uboat.net

Allied Warships

USS Rowan (DD 405)

Destroyer of the Benham class

NavyThe US Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassBenham 
PennantDD 405 
Built byNorfolk Navy Yard (Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down25 Jun, 1937 
Launched5 May, 1938 
Commissioned23 Sep, 1939 
Lost11 Sep, 1943 
Loss position40.07N, 14.18E (See a map)
 
HistoryAfter the Allied invasion of Italy, USS Rowan (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Ford) was screening empty transport ships when a torpedo that was seen on the port side streaked toward them but missed. A second torpedo slammed into her magazine, making a shattering explosion. The destroyer sank in 40 seconds south-east of Salerno Gulf in position 40°07'N, 14°18'E, taking 202 of her 273 officers and men with her. 

Noteable events involving Rowan include:

22 Apr, 1942
USS Rowan picks up 169 survivors from the American passenger ship San Jacinto that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-201 about 375 nautical miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in position 31º10'N, 70º45'W.

USS Rowan also picks up 18 survivors from the American merchant Steel Maker that was torpedoed and sunk on 20 April 1942 by the German submarine U-654 350 nautical miles east of Wilmington, North Carolina in position 33º48'N, 70º36'W.

16 Mar, 1943
USS Rowan picks up 3 survivors from the American merchant Benjamin Harrison that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-172 in the North Atlantic east of the Azores in position 39º09'N, 24º15'W.

17 Mar, 1943
USS Rowan, USS Champlin and the American merchant William Johnson together pick up survivors from the American merchant Molly Pitcher that was torpedoed and damaged by the German submarine U-167 in the North Atlantic about 500 nautical miles west of Lisbon. The Molly Pitcher was abandoned and finally sunk the next day by the German submarine U-521.




Shipmates
Seeley, Lewis E. & Lorraine Seeley Buell

Books dealing with this subject include:

Shipmates, Seeley, Lewis E. & Lorraine Seeley Buell, 2000


Return to the Allied Warships section