The Search for USS Mississinewa - 3     

Mississinewa is hit

Of these five Kaitens, one hit the reef and exploded, another foundered outside the reef and was sunk by aircraft, and the USS Case, at the entrance to Mugai Channel, rammed a third. Two entered the lagoon. One was sunk by depth charges from the USS Rall and the last Kaiten made it to its target, ramming and sinking the USS Mississinewa at 5:45 a.m.. While many feel the 'successful' Kaiten was from I-36, based on our observations of the location and orientation of the USS Mississinewa, the sinking is more consistent with an attack from an I-47-launched suicide sub. Furthermore, using Japanese documents describing assigned attack routes, we support the difficult-to-prove theory that Sub-Lt. Nishimi piloted the Kaiten which sank the USS Mississinewa. Interestingly, his Kaiten was the only one to sink a US Navy vessel by itself; a subsequent attack in the Philippines on the USS Underhill damaged, but did not sink, that ship - it was later sunk by "friendly fire" due to the extensive damage incurred from that Kaiten.

The USS Mississinewa was loaded with 440,000 gallons of aviation gasoline and a full load of fuel oil. However, aviation fuel had been pumped from the #3 wing and centerline tanks and bow wing tanks #1 and #2. On orders from Captain Phillip Beck, these tanks had not been "purged" (filled with seawater), a procedure used to reduce the danger from the residual, highly volatile fumes. We confirmed that the Kaiten hit the oiler on the starboard side, most likely (based on our observations) between the #2 and #3 wing gasoline cargo tanks forward of the bridge. Fumes in these tanks probably exploded with as much force as the initial impact of the sub's warhead. It tore a gaping hole almost 40 feet in length and down to the keel on both the port and starboard sides.

Of the 278 enlisted men and 20 officers on board at the time of the attack, 63 (3 officers and 60 enlisted men) died, most forward of the bridge and many in the forward crew berthing, as the area was consumed with flames. The situation further deteriorated when a second explosion, presumably the 5-inch ammunition magazine, occurred at 6:05 AM. (In addition to the details contained in this synopsis, Mike Mair, son of one of the ship's surviving crew members, has compiled vivid descriptions of the carnage and confusion from the survivors. These recollections are beyond the scope of this summary but may be found in a draft of the first chapter of his book provided on the http://www.ussMississinewa.com web site.)

Rescue efforts

While many ships and one Kingfisher aircraft were important to the rescue of the survivors, the account of the fleet tug USS Munsee, ATF-107, is most relevant to our story. The Munsee headed southwest down the Urushi anchorage toward the stricken USS Mississinewa (the "Miss"). Destined to play a significant role in the fire fighting and rescue efforts, the Munsee had aboard Storekeeper 2nd Class Simon "Sid" Harris who received permission from his ship's captain to photograph the rescue effort from the deck. His 37 black-and-white photographs, documenting these efforts, were instrumental in our team relocating the Miss. By 8:30 AM, the fires had been quenched. Unfortunately, the Mississinewa had taken on too much water in the attempt to save her and the bow dipped below the surface of the lagoon. The fire fighters abandoned ship as it slowly rolled to the port. It continued to roll as the stern rose, displaying its twin, four-bladed screws and then disappeared for the next 57 years beneath the still burning, oil-coated ocean.