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 She was renamed CH-724 in 1952 and later P-724 before being withdrawn from service on 23 October 1980.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.^[1]

USS PC-497 before her conversion into USS SC-497.
History
United States
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Fate	Withdrawn from service on 23 October 1980, fate unknown.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