U.S.S. Mississinewa, AO-59

The book,

Oil, Fire, and Fate

The Sinking of the USS Mississinewa (AO-59) in WWII by Japan’s Secret Weapon

written by Mike Mair is now available for sale. Autographed copies of the book are can be obtained through the shopping cart when placing an order.

Click here to read Chapter One of this important, historical, firsthand account of the life of this ship and its crew.

Click here to access the shopping cart and place an order for Oil, Fire, and Fate. On-line sales and immediate shipping are now available.

The U.S.S. Mississinewa was a T3-S2-A3 Auxiliary Oiler, commissioned on May 18, 1944. The role of the U.S.S. Mississinewa was to refuel ships, while underway, in the South Pacific during WWII. She, along with the other Auxiliary Oilers, played a crucial role in keeping combat vessels supplied with fuel.
On November 20, 1944, the U.S.S. Mississinewa was struck by a Kaiten (Imperial Japanese Navy manned suicide torpedo with a 3,418 lb. warhead), became totally engulfed in flames and subsequently sank with a loss of 63 U.S. Sailors and one Japanese Kaiten pilot. The sinking was captured in still photographs by Sid Harris, a sailor aboard fleet tug, Munsee. See our Newsletter, Vol. 2 below for some of his pictures.

We want to express our utmost gratitude to all those brave veterans who risked their lives and especially to those who gave their lives to help ensure the freedom that we enjoy today.

Related Video's NEW -added 6/29/08:

Actual 16mm film taken on 20 November 1944 of the Mississinewa as it burned not long after being hit by the Kaiten. (Remember when you watch this that the entire 553 feet long 'Miss' is completely engulfed within the smoke.)

Sea Hunter's Shipwreck Central TV site Images of the Mississinewa today, as she lies on the sea bed, along with a computerized depiction of its sinking.

	Click on crew photo to the left. Then click on the enlarged photo to see section details. Updated June 23, 2008
At right: Memorial on Mangejang Island, at Ulithi, for those lost in the sinking of the Mississinewa. Click on them to enlarge. Photos courtesy of Lt. Cmdr. Carter, US Navy.
	<-- Click on the picture to the left to view the Navy Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)'s web presentation on the removal of the oil from the sunken USS Mississinewa in 2003.

Fernando Cuevas honored in Texas' Ennis Daily News in a two part story about him and the Mississinewa

Click here for Part 1 (October 15, 2007) / Click here for Part 2 (October 16, 2007)

Click below to view the current status of the AO-59 Officers and crewmen.

Other AO-59 Related Sites:

All Officers

National Weather Service

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (Courtesy of FSM Lt. Governor Tony Tareg)

Crewmen A - C

Ron Fulleman- (son of Raymond Fulleman, WT2c)

Ron's site describing the AO-59 reunion, in April of 1999, in Corpus Christi, TX.

D - F

Navel Force Web-Sites & World War II Misc. Links

Many links to World War II Navel sites. NEW Link as of 4-25-02

G - L

Department of the Navy - Historical Center

Historical information of Navel Ships along with other links.

M - R

U.S.S. Canisteo, AO-99

Displaying photos, historical information, links to the U.S.S. Canisteo and other Oilers.

S - Z

U.S.S. Conklin, DE-439

Displaying photos, historical information, links to the U.S.S. Conklin and other Destroyer Escorts.

Sign or View Our Guestbook

(Our Guestbook is working again!)

Fleet Tanker Association

This site displays reunion information and links to many Oiler sites.

Thanks to Dick Davies for providing our internet service.
Visit his site at www.daviestrek.com

Iwo Jima

This site show some great information and links to the battle of Iwo Jima.

U.S.S. Cimarron, AO-177

This site is dedicated to all tankermen and has a great many images of tankers at work.

The Bent Prop Project - View the first pictures of the AO-59 taken after 57 years

A group that searches for clues leading to the location & identification of wreck sites and remains of men who gave their lives in defense of America.

The AO-59 was 553' long with a beam of 75'.

Bouwman U.S. Navy Page

A tribute to the Tankers and Oiler of the US Navy including the AO-59 and the USS Mississinewa, AO-144.

Click here to view photos

Japan's Kaiten Pilot Association

A Japanese site about the Kaiten Pilots of World War II.

HullNumber.com is a site designed to help former crewmen get in contact with eachother.

Last updated 8-13-2003
Kikusui Group Attack On Ulithi
by Mike Mair

Click above picture to go to HullNumber.com's AO-59 Site

Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil:

The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II

by Rear Adm. Worrall Reed Carter, USN (Retired)

Photo to right:

Kaiten

On display at the Bowfin Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. The suicide torpedo has been modified with a glass panel under the conning tower to allow vistors to view the interior workings.

Photo by: Ron Fulleman

Newsletters: Download the Scuttlebutt newsletter and view it using Adobe Acrobat
(Click on the issue number below)

Premier Issue: Fall of 1999 - Reunion in Corpus Christi, TX

Volume 2 - Spring of 2000 - Sinking of the AO-59, photos by Sid Harris

Volume 3 - Fall of 2000 - Memorial Service at Ulithi Atoll

Volume 4 - Summer of 2001 - Kingfisher to Rescue - AO-59 Found

Volume 5 - Summer of 2002 - Looking at the AO-59 now, 120 feet below the ocean's surface.

Volume 6 - Spring of 2003 - REUNION Scheduled for July 2003, USS Salvor, ARS 52 to remove oil.

Volume 7 - Fall of 2004 - 2003 Reunion held in Providence, Rhode Island.

Email comments or suggestions to:

Bob Fulleman - Webmaster & "Scuttlebutt" Publisher - Son of survivor Ray Fulleman, WT2c	Ron Fulleman - AO-59 Researcher & Reunion Co-Host - Son of survivor Ray Fulleman, WT2c	Mike Mair - AO-59 Historian & Reunion Co-Host - Son of survivor Jack Mair, F2c

Sign or View Our Guestbook	Be sure to sign our new guestbook!	Download Free

Left to Right - Mike Mair, Ray, Ron, and Bob Fulleman
USS Lackawanna, AO-40 Reunion - Seattle, WA - 2000

Other AO-59 Related Sites:

Last updated 8-13-2003