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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Ship's patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Bowers (APD-40)
ex
USS Bowers (DE-637) (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Papa - Alpha
NHPA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (48-KIA, 59-WIA, 17 April 1945)

USS Bowers (APD-40) was transferred to the Philippines, renamed RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66)
Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 26 May 1943, as the Buckley Class Destroyer Escort Bowers (DE-637), at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, San Francisco, CA.
  • Launched, 31 October 1943
  • Commissioned USS Bowers (DE-637), 27 January 1944, LCDR. Frederick W. Hawes, USNR in command
  • During WWII USS Bowers was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of northern Solomons, 15 June and 22 June to 26 October 1944
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 12 October to 14 November 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Toem-Walde-Sarmi area operation, 20 to 21 May, 4 to 6, 10 to 13 and 20 June 1944
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 March to 24 April 1945

  • Converted to a Charles Lawrence High-speed Transport at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Redesignated (APD-40), 25 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 February 1947, at Green Cove Springs FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Recommissioned, 6 February 1951
  • USS Bowers (APD-40) was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 19 May to 20 September 1954
  • Decommissioned, 18 December 1958
  • USS Bowers earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred, on loan, 31 October 1960, to the Republic of the Philippines; renamed RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66)
  • Sold outright to the Philippines, 21 April 1961
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1961
  • RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) was sunk in June 1962
  • Raised and struck from the Philippine Naval List in December 1964
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1966
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.(lt) 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' (ovl)
    Beam 37'
    Draft 13' 6" (max)
    Speed 23.6 kts (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 186
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 150
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge projector
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,216 Bbls
    Diesel 93 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    two D-type Express boilers, 435psi 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 450V D.C.
    two turbo-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two propellers, 12,000shp

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    USS Bowers (APD-40)
    Bowers 38k USS Bowers (DE-637) receiving a new bridge and superstructure at Philadelphia Navy Yard, 30 August 1945. The ship was damaged off Okinawa, 15 April 1945, while serving in anti-submarine patrol duty. As well as receiving battle damage repair, the ship is being converted to to a high speed transport (APD-40), this being completed in mid-September, 1945.
    Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Collection.
    Mike Green
    Laning 93k USS Bowers (APD-40) and USS Laning (APD-55) moored pierside at Norfolk, VA., circa 1951-52. Note the bedding spread across the Bowers railings. Crews aired bedding on a weekly basis. George Panos, QMS2C USS Earle B. Hall
    Bowers 361k USS Bowers (APD-40) at anchor, circa 1953, location unknown. Rick Newman for his father-in-law Frederick Lampman FT3 USS Bowers
    Bowers 37k USS Bowers (APD-40) at anchor, Golfe Juan, July, 1954. During May to October 1954 Med Cruise. Bill Fuzak
    Bowers 35k USS Bowers (APD-40) Officers, Left to Right: LT Carpenter USN, Executive Officer; LTjg Elliot Shapiro, Engineering Officer; LTjg Kahle, CIC Officer; Ens Hosking, Assistant Gunnery Officer; LTjg William G Fuzak Jr., First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer; LTjg Howe, Damage Control Officer; LTjg John M Harrison, Operations Officer; Ensign Lester Lawtenslager, Supply Officer. Photo was taken at change of command ceremony, July 1955 at Charleston SC. when CDR Clyde C Sapp was relieved. At the time Bowers was assigned to Charleston as a Naval Reserve Training ship. Bill Fuzak
    Bowers 53k USS Bowers (APD-40) First Class Petty Officers of the Deck and Gunnery Dept, July, 1955, Charleston, SC. Left to right; Gunners Mate First Class Cooke, Fire Control Technician First Class Procopio, and Boatswain Mate First Class Kurtz Bill Fuzak
    Bowers 834k USS Bowers (APD-40) moored pierside at the Navy Pier on the Savannah River near the old Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah, GA, June 1958.
    Photo by L. R. Case, Jr.
    C.E. Case
    Bowers 129k USS Bowers (APD-40) moored outboard of USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) at Portland Maine, date unknown. Tommy Trampp
    RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66)
    Bowers 526k Ex Bowers (APD-40) in Mississippi as the Republic of the Philippines ship RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66), circa April 1961.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine September 1961
    Robert Hurst
    Bowers 138k RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) underway, circa 1962, location unknown. Photo courtesy W. H. Davis. Robert Hurst
    Bowers 1165k RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) article from "Navy Times", 7 April 1965.
    US Navy photos.
    Ron Reeves

    USS Bowers (DE-637 / APD-40)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Hawes, Frederick William, USN (USNA 1934)27 January 1944 - 6 December 1944DE-637
    02LCDR. Highfield, Charles Franklin,USNR6 December 1944 - 16 April.1945DE-637
    03LT. Hinkle, Truman Boyce, USNR16 April 1945 - 7 August 1945DE-637 / APD-40
    05LT. Williams, Kenneth Ferguson, USNR7 August 1945 - 12 December 1945APD-40
    05LT. Hallahan, Timothy Vincent, USNR12 December 1945 - 1 March 1946APD-40
    06LTjg. Brinkerhoff Jr., Alfred Quentin, USNR1 March 1946 - 14 April 1946APD-40
    07LTjg. Kennedy Jr., John Wilfred, USNR14 April 1946 - 27 May 1946APD-40
    08LCDR. Slabaugh, James Ross, USNR27 May 1946 - 2 July 1946APD-40
    09LCDR. Murray, Phillip Arin, USN2 July 1946 - 1 September 1946APD-40
    10LTjg. Goodrich, Burton Juan1 September 1946 - 1 February 1947APD-40
     Decommissioned1 February 1947 - 6 February 1951APD-40
    11LCDR. Martin Jr., Gordon William16 February 1951 - ?APD-40
    12LCDR. Sapp, Clyde Cecil, USN1954 - July 1955APD-40
    13LCDR. Caldwell, Warren Lee, USN (USNA 1943)July 1955 - 1957APD-40
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Bowers, (DE-637) Page Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 26 February 2021