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0622201	71k	Robert Ludlow Fowler III was born on 19 April 1919 in New York City. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 02 July 1940 and was commissioned on 12 September 1941. Ensign Fowler reported to USS Duncan (DD 485) prior to her commissioning, and served in her in action through the South Pacific. Lieutenant (junior grade) Fowler was killed in the Battle of Cape Esperance on the night of 11-12 October 1942. With his ship under the heavy fire which sank her, he fired a torpedo thought to have scored the initial hit on Japanese cruiser Furutaka, sunk that night. Immediately after getting this first torpedo away, he was fatally wounded by a shell which burst close to his torpedo director. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross USS Fowler (DE 222) (1944-1946) was the first ship to be named in his honor.		Rob Fowler son of the ship's namesake
0622202	290k	03 July 1943: Philadelphia, Pa. - A Navy chaplain gives the opening prayer at the christening and launching of the future USS Fowler (DE 222). Mrs. Patricia Fowler holds the sponsor's bouquet. (Rob knew that his father was killed in the Battle of Cape Esperance on the night of 11-12 October 1942. With his ship under the heavy fire which sank her, he had fired a torpedo that was thought to have scored the initial hit on Japanese cruiser Furutaka, which sunk later that night. Immediately after getting this first torpedo away, Rob’s father was fatally wounded by a shell which burst close to his torpedo director. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. As a child, Rob knew that there were aspects of his father’s story that didn’t add up, especially when a relative learned from a friend on the cruiser Boise, that it was Boise that had sunk Duncan with friendly fire in the confusion of the night battle. Rob has spent the last thirty years trying to piece together his father’s story. In his words, “My goal, almost 75 years later, was to understand what really happened. I endeavored to cover all aspects of the battle, from both sides, and which elements shaped the stalemate, including the minor actions leading to the sinking of the USS Duncan, and its aftermath.” The result is a compelling and tragic story. You can learn more about the book at Rob’s website, The Gun Club Book)
0622203	33k	underway, undated wartime image		R. Bucher Lt.(jg), 44-45
491k      527k      508k      466k      555k 22 July 1944: Sandy Hook Bay, N.J. - A five view series of USS Fowler loading ammunition from barges at the Naval Ammunition Depot, Earle, N.J. On the previous day, 21 July, Fowler had completed a nine day yard availability period at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, N.Y. (U.S. Navy photos #'s19-N-68765, 19-N-68764, 19-N-68766, 19-N-68762, 19-N-68763 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.; courtesy of  Chris Wright) 0622204    -    0622205    -    0622206    -    0622207    -    0622208				Tim Rizzuto Ship's Superintendent DE Historical Museum USS Slater at Albany, N.Y.        and Chris Wright Ocean City, N.J.
0622209	166k	23 July 1944: the Atlantic Ocean - Taken from a ZP-11 blimp, Fowler is underway from Earle, N.J. to Casco Bay, Maine where she'll undergo refresher training before returning to Atlantic convoy duty. (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-237715 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.; courtesy of  Chris Wright)

Memorabilia

Christmas Card to USS Fowler Courtesy of Russ Padden

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Additional Resources

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Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
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The Destroyer History Foundation

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