Michael Walsh

Rohna Memories Ii: Eyewitness to Tragedy Michael Walsh

On November 26, 1943 the United States sustained its largest loss of troops at sea. Over 2,000 U. S. servicemen were aboard the British troop ship HMT Rohna in the Mediterranean on their way to the China-Burma-India Theater of war. Traveling in a convoy, the Rohna and 23 other ships were attacked by German bombers. After a fierce fight that ended with no ships lost, a single bomber made a final run. Armed with the latest technology (a rocket powered, remote controlled Henschel HS-293 glide bomb), it set its sights on the Rohna. Many men were killed instantly by the direct hit. Rescue ships spent hours pulling survivors from the water. By the time the losses were totaled, 1,015 U. S. servicemen had lost their lives. After WWII, the U. S. War Department stated that of 4,453,061 American soldiers carried to Europe, only 1,094 or 0.024% were lost at sea. Of these, 1,015 went down in the Rohna.