USS Chickadee (AM-59) was an of the United States Navy, named after the Chickadee, a family of small passerine birds which appear in North America and Africa. Chickadee was launched on 20 July 1942 at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan; sponsored by Mrs. George Buchanan Coale (Mary Woolfolk Rule Coale). She was commissioned on 9 November 1942 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet. Service history World War II Between 15 February and 4 May 1943, Chickadee voyaged from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, to Casablanca, Morocco on convoy escort duty, then participated in anti-submarine warfare against German U-boats and escorted Allied coastal convoys along the African and Mediterranean coasts until 19 June. Chickadee sailed out of Norfolk and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York City as an escort for vessels sailing to Iceland or the Caribbean between 7 July 1943 and 2 March 1944. Chickadee cleared Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina, on 7 April for Milford Haven, Wales, arriving there on 12 May. For the remainder of the month, the minesweeper engaged in training exercises for the coming invasion of Europe. Arriving off Normandy on 5 June 1944, Chickadee swept fire support channels into Baie de la Seine and throughout the various assault areas along the French coast in support of Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. She performed her hazardous duties under enemy shore fire on several occasions, but escaped with only minor damage from shrapnel and no casualties. The ship assisted in the rescue of survivors from and , and towed the damaged LST to safety. Chickadee continued to operate off the coast of France, with frequent visits to British ports, until 1 August 1944 when she departed Plymouth, England, for Naples, Italy. After arriving in Italian waters on 12 August, she swept in the Strait of Bonifacio until 23 August when she sailed to Cavalaire Bay, France, for sweeping operations during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. Between 29 August and 2 October, she swept the harbor of Marseilles, and conducted anti-submarine patrols off that port. During October and November 1944, Chickadee carried out a visual search for mines south of Sanremo, Italy, temporarily becoming the flagship of COMINRON SEVEN. After a brief overhaul at Palermo, Sicily, she returned to sweeping duty throughout the Mediterranean, operating out of Cannes, Nice, Livorno, Palermo, Malta, and Corsica. On 31 May 1945, she cleared Oran, Algeria, for Norfolk,