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Casualty Info
Home Town Decatur, IL
Last Address New York, NY
Casualty Date Aug 24, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery and Memorial - Manila, Philippines
Wall/Plot Coordinates (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
The USS Harder (SS-257) began her 6th War Patrol on August 5th, 1944 and formed a "wolfpack" with four other submarines. She sank two merchant ships before her final attack on August 24th. While the Hake escaped sinking, a depth charge attack sunk the Harder with all hands. Chief Torpedoman's Mate Miller was listed as Missing in Action and later declared dead 2 October 1945.
CLASS - BENHAM As Built.
Displacement 2250 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 340' 9" (oa) x 35' 6" x 12' 10" (Max)
Armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 4 x 0.5" MG 16 x 21" tt.(4x4).
Machinery, 50,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38.5 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 12 Knots, Crew 184. Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Norfolk Navy Yard June 25 1937.
Launched May 5 1938 and commissioned September 23 1939. Fate Sunk by German Motor Torpedo Boats Off Salerno Italy September 11 1943
September 11, 1943
The Benham-class destroyer, USS Rowan (DD-405) was commissioned on September 23, 1939, at Norfolk, Virginia. Initially assigned to the Pacific, she was ordered back east in the spring of 1941 on Neutrality Patrols protecting Atlantic Convoys. Continuing these patrols in July 1942, Rowan was one of the U.S. Navy warships protecting the ill-fated PQ-17 Convoy. Following this duty in November, she participated in Operation Torch. In July 1943, she served with Task Force 80 during the Allied Invasion of Sicily. On September 11, during the Allied Invasion of Mainland Italy, Rowan was attacked and torpedoed by a German E-boat while heading back to Oran with transports and freighters after the landings at Paestum, Italy. Within less than a minute, she sank with the loss of 202 of her 273 officers and crew. USS Bristol (DD-453) rescued the survivors.
Source: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/ships-us/ships-usn-r/uss-rowan-dd-405.html
