Italian ship Ramb III

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The Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb III was built at Genoa by Ansaldo in 1938.

"Ramb III" was the third of four sister ships all built to the same design. The other ships were the "Ramb I", the "Ramb II", and the "Ramb IV". The four ships were built for the Royal Banana Monopoly Business (Regia Azienda Monopolio Banane). These ships were originally built to be "banana boats." They were literally built for transporting refrigerated bananas from Somaliland and Eritrea in Italian East Africa.

However, in the event of war, the design of "Ramb III" allowed it to be refitted as an "auxiliary cruiser" for commerce raiding. She was 3,667 tons displacement, oil powered, and capable of 18½ knots.

"Ramb III" never made it to East Africa. When Italy declared war on 10 June 1940, she was the only ship in the class in homeport. Even so, "Ramb III" had a lengthy career. After being requisitioned by the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina), Ramb III served as a convoy escort. Like "Ramb I" and "Ramb II," "Ramb III" was refitted and armed with two 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns and eight 13.2 mm anti-aircraft guns.

On 12 November 1940, during the raid on the Italian port of Taranto, the British Royal Navy detached a cruiser division with accompanying destroyers for a quick swing through the lower Adriatic Sea. This British force found a small convoy of four Italian merchant ships escorted by "Ramb III" and the escort vessel "Fabrizi." The ships were bound for Brindisi from Valona. The "Ramb III" fired 19 salvos in its own defense and succeeded in breaking away without suffering any damage. The "Fabrizi" stayed with the merchant ships and attacked the British forces. As a result, the "Fabrizi" was hit immediately and suffered serious damaged. The "Fabrizi" continued to fight until it was unable to fight any more. After the "Fabrizi" was neutralized, the British force divided up the targets and sank all four of the Italian merchant ships.

On 10 May 1941, "Ramb III" was torpedoed by HMS Triumph in Bengazi harbor. She was salvaged by the Italians and returned to Trieste.

On 9 September 1943, "Ramb III" was seized by German troops at Trieste. Refitted as a minelayer and pressed into the service of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine), "Ramb III" was renamed Kiebitz. As a minelayer she laid over 5,000 mines in the Adriatic Sea until she ran into one of her own mines off Ancona. Running astern, she reached Fiume with no further damage. Here, Allied aircraft sank her in November 1944.

After the war, "Kiebitz" was refloated by the Yugoslavian Navy. She was converted into a training ship by the Yugoslavians in 1952 and renamed Galeb. In this service, with her appearance greatly altered from her original incarnation as "Ramb III," she served for forty years.