Action of 27 February 1941
Encyclopedia
The Action of 27 February 1941 was a single ship action between a New Zealand cruiser and an Italian auxiliary cruiser. The action began when the HMNZS Leander
ordered a flagless freighter stopped for inspection. Instead of complying, the freighter, the , rose the Italian colours and engaged the cruiser in a short battle. The action ended with Leander sinking Ramb I.
, the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
was ordered to break out of the harbour and run for friendly ports. One group of Italian vessels consisting of the colonial ship Eritrea
and the auxiliary cruisers and attempted to make it to Japan and operate as commerce raiders. The Italian squadron managed to break the British blockade on 20 February and scattered out into the Indian Ocean. Ramb I was headed for the Dutch East Indies
when on 27 February it was challenged by the New Zealander light cruiser
HMNZS Leander
off the Maldives.
Leander was the leader of her class of cruiser
s, armed with eight 6 in (152.4 mm) guns, ten 4 in (101.6 mm) gun
s, twelve 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers
machine gun
s in quadruple mounts, and eight 21 in (533.4 mm) torpedo tube
s. Leander also had armour plating over her turrets, deck, and magazines, as well as a top speed of 32.5 kn (63.7 km/h; 39.6 mph). Ramb I—as an auxiliary cruiser—was not a purpose-built warship, and therefore lacked armour protection. Her armament consisted of two 120 mm (4.7 in) guns and eight 13.2 mm (0.519685039370079 in) anti-aircraft machine gun
s. She was also slower than Leander, with a top speed of only 18.5 kn (36.3 km/h; 22.5 mph).
in the area, 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 3000 yd (2,743.2 m), splinters from her first salvo hitting 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.
and subsequently transported to prisoner of war camps in Colombo
, Ceylon by the tanker Pearleaf.
HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class light cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander.- History :...
ordered a flagless freighter stopped for inspection. Instead of complying, the freighter, the , rose the Italian colours and engaged the cruiser in a short battle. The action ended with Leander sinking Ramb I.
Background
As the Allied forces closed on Massawa during the East African CampaignEast African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
Red Sea Flotilla
The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy based in Massawa, Eritrea, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa...
was ordered to break out of the harbour and run for friendly ports. One group of Italian vessels consisting of the colonial ship Eritrea
Eritrea (ship)
The Italian colonial ship Eritrea was constructed in the Castellammare Shipyards. Construction started in 1935 and she was commissioned in 1937.-Design:...
and the auxiliary cruisers and attempted to make it to Japan and operate as commerce raiders. The Italian squadron managed to break the British blockade on 20 February and scattered out into the Indian Ocean. Ramb I was headed for the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
when on 27 February it was challenged by the New Zealander light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class light cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander.- History :...
off the Maldives.
Leander was the leader of her class of cruiser
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
s, armed with eight 6 in (152.4 mm) guns, ten 4 in (101.6 mm) gun
QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.-Naval service:...
s, twelve 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers
Vickers .50 machine gun
The Vickers .50 machine gun, also known as the 'Vickers .50' was basically the same as the Vickers machine gun but scaled up to use a larger calibre round.-Mark II, IV and V:...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s in quadruple mounts, and eight 21 in (533.4 mm) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s. Leander also had armour plating over her turrets, deck, and magazines, as well as a top speed of 32.5 kn (63.7 km/h; 39.6 mph). Ramb I—as an auxiliary cruiser—was not a purpose-built warship, and therefore lacked armour protection. Her armament consisted of two 120 mm (4.7 in) guns and eight 13.2 mm (0.519685039370079 in) anti-aircraft machine gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
s. She was also slower than Leander, with a top speed of only 18.5 kn (36.3 km/h; 22.5 mph).
Battle
Acting on reports of commerce raidersCommerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
in the area, Leander was sent to patrol the area of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to the south and slightly west of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. On 27 February, Leander intercepted Ramb I off the Maldive Islands
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
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 3000 yd (2,743.2 m), splinters from her first salvo hitting 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.
Aftermath
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 Leander, of whom one later died from burns. The survivors of Ramb I were disembarked at Addu AtollAddu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
and subsequently transported to prisoner of war camps in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Ceylon by the tanker Pearleaf.