USS Rowan, a 2425-ton Gearing class destroyer, was built at Seattle, Washington. Commissioned at the end of March 1945, she arrived in the Pacific war zone in September of that year, just after Japan's surrender. The new destroyer was mainly employed to support occupation efforts and steamed back to the U.S. during early 1946. Following a year of inactivity, Rowan operated along the West Coast and in the Hawaiian area until mid-1947, when she left for her second Far Eastern deployment. A third followed in 1949 and a fourth began in the summer of 1950, soon after the outbreak of the Korean War. That September Rowan participated in the Inchon invasion and, a month later, in landings at Wonsan. She remained in the area until February 1951, as the United Nations forces advanced north, were thrown back by Chinese troops, stabilized the front lines and started another drive up the Korean peninsula.
Between January and July 1952 Rowan made another combat deployment to Asian waters. In February, while engaging an enemy short battery, she was hit by a shell, suffered damage to her superstructure but remained in action. A third Korean War tour followed from April 1953 until an armistice halted the fighting in July, after which the destroyer patrolled in the waters off Taiwan and Korea until leaving to return home late in the year. Rowan regularly returned to the western Pacific for duty with the Seventh Fleet over the next two decades. She also took part in scientific support activities, among them participation in central Pacific nuclear weapons tests in 1962.
Rowan was modernized during 1963-1964, emerging from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard much altered. Her new FRAM I "look" included elimination of one of her original three five-inch gun mounts and all smaller guns and their replacement by an ASROC anti-submarine rocket launcher and facilities for operating DASH drone helicopters. In January 1965 she began the first of six Vietnam War deployments. During these tours, in 1965, 1966, 1967-1968, 1969, 1970-1971 and a long cruise that began in October 1971, Rowan shelled enemy forces and facilities ashore, patrolled off the coast to interdict North Vietnamese waterborne traffic and operated with U.S. aircraft carriers. Remaining in the Far East after the negotiated end of the fighting, she operated as a unit of the Seventh Fleet until {Text to be completed}.
In December 1975 Rowan was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in preparation for transfer to the Republic of China (Taiwan), but was not actually sold until June 1977. Taken over by her new owners at that time, and renamed Chao Yang, on 22 August 1977 she was lost while under to to Taiwan.
USS Rowan was named in honor of Vice Admiral Stephen C. Rowan (1808-1890), whose long Navy career included service in the Mexican War and the Civil War, and command of the Asiatic Squadron in 1867-1870.
This page features all the views we have concerning USS Rowan (DD-782).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Rowan (DD-782). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Rowan (DD-782) steaming out of San Diego harbor, California, circa the later 1940s. Port bow surface view. Rowan still has her World War II vintage Mark 12/22 fire control radar antennas. USS Rowan (DD-782) in June 1957, after regular overhaul at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard. Port bow surface view. As 80-G-1022844, but starboard bow (rather tight on the bow) surface view. As 80-G-1022844, but starboard broadside surface view. As 80-G-1022844, but starboard quarter (rather toward the side) surface view. USS Rowan (DD-782) acting as plane guard for USS Ranger (CVA-61) while en route to California, 18 August 1958. Photographed by C.E. Wall. Port quarter aerial view. Rowan is seen moderately distantly (filling about 30% of the image width) on the right, following astern of Ranger, which is in the left background. USS Rowan (DD-782) operating with USS Ranger (CVA-61) while en route to California, 18 August 1958. Photographed by C.E. Wall. Port bow low aerial view. USS Rowan (DD-782) in Pearl Harbor, July 1960. Starboard broadside surface view, with the ship partially framed by palm fronds. USS Rowan (DD-782) coming alongside USS Midway (CVA-41) to refuel, 9 November 1960. Port bow surface view, taken from on board Midway. USS Rowan (DD-782) underway, 17 January 1963. Photographed by PH2c James R. Huckins of Utility Squadron SEVEN (VU-7). Port broadside aerial view. As USN 1094387, but port bow aerial view. Rowan does not appear to be underway in this photograph. The following photographs were taken after Rowan's FRAM I modernization: USS Rowan (DD-782) underway in the western Pacific, circa early 1965. Photographed by PH1c Fleeson. This photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in April 1965. Port bow aerial view. USS Rowan (DD-782) underway at sea while operating with USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), 18 January 1965. Photographed by PH1c Fleeson. This photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in April 1965. Port broadside (somewhat toward the bow) aerial view. USS Rowan (DD-782) standing by a damaged HU-16C "Albatross" flying boat in the South China Sea, 3 February 1965. Photographed by PHC M.A. Harper of Attack Squadron 43 (VA-43). Starboard broadside low aerial or surface view, with the aircraft floating on the water in the foreground and two whaleboats on the right. USS Rowan (DD-782) underway off the Vietnamese coast south of Quang Tri, 12 May 1972. Port broadside low aerial view. Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 28 February 2006