Allied Warship Commanders

Charles Alexander Rowe, RN

Born  3 Oct 1904
Died  16 Jun 1940(35)HMS Grampus


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Ranks

16 Dec 1925 S.Lt.
15 Dec 1927 Lt.
15 Dec 1935 Lt.Cdr.

Decorations

Warship Commands listed for Charles Alexander Rowe, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Grampus (N 56)Lt.Cdr.Submarine24 Aug 193919 Jan 1940
HMS Phoenix (N 96)Lt.Cdr.Submarine26 Feb 19401 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (N 56)Lt.Cdr.Submarine1 Apr 194016 Jun 1940 (+)

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Submarine HMS Grampus (N 56)


6 Sep 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore. (1)

7 Sep 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore together with HMS Rorqual (Lt.Cdr R.H. Dewhurst, RN). (1)

14 Sep 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Singapore for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Sunda Strait.

For the daily positions of HMS Grampus during this patrol see the map below.

(1)

4 Oct 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Singapore. (2)

10 Oct 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was docked in a floating dock at Singapore. (2)

11 Oct 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was undocked. (2)

15 Oct 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Singapore for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Sabang.

For the daily positions of HMS Grampus during this patrol see the map below.

(2)

6 Nov 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Singapore. (3)

14 Nov 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore with HMS Tenedos (Lt.Cdr. J.O'B. Milner-Barry, RN). (3)

22 Nov 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore. (3)

2 Dec 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Singapore for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the West coast of Sumatra.

For the daily positions of HMS Grampus during this patrol see the map below.

(4)

22 Dec 1939
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Singapore. (4)

4 Jan 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore. (5)

5 Jan 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Singapore with HMS Stronghold (Lt.Cdr. R. Alexander, RN). (5)

7 Jan 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Singapore for several days of exercises off Malacca with HMS Stronghold (Lt.Cdr. R. Alexander, RN). (5)

11 Jan 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) returned to Singapore. (5)

13 Jan 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was docked in a floating dock at Singapore. (5)


Submarine HMS Phoenix (N 96)


27 Feb 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted trials off Hong Kong.

4 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

5 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

11 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

12 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong with HMS Pandora (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Linton, RN).

13 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

18 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

19 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.

20 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong with HMS Pandora (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Linton, RN).

25 Mar 1940
HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong.


Submarine HMS Grampus (N 56)


2 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted a minelaying exercise off Hong Kong. (6)

9 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was docked at Hong Kong. (6)

10 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was undocked. (6)

13 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Hong Kong for Singapore.

For the daily position of HMS Grampus during this passage see the map below.

(6)

18 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Singapore. (6)

19 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Singapore for Colombo. Grampus was to proceed to the Mediterranean.

For the daily position of HMS Grampus during this passage see the map below.

(6)

24 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Colombo. (6)

25 Apr 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Colombo for Aden.

For the daily position of HMS Grampus during this passage see the map below. As no log is available for May 1940 no positions can be displayed from 1 May 1940 and onwards.

(6)

2 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Aden. (7)

3 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Aden for Port Said. (7)

7 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Port Said. (7)

8 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Port Said for Alexandria. (7)

9 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Alexandria. She departed for Malta later the same day. (7)

13 May 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) arrived at Malta. (7)

30 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) conducted exercises off Malta together with HMS Rorqual (Lt.Cdr R.H. Dewhurst, RN) and HMS Orpheus (Lt.Cdr. J.A.S. Wise, RN).

4 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Grampus (C.A. Rowe, RN) departed Malta for her 4th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean). She was to take up a defensive position off Malta.

10 Jun 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) was recalled to Malta where she arrived later the same day. At Malta she was wiped and it was intended to give her a new outfit of mines the next day. But as Italy declared war she was sailed again late in the evening.

At 2345 hours HMS Grampus departed from Malta for her 5th war patrol (2nd in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off the East coast of Sicily. She is also to lay a minefield of Augusta. She is to depart from her patrol area at 1930 hours on the 16th and return to Malta (later this is amended to Alexandria).

13 Jun 1940
HMS Grampus (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Rowe, RN) laid a minefield (50 mines) off Augusta, Sicily, Italy.

At 1930/13 June Grampus sends a signal confirming that she had completed her mine laying operation (50 mines believed laid in position 036° - Castello Maniace Light - 2' [line of 2 miles North-South centred on this point] (NE of Augusta in searched channel).

Earlier on this day, at about 0700 hours, the Italian submarine Giovanni Bausan (Capitano di Corvetta Francesco Murzi) that was returning to Augusta reports being missed by a torpedo which passed 10 meters ahead in position 090°, Capo San Croce (Augusta), 3 nautical miles. If this attack is genuine (quite a few attacks reported in the early stages of the war were probably porpoises instead of torpedo tracks) it is quite likely that the aggressor was HMS Grampus and that multiple torpedoes were fired in this attack (only one torpedo was observed).

14 Jun 1940
At 0410 hours the torpedo-boat Polluce returning from an A/S sweep with Circe, Clio and Calliope reports a torpedo track which passed 100 meters ahead in a position close to the entrance of Syracuse. If this is correct the attacker must have been HMS Grampus.

Sources

  1. ADM 173/15663
  2. ADM 173/15664
  3. ADM 173/15665
  4. ADM 173/15666
  5. ADM 173/16269
  6. ADM 173/16272
  7. ADM 199/2555

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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