RPS Rajah Soliman

RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66)
History
United States
NameUSS Bowers
BuilderBethlehem Steel Shipyard Corp., San Francisco, California
Laid down14 January 1943
Launched31 October 1943
Commissioned27 January 1944
Recommissioned6 February 1951
Decommissioned18 December 1958
Stricken1 May 1961
IdentificationDE-637
FateLoaned to Philippine Navy 31 October 1960, renamed as RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66). Sold outright to the Philippine government on 21 April 1961.[1][2]
Philippines
NameRPS Rajah Soliman
OperatorPhilippine Navy
Acquired31 October 1960
Commissionedunconfirmed
DecommissionedDecember 1964
StrickenDecember 1964
IdentificationD-66
FateSunk 29 June 1964, raised December 1964. Hulk sold to Mitsubishi International Corp., January 1966
General characteristics
Class and typeBuckley-class destroyer escort/ Charles Lawrence-class high speed transport
Displacement
  • 1,400 tons standard,
  • 1,740 tons full load
Length306 ft (93 m)
Beam36.83 ft (11.23 m)
Draft13.5 ft (4.1 m)
Installed power12,000 hp (8,900 kW)
Propulsion
  • 2 × GE "D" Express boilers turbines (Turbo Electric Drive)
  • 2 × shafts
Speed24 knots (44 km/h) maximum
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement186
Armament

RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) was a destroyer escort/frigate that served with the Philippine Navy between 1960 and 1964. A Buckley-class destroyer escort, it was originally named USS Bowers during its previous service with the United States Navy. It was the first destroyer escort to be operated by the Philippine Navy, and is the only member of its class ever operated by the service. Rajah Soliman was also the flagship of the Philippine Navy during its time in commission, which ended with the sinking of the vessel in 1964.[3]

  1. ^ "USS Bowers (DE 637 / APD 40)". Navsource Naval History. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  2. ^ "DE-637 / APD-40 Bowers". Navsource Naval History. 23 September 2005. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference navytimesapril71965 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).