from Somaliland and Eritrea in Italian East Africa.

Operational history

The design of "Ramb I" enabled it to be refitted as an "auxiliary cruiser" for commerce raiding and, following Italy's declaration of war on 10 June 1940, she joined the Italian Royal Navy ("Regia Marina") as part of the Italian Navy's Red Sea Flotilla. The conversion of the "banana boat" to an armed auxiliary cruiser was done at the Eritrean port of Massawa, where she was armed with two 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns and eight 13.2 mm anti-aircraft guns.

While based at Massawa, "Ramb I" had an unsuccessful foray into the Red Sea.

By February 1941, the East African Campaign began to go badly for the Italians. Massawa, "Ramb I"'s home port, became threatened by advancing British and Commonwealth forces. On 20 February 1941, along with the Italian colonial ship "Eritrea" and the Auxiliary Cruiser "Ramb II", "Ramb I" slipped through the British blockade off Perim and sailed into the Indian Ocean. The commander of the "Ramb I" was intending to raid shipping off the Dutch East Indies.

Destruction in the Indian Ocean

Acting on reports of commerce raiders in the area, the Royal New Zealand Navy cruiser HMNZS "Leander" was sent to patrol the area of the Indian Ocean to the south and slightly west of India. On 27 February, "Leander" intercepted "Ramb I" off the Maldive Islands and challenged her. "Ramb I" attempted to bluff "Leander" with misleading signals but, although "Ramb I" was not flying Italian colours, "Leander" ordered her to stop. The Italian flag was raised and "Ramb I" simultaneously opened fire from convert|3000|yd|m|-3, splinters from her first salvo hitting the "Leander". "Leander" replied with five salvoes within the next minute, leaving "Ramb I" seriously damaged and on fire. She struck her colours and "Leander" ceased firing.

"Ramb I" had been badly damaged and, as "Leander" closed, the order to abandon ship was given. "Ramb I" was destroyed by an explosion after the majority of the crew had abandoned her. One-hundred-and-thirteen men, including her captain, were rescued by the "Leander", of whom one later died from burns. The survivors of "Ramb I" were disembarked at Addu Atoll and subsequently transported to prisoner of war camps in Colombo, Ceylon by the tanker "Pearleaf".

ee also

* Italian Royal Navy - "RN Ramb I"
* East African Campaign
* Armed merchantmen
* Merchant raider
* Commerce raider

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References