Original photo published by USN All Hands MagazineOriginally completed as 'Buckley' Class Destroyer Escort, converted into 'Charles Lawrence' Class High-Speed Transport (Destroyer Escort) - APD :
Displacement (full load) : 2,130 tons
Dimensions (L x W x D) : 93.3 x 11.2 x 3.9 meters
Armaments (in PN service) : Guns : 1 x single 5"/38 Mk 26 DP, 3 x twin 40mm AA, 2 DC rack
Cargo capacity: 4 LCVP landing craft, 6 1/4 ton trucks, 2 1 ton trucks, 4 ammunition carts, 4 pack howitzers, Storage, Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft., General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft., Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft., and Troop Capacity of 150 men
Powerplant : Two boilers driving 2 GE trubo-electric drive tubines : 12,000 bhp driving 2 shafts
Max Speed : 23.6 knots
Range : 11,000 at 12 knots
Ship crew: 12 Officers, 186 Men
see photos and more specs at:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/04/04040.htmIn US Navy Service :
24-Jan-1944 Commissioned as the USS BOWER (DE 637), a Buckley Class Destroyer Escort
25-Jun-1945 Decommissioned and put in repair after being damaged on 16-Apr 1945 by a hit by a Japanese Kamikaze. Repaired and converted into a high speed transport and reclassified as USS BOWERS (APD-40) ; Laid up 10-Feb-1947
6-Feb-1951 Assigned with Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet; later decommissioned in 18-Dec 1958
Into Philippine Navy Service :
31-Oct-1960 Transferred (on loan) to the Philippines via Military Assistance Program
21-Apr-1961 transferred via Military Assistance Program (MAP) on Apr 21, 1961 and became RPS Rajah Soliman with pennant number D-66. She was fitted as a command / flagship.
24-Jun-1964 Sunk by Typhoon Dading at while on anchor at Bataan National Shipyard.
The wreck was salvaged between Dec 1964- Jan 1965*, by USN salvage ships -- USS Bolster (ARS-38) and USS Grasp (ARS-24), a tug, plus a couple of lift crafts leased from the Royal Navy. Hulk sold for scrapping.
*
http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Bolster_NHPA_History.pdf (Pg. 3)
