Italian ship Ramb I
| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy
|
|
| Name: | Ramb I |
| Builder: | Ansaldo, Genoa |
| Launched: | Banana boat, 1937 |
| Commissioned: | 1940 |
| Reclassified: | Auxiliary cruiser, 1940 |
| Homeport: | Massawa, Eritrea |
| Fate: | Sunk by HMNZS Leander, 27 February 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Auxiliary cruiser |
| Displacement: | 3,667 long tons (3,726 t) |
| Speed: | 18.5 knots (21.3 mph; 34.3 km/h) |
| Armament: |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: | Red Sea Flotilla |
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 in the Indian Ocean before it could take a single prize.
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 Ramb II, the Ramb III, and the Ramb IV. 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.
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.
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