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Chief

USS Chief (MCM-14) is one continuous physical Avenger-class mine-countermeasures hull.

MCM-14 · Avenger classUnited States NavyUnited StatesCold War and Post-Cold WarVerified subject image
Chief (MCM-14) under "attack" by the S.S. Ybor (actually the tugboat JANET K.) as the mock pirate invasion of Tampa by the Ybor Navy begins as part of the annual Gasparilla celebrati...
Chief (MCM-14) under "attack" by the S.S. Ybor (actually the tugboat JANET K.) as the mock pirate invasion of Tampa by the Ybor Navy begins as part of the annual Gasparilla celebration. Location: TAMPA, FLORIDA (FL) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) Camera Operator:Description Cropped from original at [1] · Public domainImage source
Hull / pennantMCM-14
ClassAvenger class
NavyUnited States Navy
CountryUnited States
Builder / shipyardPeterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Recorded statusActive
PreservationSasebo, Japan

Overview

USS Chief (MCM-14) is one continuous physical Avenger-class mine-countermeasures hull.

Chief is associated with United States and United States Navy. It belonged to Avenger class, so the class page provides the shared design history while this page concentrates on the individual ship.

Construction and identity

The available construction record identifies Chief as built by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The ship's documented identity includes hull or pennant identifiers MCM-14 and service with United States Navy.

Service history

Active U.S. Navy service, forward-deployed at Sasebo, Japan, in the current official command source.

The ship's configuration should be interpreted through the documented class and the dates attached to this individual vessel; equipment should not be assumed to have remained unchanged throughout service.

Class context: Avenger class

The Avenger class comprises 14 oceangoing U.S. Navy mine-countermeasures ships numbered MCM-1 through MCM-14.

As a member of Avenger class, Chief shared the class's documented design framework and intended roles of Mine hunting, Mine neutralization, and Minesweeping. Individual refits, transfers, and wartime changes belong to this ship only when separately documented.

Later service and disposition

Active U.S. Navy service, forward-deployed at Sasebo, Japan, in the current official command source. The recorded location is Sasebo, Japan.

Chief matters as an individual career within Avenger class, allowing class-wide design history to be separated from this ship's own construction, identities, service, and fate.

This ship is recorded as a member of Avenger class. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.

Sources and further reading

  1. Mine Countermeasures Ships (MCM) — Avenger Class ↗Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet · accessed 2026-09-20
  2. Mine Countermeasures Ship (MCM) Index ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
  3. USS Chief (MCM 14) ↗Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet · accessed 2026-09-20
  4. MCM-1 Avenger — NavSource Mine Warfare Ship Photo Archive ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
  5. MCM-5 Guardian — NavSource Mine Warfare Ship Photo Archive ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
  6. U.S. Navy Decommissions Avenger-class Mine Countermeasures Ships in Bahrain ↗United States Navy · accessed 2026-09-20
  7. USS Patriot (MCM 7) ↗Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet · accessed 2026-09-20
  8. USS Pioneer (MCM 9) ↗Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet · accessed 2026-09-20
  9. USS Warrior (MCM 10) ↗Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet · accessed 2026-09-20
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