USS Chief, an 890-ton Auk class minesweeper built at Alameda, California, was commissioned in October 1943. She served in the Pacific during World War II, participating in the Marianas and Okinawa Campaigns. From September 1945 into March 1946, Chief swept mines in Japanese waters and otherwise supported occupation activities. She returned to the United States in April 1946 and decommissioned in March 1947.
The Korean War returned Chief to commissioned service in February 1952. After working up off the U.S. West Coast, she deployed to the Far East in 1952-53 for a tour of duty off Korea. She again deployed to the Korean area in 1953-54. Decommissioned in November 1954, she was reclassified as a fleet minesweeper and redesignated MSF-315 in February 1955. USS Chief was sold to Mexico in February 1973. Renamed Jesus Gonzalez Ortega, she remains in the service of the Mexican Navy.
This page features views of USS Chief (AM-315) and provides information on others that may be available from the National Archives.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Chief (AM-315). The following list features these images.
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Chief (AM-315) en route to Saipan with Task Force 52, 11 June 1944. Port bow surface view taken by PhoM Hanson, with the last few feet of the ship's stern cropped out of the image's right side. USS Chief (AM-315) in port, about 1954. Starboard broadside surface view. This photograph was released in March 1954 with a caption describing Chief's crew's donation of $200 worth of clothing and school supplies to a Korean orphanage. USS Chief (AM-315) underway during the early 1950s. Port stern aerial view. This photograph was received in December 1959. USS Chief (AM-315) underway during the early 1950s. Port broadside aerial view. This photograph was received in December 1959.
The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions ". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
26 September 1999