USS Cowie (DD-632) being christened, 1941 |
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USS Cowie (DD-632) was a Gleaves class destroyer that took part in Operation Torch and the invasion of Sicily, spent 1944 on convoy escort duties and was then converted into a fast mine sweeper, helping clear mines in the Far East after the end of the war.
The Cowie was named after Thomas Jefferson Cowie, who served in the US Navy from 1877 to 1921, then continued to work with the Navy until his death in 1936
The Cowie was laid down at the Boston Navy Yard, launched 27 September 1941 when she was sponsored by Mrs. C. R. Robinson, the daughter of Rear Admiral Cowie and wife of Captain C. R. Robinson and commissioned on 1 June 1942
The Cowie was originally classified as a Bristol class ship, which were built with four 5in guns instead of the five installed on the Livermore/ Gleaves class. However after the fifth gun was removed from those ships all of the Bristol class ships joined the Livermore/ Gleaves class.
The Cowie left New York on 5 October 1942 to escort the Chenango (CVE-28) to Norfolk. From then until 23 October she carried out an anti-submarine patrol off Cape Hatteras.
She then left Norfolk as part of Task Force 34 to take part in Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. From 8-13 November she was used to screen transports off Safi, in French Moroco. She returned to New York on 25 November for repairs and upkeep.
After this was over she trained with submarines off New London. On 12 December she left the US to escort the first of two convoys to Casablanca.
1943
She returned from the second of those convoy escort missions on 28 April 1943.
On 8 June 1943 she departed from Norfolk heading for North Africa, to join the forces gathering to take part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. On 9 July she was one of the guide ships for the landings at Scoglitti, meeting up with the British submarine HMS Seraph off the island. From 9-13 July she provide fire support for the troops fighting around Scoglitti, and her gunfire helped break up a German armoured attack on the 180th Regimental Combat team on 11 July.
On 16 July she returned to Oran, and patrolled from there until 20 July when she moved to Bizerte for the same role.
On 28 July she sailed to support the landings at Palermo, where she formed part of the screen of the Philadelphia. From 31 July-1 August she swept along the Italian coast from Palermo to Cape Milazzo, hunting for Axis shipping. She returned to Oran on 4 August.
On 9 August she left Mers-el-Kebir as part of the escort of a convoy heading for Casablanca. They passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 10 August, and reached Casablanca later on the same day. On 13 August she left Casablanca as part of the escort for a convoy heading back to New York, arriving on 22 August.
On 5 September she left New York to escort Convoy UT-2 to Belfast, arriving on 14 September. On 21 September she left Northern Ireland as part of the escort of Convoy TU-2. This convoy ran into hurricane strength winds on 30 September, but every ship survived and it entered New York Harbour on 1 October.
After escorting a convoy to Belfast, North Ireland between 5 and 30 September 1943, Cowie was overhauled at New York before returning to convoy escort duty.
After the overhaul the Cowie returned to escort duties, and made eighteen trans-Atlantic voyages heading to British and Mediterranean ports between then and 5 May 1945.
This included Convoy UT-5, which left New York on 5 December 1943 and reached Lough Larne on 14 December.
1944
1944 was spent on convoy escort duties.
1945
On 5 May she entered Boston Navy Yard to be converted into a fast mine sweeper. She was reclassified as DMS-39 on 30 May 1945. She departed from Boston on 24 June 1945, and underwent minesweeping training at Norfolk. On 18 July she departed for San Diego, arriving on 3 August. She was still at San Diego when the Japanese surrendered, and departed for Okinawa on 29 August.
She arrived at Okinawa on 27 September, and was used to help sweep some of the vast number of mines laid in the Yellow Sea and around Japan, in particular working in the Kobe and Wakayama areas. She left Yokosuka on 25 March 1946 to return to the United States.
She was decommissioned and placed into the reserve at San Diego on 21 April 1947. She was reclassified as DD-632 on 15 July 1955, struck off on 1 December 1970, and sold for scrap on 22 February 1972
Cowie received three battle stars for World War II service, for Operation Torch, Sicily and Pacific Minesweeping
Displacement (standard) |
1,630t design |
Displacement (loaded) |
2,395t |
Top Speed |
35kts design |
Engine |
2-shaft Westinghouse turbines |
Range |
6500nm at 12kt design |
Length |
348ft 3in |
Width |
36ft 1in |
Armaments |
Five 5in/38 guns |
Crew complement |
208 |
Laid down |
18 March 1941 |
Launched |
27 September 1941 |
Commissioned |
1 June 1942 |
Struck off |
1 December 1970 |
Sold for scrap |
22 February 1972 |
U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann .
The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.
