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USS Solar (DE-221) |
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The USS Solar outside New York Navy yard on 1 October 1944 painted in Measure 32 "dazzle" camouflage. National Archives #80G382842 |
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USS Solar Point of
Contact |
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Operational and Building Data |
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The USS Solar was named after Adolfo Solar, who was
born on 8 May 1900 in San Antonio, Tex. Boatswain’s Mate First Class
Solar was on board the USS Nevada on the morning of 7 December 1941 when the
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was credited with “...the early
opening of fire by antiaircraft battery of the USS Nevada
prior to the arrival of the battery officers at their stations, and
thereafter controlling his gun in an outstanding manner until killed by
shell fragments.”
The USS Solar (DE-221) was sponsored by Mrs. Regina Solar, and commissioned with Lt. Commander Hadlai A. Hull, USNR, in command. On 25 April, Solar put to sea from New York with Task Group 27.1 in the screen of a Casablanca-bound convoy. The convoy made Casablanca on 4 May; and, three days later, Solar headed back toward the United States. She arrived in New York on 16 May. The USS Solar was next assigned to Task Force 64, and spent the next six months escorting three convoys from the United States to the Mediterranean and back. On 16 December 1944, the destroyer-escort was assigned to the Commander, Operational Training Command, Atlantic Fleet (COTCLANT), to help train destroyer and destroyer-escort crews. On 2 February 1945, she resumed Atlantic convoy escort duty as an element of TG 60.9. On her first voyage of this new assignment, Solar encountered her first combat, though she herself was unable to engage the enemy submarines. Her convoy, UGS 72, lost two tankers at the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. Solar fueled and provisioned at Oran, Algeria, then escorted convoy GUS 74 to the United States. After yard work at New York, she got underway in the screen of another Gibraltar-bound convoy. During the return voyage from Oran with convoy GUS 86, the ship received the news of Allied victory in Europe. Upon her return to the United States, Solar was scheduled for her usual yard period in New York. However, after several sets of confusing and sometimes contradictory orders, the availability was carried out in Boston. In the spring of 1945, Solar was slated to be converted to a radar picket ship by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, but the yard was unable to work on her. Instead, she was assigned to training duty with submarines out of New London, Conn. By 18 July, she was in the Boston Navy Yard preparing for duty in the Pacific. Her conversion to radar picket ship had been canceled and, with the declaration of V-J day in mid-August, her orders were changed again. She departed Boston on 7 September for two weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. At the completion of refresher training, she headed for Casco Bay; but, en route there, she was diverted to Miami, Fla., where she became the training group flagship. On 19 December, Solar was assigned to the Commander, Operational Development Force, for antiaircraft and fighter director practice. The beginning of 1946 brought an assignment as a sonar test ship. On 30 April 1946, Solar was berthed at Leonardo Pier I of the Naval Ammunition Depot at Earle, N.J. to unload ammunition. The operation went smoothly until, shortly after 1130, when three explosions blasted the ship near her number 2 upper handling room. Her number 2 gun was demolished and the bridge, main battery director, and mast were all blown aft and to starboard. Both sides of the ship were torn open, and her deck was a mass of flames. The order to abandon ship came after the second explosion and was carried out expeditiously. Nevertheless, the tragedy claimed the lives of 7 sailors and injured 125 others. Salvage work on Solar was begun by 1500, and her wrecked superstructure was cut off to prevent her capsizing. She was moved to New York, where she was decommissioned. The USS Solar was stripped of all usable equipment and towed 100 miles east of New York and sunk in 700 fathoms of water. |
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An early undated photo of the USS Solar
sporting the Measure 22 paint pattern, probably taken shortly after
commissioning in February 1944.
USN Photograph |
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The USS Solar outside New York Navy yard on 1 October
1944.
National Archives #80G382841 |
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The USS Solar outside New York Navy yard on 1 October
1944.
National Archives #80G122325 |
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The USS Solar outside New York Navy yard on 1 October
1944.
National Archives #80G122323 |
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Again in the measure 22 paint pattern, the Solar is
equipped with ten 20mm guns, three 3"/30s, and a
quad-1.1"/75 machine cannon in the X-position. Aft of the stack
are four single-barrel 40mm "Army-style" Bofors AA guns. A
tripod aft-mast carries the HF/DF antenna. The picture was taken in New
York Harbor in July 1944.
National Archives #BS68783 |
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This aerial view provides an excellent view of the formidable
anti-aircraft weaponry on the Solar. Taken in New York
Harbor in July 1944.
National Archives #BS68784 |
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Survivors of the explosion of the USS Solar (DE221) at Earle Ammunition Depot, Earle, NJ. (l-r) William A. McKie, RdM1/c and James Farley, GM3/c.
National Archives #80G367661 |
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Survivors of the explosion of the USS Solar (DE221) at Earle Ammunition Depot, Earle, NJ. L-r) William A. McKie, RdM1/c,
Lt. Commander LaRoque, and James Farley, GM3/c.
National Archives #80G367662 |
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Survivors of the explosion of the USS Solar (DE221) at Earle Ammunition Depot, Earle, NJ. Lt(jg) Herman Gravin, LCDR Gene LaRouque, Joseph
Stuchinsky, S1/c, Paul Polemeni, S1/c, William A. McKie, RdM1/c, and James Farley, GM3/c.
Joseph Stuchinsky was carrying the Hedgehog bomb that exploded and
destroyed the Solar. Miraculously, he survived the event.
National Archives #80G367663 |
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The officers and crew in the Boston Navy Yard
on August 29,1945. Front row (l to r): Lt (jg) J.Suiter, Lt. Foster, Lt. Quattlebaum, LCDR W. Gribbs (captain), Lt. Prince (executive officer), Lt. Broeksmit, Lt (jg) Herman, Graven (engineering officer), Ensign Herter. Second row Left side: Ensign Nord, Ensign Pitner Right side - Ensign Hawkes Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar wearing Measure 32 war paint.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar arriving in Miami,
Florida in September 1945.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar departing Miami, Florida
in September 1945.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar in the Baltimore harbor
for the Navy day celebrations.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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An excellent overhead shot showing the level of
destruction to the USS Solar on April 30,1946 Fort Leonardo,
N.J.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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A fireboat pouring water onto the wreckage.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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A photo showing the extreme destruction to the
bridge on the USS Solar. The explosion folded the forward
third of the ship over at more than a 90 degree angle.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Lt (jg) Herman Graven showing where he was sleeping
during the explosion. Lt(jg) Herman Graven, according to the Social
Security Administration list passed away in 1989.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Getting ready for liberty in Baltimore, MD in
October 1945.
Left to right: Croft, EM 2/c - Booth, F 1/c - H. T. Hicks, EM 3/c and Ed Papak, MM 3/c.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Frank Shimo, F1/c, Ed Papak, MM3/c, and Mike Zelinsky, MM3/c at the
Aquarium Restaurant in New York City.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Gun crew with Joe Stuchinski holding the 3"/50 shell. On
30 April 1946, whild unloading ammunition at Leonardo
Pier I of the Naval Ammunition Depot at Earle, N.J., a hedgehog bomb blew
up in his arms and destroyed the USS Solar.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Off Limits signs like this were a common sight.
According to Ed, this one was posted on a whorehouse. The madam
would sit on the second floor watching out for SPs or MPs and warn the
guys to split. According to Ed's memories in "My
Navy Time", some things "are best left unsaid".
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The crew ane officers of the USS Solar sunbathing on
the seawall at Mers-el-Kabir, Oran, North Africa. Two DDs are in the
background. One of them (not sure which) is the USS Kearney
(DD-432), a Benson-class Destroyer.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The three DEs (l to r) are the USS Solar (DE-221), USS
Fowler (DE-222) and the USS Francis M. Robinson (DE-220).
The ships are berthed at Mers-el-Kabir, Oran, North Africa.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar wearing Measure 32 camouflage.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Harry Groves on the mainmast.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Taken from the USS Solar, the closest DE
is the USS Fowler (DE-222) and the furthest is the USS
Francis M. Robinson (DE-220).
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The Engineering gang scrubbing their bunk canvass for
the big inspection - Ed Papak is holding the hose rinsing the
canvas. The ship is located on Long Island Sound in July 1945.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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P. Yaquinto "ready for anything".
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Navy Day memorial service aboard the USS Solar (DE-221) in
Baltimore Harbor. In the foreground a mother and son observe the service
remembering Navy personnel lost during the war.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The official mascot of the USS Solar...."Lobo".
Lobo would be aboard the Solar when she blew up while
unloading ammunition in N.J. Lobo was blown into the water and later
recovered, uninjured, by rescuers. A newspaperman thought Lobo's
miraculous survival deserved an article.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Forward part of the Fast
Minesweeper USS Forrest (DMS-24, ex-DD-461) being repaired in the Boston
Navy Yard in August 1945 after returning from the Pacific after being hit
by a Japanese Kamikaze. (The Forrest, a Bristol-class destroyer, was
serving as part of TG52.2 off Okinawa on 26 May 1945 when she was struck
by the Kamikaze. The damage was so severe the Navy scrapped the ship
shortly after this photograph was taken.)
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Making smoke during exercises in the Chesapeake in
March 1946, only a month before her destruction.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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Crew quarters, aft. Ed's remembers his bunk was
the top one.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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The USS Solar (DE-221) anchored in area
"H", Hampton Roads NOB in March 1946. This was one of the
last photographs taken of the Solar before she was
destroyed.
Courtesy of Ed Papak |
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