USS Solar, a 1400-ton Buckley class destroyer escort, was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. Commissioned in February 1944, she served in the Atlantic on convoy escort and training duties during the remainder of World War II. Late in 1945, Solar was assigned to the Operational Development Force. On 30 April 1946, while discharging ammunition at Earle, New Jersey, an explosion wrecked the ship's forward structure, killing 165 sailors and injuring many others. Though Solar did not sink, she was wrecked beyond repair and was scuttled at sea in June 1946.
This page features all the views we have concerning USS Solar (DE-221).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Solar. The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Solar (DE-221) underway at sea, 29 April 1944. Starboard bow surface view, taken from USS Card (CVE-11). Solar is painted in two-tone camouflage, presumably Measure 22. USS Solar (DE-221) moored in New York harbor, 22 July 1944, with a barge and harbor tug alongside. Starboard bow high aerial view, taken by Naval Air Station, New York. USS Solar (DE-221) underway on 23 July 1944, southeast of New England, steaming northwesterly (position 41-53N, 69-27W, course 335). Starboard broadside low aerial view, taken by a blimp from squadron ZP-11. Solar is still painted in two-tone camouflage, presumably Measure 22. USS Solar (DE-221) off Boston, Massachusetts, 1 October 1944. Starboard bow surface view, taken by the Boston Navy Yard. The ship has been repainted into a "dazzle" camouflage scheme that appears to have the port side pattern of Measure 31/32, Design 3D painted on the ship's starboard side. See Photo # 80-G-105505 (Measure 31, Design 3D for DE 5-50 class). Note: This photo (80-G-382841) is NOT reversed. Hull number "221" is clearly visible on Solar's bow.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 1 October 1999
New image added 19 April 2007