Pennant A 895. Launched for the US navy an a AN Type net layer on the shipyard of the Bethlemen Steel Company at Staten Island in May 1952. The sources supplied different details. Jane’s Fighting Ships 1958-1959 suggest that she was completed and commissioned on 10 November of the same year by the US Navy although a month later already transferred (this must be as part of the Mutual Defence Assistance Program (MDAP). Vermeulen in his standard book dealing with the ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy said that she was commissioned on 10 December 1952 in Dutch service ass Hr.Ms. Cerberus. She was fitted out as a savage vessel and diving vessel in 1961 to replace the Hercules although still a boom defence vessel.
With a displacement of 680 (light)-780 (standard)-855-902 (full load) tons were her dimensions 165 x 33 x 10 feet or 52,16 x 10,40 x 3,60 metres. The diesel electric machinery supplied through one shaft 1,500 BHP allowing a speed of 12,8 knots. Her crew numbered 48-51 men and she was armed with 1-3” gun and 4-cm anti aircraft guns.
Jane’s Figthing Ships 1975-1976 described her while being in Turkish service and said that she was transferred in December 1952 by the USA to the Netherlands, transferred on 17 September 1970 back to the USA and immediately handed over to Turkey where she became the boom defence vessel AG 6 with as pennant P 306.
The website http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hr._Ms._Cerberus_(1958) claimed that she served in the Royal Netherlands Navy between 18 August 1958 and 31 August 1960 and was transferred by the USA to the Netherlands as a result of the Mutual Defence Assistance Program (MDAP).
The Dutch newspaper Nieuwsblad van het Noorden dated 7 January 1953 wrote that she arrived on 8 January at Den Helder and described as a net layer of around 600 tons.
Another Dutch newspaper Amigoe di Curacao dated 29 December 1952 confirmed she was transferred by the USA to the Netherlands as a result of the Mutual Defence Assistance Program (MDAP) although describing her a net layer of around 500 being the former American A.N. 93.
The website http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/bethstatenisland.htm dealing with the Bethlehem Steel Company, States Island New York described her as the net layer AN 93 of 900 tons, on 10 November 1952 delivered, she became the Dutch Hr.Ms. Cerberus and in 1970 handed over to Turkey where she became the AG6 (P306).
