USS Rowan (DD-405)

USS Rowan (DD-405)

USS Rowan (DD-405) was a Sims-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The Sims class was the last pre-war destroyer class completed before the Fletcher class transformed the U.S. Navy's destroyer force. Displacing 1,764 tons, the Sims class carried five 5-inch guns and eight torpedo tubes. Twelve were built, and they served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

Named for Vice Admiral Stephen Clegg Rowan, a Civil War naval officer who commanded gunboats on the North Carolina sounds and later served as commander of the Norfolk Navy Yard, USS Rowan was built by Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and commissioned in September 1939. Lost during the invasion of Salerno, Italy. On the night of 11 September 1943, just two days after the main landings, Rowan was hit by a torpedo from a German Schnellboot (E-boat) while on patrol in the Gulf of Salerno. The torpedo detonated her forward magazine, and the ship sank in less than a minute. Approximately 202 of her crew were killed. The rapid sinking left almost no time for the crew to abandon ship.

USS Rowan earned 4 battle stars for service in: Atlantic convoy escort, Operation Torch, Sicily, Salerno. Sunk by a German E-boat torpedo off Salerno, Italy, 11 September 1943. 202 of her approximately 250 crew killed.

This collection features apparel and merchandise honoring USS Rowan (DD-405) and the men who served aboard her. 1,764 tons standard displacement. 348 feet in length. Five 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose guns. Eight 21-inch torpedo tubes in two quadruple mounts. Top speed 37 knots. Crew of 192.