USS Solar ( DE - 221 ) USS " Solar " ( DE - 221 ) ( pronounced sō - lär ) , a of the United States Navy , was named in honor of Boatswain ' s Mate First Class Adolfo Solar ( 1900 - 1941 ) , who was killed in action during the Japan ese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . " Solar " was laid down on 22 February 1943 , by the Philadelphia Navy Yard ; launched on 29 May 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Regina Solar ; and commissioned at Philadelphia on 15 February 1944 , Lieutenant Commander Hadlai A . Hull , United States Naval Reserve , in command . Service history . World War II , 1944 – 1945 . " Solar " completed post - commissioning trials in the Delaware River and shakedown training in the Bermuda area ; then returned to Philadelphia at the beginning of April 1944 . After post - shakedown availability , she headed for Casco Bay , Maine , for more training . 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 . " 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 submarine s . Her convoy , UGS - 72 , lost two tankers at the entrance to the Strait 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 . Post - war activities , 1945 – 1946 . 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 , Connecticut . 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 , Florida , where she became the training group flagship . In late October , she visited Baltimore for the Navy Day celebration . On 19 December , " Solar " was assigned to the Commander , Operational Development Force , for anti - aircraft and fighter director practice . The beginning of 1946 brought an assignment as a sonar test ship . Destruction by accidental explosion , 1946 . On 30 April 1946 , " Solar " was berthed at Leonardo Pier I of the Naval Ammunition Depot Earle , New Jersey , to discharge ammunition . The operation went smoothly until , shortly after 11 : 30 , one of the crewmen dropped a hedgehog charge . He was able to escape with relatively minor injuries , but three ensuing explosions blasted the ship near her number 2 upper handling rooms . 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 15 : 00 , and her wrecked superstructure was cut off to prevent her capsizing . She was moved to New York , where she decommissioned on 21 May 1946 . " Solar " was then stripped of all usable equipment , towed to sea , and sunk on 9 June 1946 , in of water . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 5 June 1946 .