Italian cargo ship Ramb II 1936-1941 (Calitea 1941-1943), Ikutagawa Maru 1943-1945)

Ramb II. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

HMNZS Leander. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Call sign ICHN. Homeport Genoa, Italy. Laid downt by Cantieri Riuniti Dell’Adriatrico, Monfalcone, Italy with yard number 1181 on 14 December 1936, launched on 7 June 1937, commissioned on 6 September 1937, requisitioned by Italian navy on 9 April 1940, converted into an auxiliary cruiser at Masawa, Italian Eritrea [since 1936 Italian East Africa], Japan did not permitted that she operated as a commerce raider against British ships in the Indian Ocean out of Japanese harbours, chartered by the Japanese navy as store ship in September 1942, scuttled by own crew in Kobe, Japan on 8 September 1943, refloated by Japanese in 1943 and as Ikutagawa Maru taken into service on 3 October 1943,commissionedas auxiliary transport on 30 November 1943, sunk in an air attack on Indochina on 12 January 1945 and stricken on 5 February 1945. Armament as auxiliary cruiser 4-12cm/14.7” guns and 2-13.2mm.0.62” anti aircraft guns. Owner Ministere dell’Africana Italiana Regio Azienda Monopolio Banane and with her sister ships active in the banana trade between Italy and Italian Somaliland [since 1936 Italian East Africa]. Just like the Ramb I converted into an auxiliary cruiser seeking refugee in Japan was the Ramb I sunk by the New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Leander on 27 February 1941.