Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 97642:  USS Soley underway on 22 December 1944

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Soley (DD-707), 1944-1970

USS Soley, a 2200-ton Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, was built at Kearny, New Jersey. Commissioned in December 1944, she operated in the Atlantic before transferring to the Pacific fleet in August 1945. For the rest of that year and into early 1946, Soley supported post-war occupation activities in the Central Pacific and Japan. She then returned to the Atlantic for another year before entering the Reserve Fleet in April 1947.

In late January 1949, Soley recommissioned to begin more than two decades of continuous active service, mainly in the Atlantic. She went to the Mediterranean Sea for the first of many Sixth Fleet deployments in August 1950. In May-December 1952, the destroyer temporarily left the Atlantic, via the Panama Canal, to take part in Korean War combat operations, during which she used her guns to bombard enemy targets ashore. Soley returned to the U.S. east coast via the Indian Ocean and Suez Canal, thus completing a cruise around the World.

In January-August 1954 Soley again circumnavigated the Earth westbound for a second tour of Far Eastern duty. Thereafter operating in the Mediterranean and western Atlantic areas, her activities included many military exercises, plus rescuing the crew of the sinking merchant ship St. Eleftiero in January 1958 and participation in the Cuban quarantine in October-December 1962. Soley became a Naval Reserve Training Ship, based at Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1964. Following nearly six years of that duty, she was decommissioned in 1970. The former USS Soley was sunk as a target in September 1970.

USS Soley was named in honor of James Russell Soley, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1890-93.

This page features all our views of USS Soley.


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.

Photo #: NH 97642

USS Soley (DD-707)


Underway on 22 December 1944. Photographed from a Naval Air Station, New York, aircraft, flying at an altitude of 300 feet.
The ship is wearing camouflage Measure 32 Design 11a.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 116KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97643

USS Soley (DD-707)


Underway on 22 December 1944. Photographed from a Naval Air Station, New York, aircraft, flying at an altitude of 600 feet.
Note ship's shadow on the water off her port side.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97644

USS Soley (DD-707)


Being reactivated at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, South Carolina, after she had been out of commission for nearly two years. Photo is dated 29 January 1949, the day Soley was recommissioned.
The original caption states: "View with huts removed and placed on dock in foreground. Large huts cover 40mm mounts, small huts cover MK 51 directors and searchlights. Three 'Zippered' DD's in the background are part of 129 ships in the Charleston group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet."

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 128KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97646

USS Soley (DD-707)


Photographed circa the early or middle 1950s, after she had been refitted with 3"/50 guns.
This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was taken some years earlier.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 117KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97645

USS Soley (DD-707)


Underway off the coast of Florida, July 1959.
Photographed by Hein, from USS Saratoga (CVA-60).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 110KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97647

USS Soley (DD-707)


Photographed by Stead, while underway on 19 November 1961.
Note that the ship now has a tripod foremast, and small triple tubes for anti-submarine torpedoes amidships in place of the larger torpedo tubes originally fitted.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 120KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 68027-KN (Color)

USS Soley (DD-707)

Jacket patch of the ship's insignia, as used in about 1967.

Courtesy of Captain G.F. Swainson, USN, 1969.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Soley (DD-707). 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".



  • Photo #: 80-G-706975
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway after being activated from the Reserve Fleet, 25 March 1949.
    Port broadside surface view, showing the ship underway. She still has small hull numbers on her bow.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019617
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Port broadside aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019618
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Port bow aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019619
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Starboard stern aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019620
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Starboard bow aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019621
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Bow-on aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1019622
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway in May 1957. Stern-on aerial view.

  • Photo #: USN 1047874
    USS Soley (DD-707) underway at sea, 3 October 1959.
    Port bow view, from about mid-mast level, taken by Cobb of USS Tarawa (CVS-40).

  • Photo #: USN 1058314
    USS Soley (DD-707) refueling from off the starboard side of USS Valley Forge (LPH-8), 25 July 1961.
    Port bow view, from about mid-mast level, taken by PH1 A. Flores. Some of USS Valley Forge's structure is visible on the right side of the view.


    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."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 24 July 2001