HMS Rowena (1916)

{{Main|R-class destroyer (1916)|l1=R-class destroyer}}

Rowena was the second {{sclass2|R|destroyer (1916)|0}} destroyer ordered by the British Admiralty in July 1915 as part of the Sixth War Construction Programme. A development of the preceding {{sclass2|M|destroyer (1913)|0}}, the design differed primarily in utilising geared turbines to improve fuel consumption.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=310}}

The destroyer was {{convert|265|ft|m|2}} long between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|26|ft|9|in|m}} and a draught of {{convert|9|ft|10|in|m|2}}.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendegast|1919|page=107}} Displacement was {{convert|975|LT|t}} normal and {{convert|1173|LT|t}} deep load.{{cite web|last=McCaid|first=John|title=Rowena 1916 HMS – Destroyer|website=Clydemarine|url=http://clydeserver.com/shipping/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=21801&|year=2012|accessdate=6 May 2020}} Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at {{convert|27000|shp|kW}} and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of {{convert|36|kn}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|page=81}} Three funnels were fitted. A total of {{convert|296|LT}} of fuel oil was carried, giving a design range of {{convert|3450|nmi}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|page=81}}

Armament consisted of three QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the second and third funnels.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendegast|1919|page=107}} A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin rotating mounts for {{convert|21|in|mm|0|abbr=on|adj=on}} torpedoes. {{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|page=81}} The ship had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendegast|1919|page=107}}

Rowena was laid down by John Brown & Company at Clydebank on the River Clyde on 25 August 1915 and launched on 1 July 1916, leaving the yard on 29 September that year. The destroyer was allocated the yard number 450.{{sfn|Johnston|2014|page=198}} The build took 310 days and fitting out 90 days.{{sfn|Johnston|2014|page=14}}

On commissioning, Rowena joined the 15th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet,{{cite journal|title=Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet|journal=The Navy List|date=July 1917|page=13|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94241378|via=National Library of Scotland|accessdate=5 May 2020}} and served there until 1919.{{cite journal|title=Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet|journal=The Navy List|date=January 1919|page=12|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92370918|via=National Library of Scotland|accessdate=5 May 2020}} The Flotilla was involved in supporting the convoys that crossed the North Sea, including running anti-submarine patrols between 15 and 24 June 1917. Although sixty-one sightings of submarines and twelve attacks were reported during that operation, no submarines were sunk.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|pages=54–56}} On 24 April 1918 the Flotilla was called to intercept the High Seas Fleet on what was to prove the last major expedition of the war by the German Navy. The ships returned without making contact.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|pages=237–238}}

In May 1919, the Rowena sailed from Ostend to the Admiralty Pier in Dover, to repatriate the remains of Edith Cavell - the British nurse executed by the German Army in 1915.'London's Homage to Nurse Cavell', The Globe, 15 May 1919, page 1'The Martyrdom of Edith Cavell - The Return Home of her Last Remains', The Graphic, 24 May 1919, page 679

After the war, Rowena was sent to Gibraltar with her sister ship {{HMS|Romola|1916|2}}, arriving on 8 May 1920.{{cite news|title=Movements of Ships|newspaper=The Times|date=11 May 1920|page=21}} The vessel joined the Anti-Submarine Flotilla in Portland on 1 July 1926.{{cite journal|title=Portland|journal=The Navy List|date=January 1933|page=268}} For the next ten years, Rowena was used to refine anti-submarine weapons and techniques such as ASDIC.{{sfn|Hackmann|1984|page=186}} ASDIC went on to prove invaluable in the Battle of the Atlantic.{{sfn|Friedman|2012|page=60}} On 27 January 1937, the destroyer was given to Thos. W. Ward of Sheffield in exchange for RMS Majestic, and was subsequently broken up at Milford Haven.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2010|p=346}}

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{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last1=Bush | first1=Steve | last2=Warlow | first2=Ben | title=Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries | location=Barnsley | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | year=2021 | isbn=978-1-526793-78-2}}
• {{cite book |last1=Colledge |first1=J. J. |last2=Warlow |first2=Ben |title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy| publisher=Casemate |location=Havertown |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-93514-907-1}}
• {{cite book |last1=Dittmar |first1=F.J. |last2=Colledge |first2=J.J. |title=British Warships 1914–1919 |year=1972 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=978-0-71100-380-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War |year=2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley |isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War & After |location=Barnsley |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-84832-015-4}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=Gardiner |editor1-first=Robert |editor2-last=Gray |editor2-first=Randal |title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-85177-245-5 |name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book |last=Hackmann |first=Willem |title=Seek & Strike: Sonar, Anti-Submarine Warfare and the Royal Navy 1914-54 |location=London |publisher=HMSO |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-11290-423-6}}
• {{cite book |last=Johnston |first=Ian |title=A Shipyard at War: Unseen Photographs of John Brown & Co. Ltd, Clydebank, 1914-18 |location=Barnsley |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-84832-216-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eEauCAAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite book |last=Newbolt |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Newbolt |title=Naval Operations: Vol. V |series=History of the Great War |year=1931 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations0000corb/page/n5/mode/2up}}
• {{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |last2=Prendegast |first2=Maurice |title=Jane's Fighting Ships |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd |location=London |year=1919}}

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{{R class destroyers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowena (1916)}}

Category:1916 ships

Category:Ships built on the River Clyde

Category:R-class destroyers (1916)

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom