Cannon-class destroyer escort

The Cannon class was a class of destroyer escorts built by the United States primarily for antisubmarine warfare and convoy escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Cannon, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. Of the 116 ships ordered, 44 were cancelled and six were commissioned directly into the Free French Forces. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting vulnerable cargo ships. HTMS Pin Klao (DE-413) was the last ship of the class to retire from active service after she was decommissioned from the Royal Thai Navy on 10 September 2025.

== Propulsion == The class was also known as the DET type from their diesel electric tandem drives. The propulsion system of the Evarts-class (GMT = General Motors Tandem) was identical. The DET's substitution for a turboelectric propulsion plant was the primary difference with the predecessor Buckley ("TE") class. The DET was, in turn, replaced with a direct-drive diesel plant to yield the design of the successor Edsall ("FMR") class.

== Hull numbers == A total of 72 ships of the Cannon class were built.

DE-99 through DE-113 (six are French) DE-162 through DE-197 DE-739 through DE-750 DE-763 through DE-771

Wartime transfers

During World War II, six ships of the class were earmarked for the Free French Naval Forces and a further eight were transferred the Brazilian Navy.

=== Free French ships === USS Corbesier (DE-106) as Sénégalais USS Cronin (DE-107) as Algérien USS Crosley (DE-108) as Tunisien USS Marocain (DE-109) as Marocain USS Hova (DE-110) as Hova USS Somali (DE-111) as Somali

=== Transferred to Brazil === USS Alger (DE-101) as Babitonga USS Cannon (DE-99) as Baependi USS Christopher (DE-100) as Benevente USS Herzog (DE-178) as Beberibe USS Marts (DE-174) as Bocaina USS McAnn (DE-179) as Bauru - now a museum ship in Rio de Janeiro USS Pennewill (DE-175) as Bertioga USS Reybold (DE-177) as Bracui

== Postwar dispersal == After the end of World War II, the United States Navy transferred many ships of the Cannon class to other navies.

=== Transferred to France === USS Baker (DE-190) as Malgache (F724); served 1952–1969 USS Bright (DE-747) as Touareg (F721); served 1950–1960 USS Cates (DE-763) as Soudanais (F722); served 1950–1959 USS Clarence L. Evans (DE-113) as Berbère (F723); served 1952–1960 USS Riddle (DE-185) as Kabyle (F718); served 1950–1959 USS Samuel S. Miles (DE-183) as Arabe (F717); served 1950–1968 USS Swearer (DE-186) as Bambara (F719); served 1950–1959 USS Wingfield (DE-194) as Sakalave (F720); served 1950–1960

=== Transferred to Greece === USS Eldridge (DE-173) as Leon; served 1951–1992 USS Slater (DE-766) as Aetos; served 1951–1991; now a museum ship in Albany, New York, the only destroyer escort afloat in the United States USS Ebert (DE-768) as Ierax ; served 1951–1991 USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) as Panthir; served 1951–1992

Transferred to Italy

USS Wesson (DE-184) as Andromeda (F 592) 1951; scrapped in 1972 USS Thornhill (DE-195) as Aldebaran (F 590) 1951; scrapped in 1976 USS Gandy (DE-764) as Altair (F 591) 1951; stricken and sunk as target in 1971

Transferred to Japan

USS Amick (DE-168) as Asahi (DE-262) 1955–75 (then to the Philippines) USS Atherton (DE-169) as Hatsuhi (DE-263) 1955–75 (then to the Philippines)

Transferred to the Netherlands

USS Burrows (DE-105) as Van Amstel (F806) 1950 USS Rinehart (DE-196) as Bitter (F807) 1950 USS Gustafson (DE-182) as Van Ewijck (F808) 1950 USS O'Neill (DE-188) as Dubois (F809) 1950 USS Eisner (DE-192) as Zeeuw (F810) 1950 USS Stern (DE-187) as van Zijll (F811) 1950

=== Transferred to Peru === USS Bangust (DE-739) as BAP Castilla; served 1951–1979 USS Waterman (DE-740) as BAP Aguirre; served 1951–1974 USS Weaver (DE-741) as BAP Rodríguez; served 1951–1979

Transferred to the Philippines

USS Amick (DE-168) as BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5); scrapped in 1989 USS Atherton (DE-169) as BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11); retired in 2018; possibly scrapped after capsizing in a typhoon in 2022 USS Booth (DE-170) as BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76); sunk during a typhoon in 1981 USS Muir (DE-770)—cannibalized for parts USS Sutton (DE-771)—cannibalized for parts

=== Transferred to South Korea === USS Muir (DE-770) as ROKN Kyong Ki (F-71); served 1956–1977 (then to the Philippines) USS Sutton (DE-771) as ROKN Kang Won (F-72); served 1956–1977 (then to the Philippines)

=== Transferred to the Republic of China (Taiwan) === USS Thomas (DE-102) as ROCN Taihe (太和) USS Bostwick (DE-103) as ROCN Taicang (太倉) USS Breeman (DE-104) as ROCN Taihu (太湖) USS Carter (DE-112) as ROCN Taizhao (太昭)

=== Transferred to Thailand === USS Hemminger (DE-746) as HTMS Pin Klao (DE-413); served 1959–2025

=== Transferred to Uruguay === USS Baron (DE-166) as Uruguay (DE-1); served 1952–1990 USS Bronstein (DE-189) as Artigas (DE-2); served 1952–1988

Ships in class

== See also == List of Escorteurs of the French Navy List of ship classes of the Second World War List of naval ship classes in service

References

External links

List of Cannon class Destroyer Escorts Cannon class Destroyer Escort - Photos USS Slater