USS Rainier AE-5
The USS Rainier AE-5 was the second Navy ship to bear the name in honor of Mount Rainier. Laid down in May of 1940 at the Tampa Shipbuilding Co. in Tampa, Florida, the USS Rainier AE-5 was originally called the M.S. Rainbow, but was subsequently renamed before she was launched in March of 1941 with Navy Captain William W. Meek in command. Interestingly enough, the “A” and “E” in the ship’s name stood for “Auxiliary” and “Explosives,” and the USS Rainier AE-5 featured a 5” gun on her aft overhang.
Following launch, the USS Rainier AE-5 made two trips to Pearl Harbor to deliver supplies and ammunition. She then made her way to the Tonga Islands with more ammunition, which was used during the Battle of Midway, during which the U.S. battled with Japan. The USS Rainier AE-5 then headed towards Fiji, where U.S. vessels in need of supplies were situated within the Solomon Islands. She then landed in Auckland, New Zealand before heading back to the U.S. for maintenance. After her refit period, she made two more voyages to Pearl and then steered towards Espiritu Santos, the largest island of the nation of Vanuatu (located in the Pacific area known as Melanesia). In 1943, she welcomed a new captain, Commander R.B. Miller and returned to San Francisco. Her next stop would have been Havannah Harbor, in the New Hebrides islands (also part of Vanuatu) but an official order took the USS Rainier AE-5 to Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands, and then to Kwajalein and Majuro to deliver ammunition. In early 1944, the vessel was ready to head towards Makin Island, but another official order had her steer back to Majuro, where she would remain as a member of the occupation forces until moving to Eniwetok in April. In July, the USS Rainier AE-5 landed in Saipan, where she witnessed the battles of Tinian and Saipan and provided ammunition to U.S. forces there.
After a maintenance period spanning from August to October of 1944, the USS Rainier AE-5 headed to the Caroline Islands and served as the headquarters for Service Squadron TEN, a group of vessels including repair ships, dock landing ships, tenders, hospital ships, tankers, and ammunition ships. She continued to provide ammunition for U.S. ships until after the Japanese surrender. In May of 1945, the USS Rainier AE-5 proceeded to the Philippine Islands to provide supplies to the U.S. fleet, and, in September of that year, received orders to land in Okinawa. On the way, the USS Rainier AE-5 found herself in the midst of the Okinawa Typhoon during the first week of October. Amazingly, the ship survived the 134-mile-per-hour winds and sustained minimal damage and no crew casualties. She continued to deliver almost 3,300 tons of ammo per month until her discharge in December of 1945.
After almost six years of reserve, the USS Rainier AE-5 was called up to support the American forces in Korea. Following the Tonkin Gulf Incident in 1964, she was the first ammunition ship on the scene and supplied U.S. forces with crucial ammunition and supplies.
The crew aboard the USS Rainier AE-5, during WWII and the Korean conflict, were very lucky to have escaped much of the tragedy experienced by other navy crewmembers of these times. However, they may have been unknowingly exposed to asbestos, which was found on most every vessel built prior to WWII. Exposure to asbestos is the only confirmed cause of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer. A vast number of U.S. veterans have developed this disease as a result of exposure during their time in the military, and it is imperative that former crewmembers who served aboard the USS Rainier AE-5 monitor their respiratory health and speak with their physician if they begin to experience difficulty breathing or a chronic cough, which may indicate the presence of an asbestos-caused disease.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
