BRIEF ACTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24631, 12 June 1941, Page 8

BRIEF ACTION

SINKING OF RAMB I BOTH MAGAZINES EXPLODE DUNEDIN SAILOR’S NARRATIVE Vivid details of the sinking of the Italian- raider Ramb I by H.M.S. Leander in the Indian ocean in March are given by a member of the crew of the New Zealand cruiser in a letter to his family in Dunedin. He describes the sighting of the vessel, the brief fight and the subsequent sinking as, the Ramb I went down amid the tremendous explosions cf her magazines blowing up. "The Ramb I was sighted on the horizon during the forenoon,” he writes, “so we went over to investigate. When still a long way off we went to. action stations—just in case. Our suspicions were aroused when we saw she was tramping off in the- opposite direction at about 20 knots, but, although she wouldn’t identify herself, she was flying the Red Ensign. Then she gave the name of a British ship, but, as we came closer to her we could see plainly that she was armed. The last thing we wanted to dc was to open fire on a ship that might be British. So we prepared to send a boarding party over in a boat. Salvoes Slap Home

“We edged a bit closer when suddenly she downed the' Red Ensign and opened fire,” the Dunedin man ‘’continued. “ Her first salvo fell a bit short and the next screamed overhead. How she missed with all of them was a miracle. Then our guns swung' round and about five salvces went slap into her. The Ramb I immediately surrendered. Her boats were lowered and while some of the crew jumped into them, others went over the side and started to swim away. We sent away our boarding party, but, by the time it reached the enemy vessel fire was spreading rapidly through the ship. As we circled round I could see a big hole in one side and about five smaller ones on the other. There were several below the waterline as well.“We watched the fire spreading, thick. black smoke pouring oqt cf the stricken ship "as her oil caught alight. ■Suddenly the after magazine blew up with a tremendous 'explosion. Then the forward magazine went up like a huge burst of fireworks and the Ramb I began to sink fast by the bow. with her stern high in the air. Stern Blown Off

“ Then came the biggest explosion of the Ipt, as, with a tremendous report, a large portion of her stern blew off. I took a quick photograph and then flung myself flat to lessen the possibility of being struck by shrapnel or debris, which was landing all round us in the water. We were on the forecastle, and it was funny to see everyone fall together as if shot. The ship soon sank after that, and all that was left was a mass of driftwood and a dense cloud of smoke drifting slowly away.”