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| History | |
|---|---|
 Kingdom of Italy | |
| Name | Ramb I |
| Port of registry | Genoa |
| Builder | Ansaldo,Genoa |
| Yard number | 308 |
| Laid down | October 29, 1936 |
| Launched | July 22, 1937 |
| Commissioned | December 6, 1937 (as a merchant) |
| Reclassified | Auxiliary cruiser, June 9, 1940 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk byHMNZS Leander, 27 February 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 383 ft 2 in (116.79 m)[1] |
| Beam | 49 ft 7 in (15.11 m)[1] |
| Depth | 24 ft 8 in (7.52 m)[1] |
| Installed power | 1525nhp[1] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | 120 |
| Armament | |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | Red Sea Flotilla |
| Commanders: | Alfredo Bonezzi |
TheItalian shipRamb I was apre-war "banana boat" converted to anauxiliary cruiser inWorld War II.Ramb I operated as an armed merchant in theRed Sea and was ordered to sail to Japan after the fall ofMassawa to theAllies. She was sunk in theIndian Ocean before she could reach her intended destination.[2][3]
In the second half of the 1930sMinistry of the Colonies of theKingdom of Italy placed an order for four ships to transport bananas fromMogadishu inItalian Somaliland toNaples. These ships had to have a large enough cargo capacity, and big endurance to be able to sail without any intermediate stops. These four refrigerating vessels were put under control of the Regia Azienda Monopolio delle Banane (RAMB) with headquarters in Rome. Two were built byCRDA atMonfalcone, and two, includingRamb I, at theAnsaldo shipyards inSestri Ponente.Ramb I was built between October 1936 and December 1937 (hull number 308).
Medium-small but very modern vessels for the era, the four RAMBs could carry approximately 2,400 tons of cargo, as well as 12 passengers. Two passengers could be accommodated in a luxury apartment with a bedroom, living room and facilities, and 10 in twin bedrooms. The ship had a private deck reserved for passengers (separate from the crew), a dining room with views, and two verandas for the smokers. Passenger accommodations were air-conditioned.
Ramb I could reach a speed of 18.50 knots, its cruising speed was 17 knots, and its displacement was 3,667 tons. The propulsion machinery consisted of two two-strokeFIAT diesel engines with nine cylinders.
According to legislative provision, these ships were constructed with the possibility of transforming them into auxiliary cruisers, so there was enough space left on deck to accommodate four 120mm cannons. Cannons and the matériel required for the military upgrade were stored inMassawa for two ships, and inNaples for the other two.
In the two years of peace,Ramb I took bananas from Italian Somaliland toVenice,Naples andGenoa, and carried various goods toMogadishu on her return journeys.
On June 9, 1940,Ramb I was requisitioned inMassawa by theRegia Marina and was made a part ofRed Sea Flotilla. At the time of Italy's entry intoWorld War II, only one of four vessels was located in the Mediterranean (Ramb III), while the other three were in the Red Sea without any possibility of returning toItaly.Ramb I was upgraded inMassawa with four120/40 cannons and two (or four) 13.2 mmBreda anti-aircraft guns.
During military operations in Eastern AfricaRamb I was not very active. All her activity amounted to a single and unsuccessful raid in theRed Sea on an enemy merchant in August 1940. Apart from some short patrols along theEritrea coast, the ship was mainly used forMassawa's anti-aircraft defense against air bombardments.
With the start ofOperation Compass inNorth Africa and the defeat of the Italian troops atSidi Barrani on 9–12 December 1940, it became clear that it would be impossible for Italian troops inLibya to reachItalian East Africa to break its isolation. The fuel supplies were dwindling and were projected to be exhausted by June 1941.[4] In anticipation of the inevitable fall of the colony, a plan was developed to send as many ships as possible toJapan or occupiedFrance and to destroy all other ships that could not make the journey.[4] Colonial shipEritrea,Ramb I andRamb II were among the ships that were sent out to the Far East.
Ramb I,Ramb II andEritrea leftMassawa around February 20, 1941, with bothauxiliary cruisers heading toNagasaki, andEritrea toKobe.[4]After departing fromMassawa, all three ships first passed byPerim evading the Royal Navy ships and Royal Air Force aircraft based atAden andSocotra, then theBab el-Mandeb Strait and theGulf of Aden and entered theIndian Ocean.[4]
Royal New Zealand Navy light cruiserHMNZS Leander, which had just escorted convoy US-9 toBombay, was sailing in the northern Arabian Sea searching for the German cruiserAdmiral Scheer believed to be in the area, as well as German raider ships disguised as merchants.[5] After receiving news of the fall ofMogadishu on February 25, 1941 captain of the cruiser, Robert Hesketh Bevan, RN changed the course north around 7:00 whenLeander was 28 miles north of the equator and 320 miles west of theMaldive Islands. He believed that some Italian ships fleeing from Italian Somaliland and heading to theFar East could travel through this area. At 5:10 (Italian time) on February 27, 1941,Ramb I navigating in the northern Arabian Sea was sighted byLeander. The cruiser closed to less than 6 miles and signaledRamb I with a projector to stop the engines and provide their documents (the Italian ship flew the British flag at the time).[4]
Ramb I replied with false information, andLeander demanded the secret war code. Not being able to answer this question, Captain Bonezzi came to the conclusion that there was no alternative to fighting. The British flag was lowered and the Italian Tricolor was hoisted, andRamb I opened fire from 3,000 yards (2,700 m) against the enemy cruiser, commencing a fight that lasted twenty minutes.Leander was hit once, and replied with five salvos within the next minute, leavingRamb I seriously damaged and on fire. She lowered her flag andLeander stopped firing.[5]Leander came closer, and Captain Bonezzi gave an order to abandon and scuttle the ship.Leander rescuedRamb I's captain and 112 men, of whom one later died from burns.[5] The scuttling charges detonated shortly thereafter, causingRamb I to sink in the position01°00′N68°30′E / 1.000°N 68.500°E /1.000; 68.500.[4]Leander disembarked the survivors atAddu Atoll, and the tankerPearleaf subsequently transported the survivors to prisoner of war camps inColombo,Ceylon.[4]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1941 | |
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