The Cannon class was a class of 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, 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. BRP Rajah Humabon (FF-11) of the Philippine Navy, formerly USS Atherton, remains the only confirmed commissioned ship of this class as of 2016.
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.
A total of 72 ships of the Cannon class were built.
DE-99 through DE-113 (six are French)DE-162 through DE-197DE-739 through DE-750DE-763 through DE-771During 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.
USS Corbesier (DE-106) as SénégalaisUSS Cronin (DE-107) as AlgérienUSS Crosley (DE-108) as TunisienUSS Marocain (DE-109) as MarocainUSS Hova (DE-110) as HovaUSS Somali (DE-111) as SomaliUSS Alger (DE-101) as BabitongaUSS Cannon (DE-99) as BaependiUSS Christopher (DE-100) as BeneventeUSS Herzog (DE-178) as BeberibeUSS Marts (DE-174) as BocainaUSS McAnn (DE-179) as BauruUSS Pennewill (DE-175) as BertiogaUSS Reybold (DE-177) as BracuiAfter the end of World War II the United States Navy transferred many ships of the Cannon class to other navies
USS Baker (DE-190) as Malgache (F724); served 1952-1969USS Bright (DE-747) as Touareg (F721); served 1950-1960USS Cates (DE-763) as Soudanais (F722); served 1950-1959USS Clarence L. Evans (DE-113) as Berbère (F723); served 1952-1960USS Riddle (DE-185) as Kabyle (F718); served 1950-1959USS Samuel S. Miles (DE-183) as Arabe (F717); served 1950-1968USS Swearer (DE-186) as Bambara (F719); served 1950-1959USS Wingfield (DE-194) as Sakalave (F720); served 1950-1960USS Eldridge (DE-173) as Leon II; served 1951–1992USS Slater (DE-766) as Aetos II; served 1951–1991USS Ebert (DE-768) as Ierax II; served 1951–1991USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) as Panthir II; served 1951–1992USS Wesson (DE-184) as Andromeda (F-592) 1951; scrapped in 1972USS Thornhill (DE-195) as Aldebaran (F-590) 1951; scrapped in 1976USS Gandy (DE-764) as Altair (F-591) 1951; stricken and sunk as target in 1971USS 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) 1950USS Rinehart (DE-196) as Bitter (F807) 1950USS Gustafson (DE-182) as Van Ewijck (F808) 1950USS O'Neill (DE-188) as Dubois (F809) 1950USS Eisner (DE-192) as Zeeuw (F810) 1950USS Stern (DE-187) as van Zijll (F811) 1950USS Bangust (DE-739) as BAP Castilla; served 1951–1979USS Waterman (DE-740) as BAP Aguirre; served 1951–1974USS Weaver (DE-741) as BAP Rodríguez; served 1951–1979USS Amick (DE-168) as BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5); scrapped in 1989USS Atherton (DE-169) as BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11); still in serviceUSS Booth (DE-170) as BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76); sunk during a typhoon in 1981USS Muir (DE-770)—cannibalized for sparesUSS Sutton (DE-771)—cannibalized for sparesUSS 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)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 (413)USS Baron (DE-166) as Uruguay (DE-1); served 1952–1990USS Bronstein (DE-189) as Artigas (DE-2); served 1952–1988USS Slater (DE-766)—only destroyer escort remaining afloat in the United States