USS Chief (AM-315)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Chief.

USS Chief (AM-315) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing, and named after the word "chief," the head or leader of a group.

Chief in 1952
History
United States
Name	HMS Alice (BAM-2)
Builder	General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, Alameda, California
Laid down	25 July 1942
Launched	5 January 1943
Renamed	USS Chief (AM-315), 23 January 1943
Commissioned	9 October 1943
Decommissioned	17 March 1947
Recommissioned	28 February 1952
Reclassified	MSF-315, 7 February 1955
Decommissioned	15 March 1955
Stricken	1 July 1972
Honours and awards	5 battle stars (World War II) 2 battle stars (Korea)
Fate	Sold to Mexico, February 1973
History
Mexico
Name	ARM Jesús González Ortega (C83)
Namesake	Jesús González Ortega
Acquired	February 1973
Reclassified	G15[1]
Reclassified	P114, 1993[1]
Status	in active service, as of 2007[update][1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Auk-class minesweeper
Displacement	890 long tons (904 t)
Length	221 ft 3 in (67.44 m)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	100 officers and enlisted
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun 2 × 40 mm guns 2 × 20 mm guns 2 × Depth charge tracks

Originally intended for Great Britain, HMS Alice (BAM-2) was launched 5 January 1943 by General Engineering and Dry Dock Co., Alameda, California; renamed and reclassified USS Chief (AM-315), 23 January 1943; and commissioned 9 October 1943.

Service history

World War II

Departing San Diego, California, 7 December 1943, Chief joined in exercises in Hawaiian waters until 22 January 1944 when she sailed for Kwajalein. She swept the harbor and joined the antisubmarine patrol until 14 February, when she returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Except for a convoy escort voyage to Eniwetok (21 March-15 April), she remained at Pearl Harbor until 29 May.

Joining Task Force TF 52 at Eniwetok, Chief sortied 12 June 1944 for the Marianas operation. Between 15 June and 7 August, she cleared mines for the invasions of Saipan and Tinian, and gave fire support to troops ashore, then had local duty at Saipan. Departing 9 September she escorted cargo ship De Grasse (AP-164) to Pearl Harbor, then continued to San Francisco, California for overhaul.

Returning to Pearl Harbor on 2 January 1945, Chief voyaged to Eniwetok on convoy escort duty, then conducted exercises in Hawaiian waters until clearing for Ulithi, where she arrived 4 March. After receiving new equipment, she sailed for Okinawa on 15 May. From 26 May to 21 August she acted as flagship for the group conducting hydrographic survey of Unten Ko, and developing it as a minecraft typhoon anchorage.

On 8 September Chief put out for Wakayama, Japan, where until 6 October she swept minefields in preparation for the arrival of occupation forces. She also assisted in the salvage of YMS-418 on 28 September. Chief remained on occupation duty at Nagoya and Sasebo, Japan, until 10 March 1946 when she steamed for San Francisco, California, arriving 19 April. She was placed out of commission in reserve 17 March 1947, berthed at San Pedro, California.

Korea

Recommissioned 28 February 1952 at Long Beach, Chief conducted training exercises off San Diego, California, until 7 July when she sailed for Sasebo, Japan, arriving 3 August. She operated with Task Force TF 95 around mine-infested Wonsan Harbor and was twice fired on by enemy shore batteries. She returned to Long Beach, California 5 February 1953 for local operations and training.

Her second Korean tour from 5 October 1953 to 2 June 1954 found her patrolling with Task Force TF 95 off both coasts of Korea to preserve the truce. She returned to west coast operations.

Decommissioning and sale

On 1 November 1954 Chief was placed in commission in reserve. Reclassified MSF-315 on 7 February 1955, she was placed out of commission in reserve 15 March 1955. Chief was sold to Mexico in February 1973. Renamed ARM Jesús González Ortega (C83), she remained in active service with the Mexican Navy as of 2007^[update],^[1] and was afloat as of 2016.^[2]

Awards and honors

Chief received five battle stars for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean War service.

Notes

1. Wertheim, Eric, ed. (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (15th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 472. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2. OCLC 140283156.
2. "ARM ORTEGA P114". ShipSpotting. Retrieved 10 May 2017.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Chief at NavSource Naval History
• USS Chief (AM-315, later MSF-315), 1943-1973
• USS Chief (AM-315) - US Navy - Korean War Project
• Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-315 USS Chief
• uboat.net - Minesweeper USS Chief of the Auk class