USS SC-497

USS SC-497 was a SC-497 class submarine chaser that served in the United States Navy and later the Free French Navy during World War II. She was originally laid down as PC-497 on 29 November 1941 by the Westergard Boat Works in Rockport, Texas, and launched on 4 July 1941. She was commissioned as USS PC-497 on 16 October 1942. She was later reclassified as a SC-497 class submarine chaser and renamed SC-497. She was transferred to the Free French Navy as part of the Lend-Lease program on 18 March 1944 as CH-96. The transfer was made permanent on 15 August 1944. She was renamed CH-724 in 1952 and later P-724 before being withdrawn from service on 23 October 1980. Her exact fate is unknown.

USS PC-497 before her conversion into USS SC-497.
History
United States of America
Name:	USS SC-497
Operator:	United States Navy
Builder:	Westergard Boat Works, Inc.
Laid down:	7 March 1941
Launched:	4 July 1941
Commissioned:	15 April 1942
Fate:	Transferred to France on 18 March 1944, permanently on 15 August 1944.
France
Name:	CH-96
Operator:	Free French Naval Forces  French Navy
Acquired:	18 March 1944
Renamed:	CH-724 in 1952 and later P-724
Fate:	Withdrawn from service on 23 October 1980, fate unknown.
General characteristics
Class and type:	SC-497 class submarine chaser
Type:	submarine chaser
Displacement:	148 tons
Length:	110 ft 10 in (34 m)
Beam:	17 ft (5 m)
Draft:	6 ft 6 in (2 m)
Propulsion:	2 × 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear 2 × shafts
Speed:	15.6 knots
Complement:	28
Armament:	1 × 40 mm gun mount 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) caliber machine guns 2 × Y-guns 2 × ducts