The lead ship, USS Edsall, was commissioned on 10 April 1943 at Orange, Texas.

The FMR's substitution for a diesel-electric power plant was the essential difference from the predecessor Cannon ("DET") class.

[1] This was the only World War II destroyer escort class in which all the ships originally ordered were completed as United States Navy destroyer escorts.

Most were en route to the Pacific Theater when Japan surrendered.

One of the ships participated in Operation Dragoon and two were attacked by German guided missiles.