Rowe, R (Robert)
Rowe, R (Robert)
Able Seaman Robert Rowe was the husband of Rachel Florence Rowe, of St. Pancras, London.
On the 27th of March 1945, H.M.S. Redmill,[1] H.M.S. Byron[2] and H.M.S. Fitzroy[3] were on patrol off the coast of Scotland when they detected a submarine.
All three ships were involved in the following depth charge attacks which ultimately ended when they had sunk the German submarine U-boat U-722.[4]
The following month, on the 27th of April 1945, H.M.S. Redmill was on patrol again with two other ships in the North Atlantic 25 miles west of Ireland, but this time they were being hunted.
U-Boat U1105[5] had been following the three British vessels for some time. The patrol unfortunately detected the submarine far too late.
Fifty seconds after detection a GNAT[6] torpedo struck H.M.S. Redmill on the stern,[7] this was quickly followed by another torpedo which struck it also. Thirty men had or would lose their lives during this incident and over the next few days from wounds received.
Meanwhile U1105 was diving to 100 meters to make good their escape. It was not detected again and would later surrender to the exact same escort group it had just attacked thirteen days before. It was taken to Lisahally near Londonderry.
H.M.S. Redmill was surprisingly still afloat, with about sixty feet missing from her stern. It was also towed to Lisahally near Londonderry and was declared a total loss.
Date of Death: 27/04/1945 (Aged 47)
Service: Able Seaman, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Redmill
Service Number: C/J 29614
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, C. of E. Plot. Sec. F. Grave 48.
[1] HMS Redmill was a Captain-class frigate and was launched during October 1943 and would survive the war, finally being sold for scrap during 1947.
[2] HMS Byron was a British Captain-class frigate and was launched during August 1943 and would survive the war, finally being sold for scrap during 1947.
[3] HMS Fitzroy was a British Captain-class frigate and was launched during September 1943 and would survive the war, finally being sold for scrap during 1946.
[4] U-boat U-722 was launched during Sept 1943. When sunk in March 1945, all hands were lost. A total of 44 men.
[5] U-Boat U1105 was launched during April 1944, it surrendered in Scotland during May 1945, and was subsequently used for trials and depth charge tests by the US and UK navies.
[6] Gnat Torpedo is an acoustic homing torpedo.
[7] The stern is the back of the ship.
