Cannon class destroyer escort

The USS Cannon (DE-99)
Class overview
Name:	Cannon class destroyer escort
Operators:	United States Navy  Free French Naval Forces  Brazilian Navy  Hellenic Navy  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force  Philippine Navy  Republic of China Navy  Republic of Korea Navy  Royal Thai Navy  Marina Militare  Peruvian Navy  Uruguayan Navy
Preceded by:	Buckley class destroyer escort
Succeeded by:	Edsall class destroyer escort
Planned:	116
Completed:	72
Cancelled:	44
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer Escort
Displacement:	1,240 tons standard 1,620 tons full load
Length:	93.3 metres (306.1 ft)
Beam:	11 metres (36.1 ft)
Draft:	3.5 metres (11.5 ft) full load
Propulsion:	4 GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive 4.5 MW (6000 shp), 2 screws
Speed:	21 knots
Range:	10,800 nmi at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	15 officers 201 enlisted men
Armament:	3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 guns (3×1) • 2 × 40 mm AA guns (1x2) • 8 × 20 mm AA guns (8×1) • 3 × 21 in. torpedo tubes (1×3) • 8 × depth charge projectors • 1 × depth charge projector (hedgehog) • 2 x depth charge tracks

The Cannon class destroyer escorts were built 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. The class was also known as the DET type from their Diesel Electric Tandem drive.^[1] Of the 116 ships ordered 44 were cancelled and 6 commissioned directly into the Free French Forces. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting the vulnerable cargo ships.

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 2010.

Hull Numbers

A total of 72 ships of the Cannon class were built.

• DE-99 through DE-113 (6 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

• edit] 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 edit] 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 Zijill (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

    

    BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) of the Philippine Navy
    • 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 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

    Resources

    • List of Cannon class Destroyer Escorts
    • Cannon class Destroyer Escort - Photos

    References

    1. ^ U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history by Norman Friedman, ISBN 1-55750-442-3 Chapter 7