Cannon-class destroyer escort

The Cannon class destroyer escorts were built by the United States primarily for ocean anti-submarine warfare escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Cannon (DE-99) was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. Of the 116 ships ordered 44 were canceled and six commissioned directly into the Free French Forces. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting the vulnerable cargo ships.

The class was also known as the DET type from their Diesel Electric Tandem drive. The DET's substitution for a turbo-electric 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.

BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) of the Philippine Navy, formerly the USS Atherton (DE-169), remains as the only confirmed commissioned ship of this class as of 2013.

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
 * 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 Uruguay

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

Transferred to Greece

 * USS Eldridge (DE-173) as Leon II; served 1951–1992
 * USS Slater (DE-766) as Aetos II; served 1951–1991
 * USS Ebert (DE-768) as Ierax II; served 1951–1991
 * USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) as Panthir II; 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 Philippines)
 * USS Atherton (DE-169) as Hatsuhi (DE-263) 1955–75 (then to 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); still in service
 * USS Booth (DE-170) as BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76); sunk during a typhoon in 1981
 * USS Muir (DE-770)—cannibalized for spares
 * USS Sutton (DE-771)—cannibalized for spares

Transferred to South Korea

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

Transferred to Republic of China (Taiwan)

 * USS Thomas (DE-102) as ROCN Taihe (太和)
 * USS Bostwick (DE-103) as ROCN Taicang (太仓)
 * 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 (413)

Other notables

 * USS Slater (DE-766)—only destroyer escort remaining afloat in the United States