USS Chief (AM-315)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! 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. 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, Lieutenant Commander J. M. Wyckoff, USNR, in command.