World War II
Following shakedown off San Diego, Rowe got underway for Pearl Harbor 24 May 1944. After 2 weeks of additional underway training in the Hawaiian Islands, she completed a round-trip escort run to Eniwetok, 16 June to 2 July, and on 3 August 1944 sailed as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 57 (DesRon 57) for Adak, Alaska, to report for duty with the 9th Fleet. She engaged in underway training there, and participated in three strikes against the Kurils; Matsuwa To Island on 21 November 1944, Suribati Wan on 3 January 1945, and Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro Island on 18 February 1945. On 18 April, Destroyer Division 113 (DesDiv 113) was detached from the North Pacific Force and sailed for Pearl Harbor.
Following repairs and training, Rowe sailed on 11 May for Ulithi with aircraft carrier Ticonderoga and her destroyer division. Arriving 22 May, she joined the 5th Fleet for duty and a week later left Ulithi in convoy for Okinawa. Reaching the Ryukyus 2 June, Rowe began radar picket duty. Fifteen days later, with DesDiv 113, she escorted the battleship Mississippi out of Hagushi anchorage and steamed for the Philippines, reaching San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, 20 June.
Standing out of Leyte Gulf on 1 July, Rowe rendezvoused with Task Force 38 (TF 38) for screening and plane guard duties during attacks against the Japanese home islands—Honshū, Shikoku and Hokkaidō. The first strike was launched on 10 July against airfields and installations in the vicinity of Tokyo. Temporarily detached on 23 July 1945, Rowe participated in the bombardment of the town of Omura on Chichi Jima, then rejoined the carrier force.
When the official Instrument of Surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, Rowe was still steaming with Task Group 38.4 (TG 38.4) in a patrol area east of Honshū Island, while the group's planes performed air observation missions over prisoner of war camps. Following a round-trip run to Eniwetok, Rowe steamed out of Tokyo Bay 18 November for Pearl Harbor and the United States.
Touching at San Diego, Calif., Rowe transited the Panama Canal 17 December and reached Philadelphia, Pa. 23 December. Arriving Charleston, S.C. 20 March 1946, Rowe decommissioned 31 January 1947 and was berthed at Charleston as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
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