The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a United States Navy Indianapolis-class heavy cruiser, was torpedoed and sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58 in the Philippine Sea. The sinking of the Indianapolis resulted in the loss of 883 crewmen, which was the largest single-ship loss of life in the United States Navy's history.
The Indianapolis had just delivered the components of the atomic bomb "Little Boy" to Tinian, which would be used in the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The ship was returning to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines when it was hit by two torpedoes from I-58. The Indianapolis sank in just 12 minutes, and over 800 crewmen were killed instantly.
The survivors of the sinking were left adrift in the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea. For four days, they endured hunger, thirst, and exposure to the sun and rain. Many of the survivors died from their injuries, or were killed by sharks.
On August 2, 1945, the survivors were finally rescued by the destroyer USS Bassett. Only 317 of the original crew of 1,196 survived.
The sinking of the Indianapolis was a tragedy that could have been avoided. The ship was not equipped with radar, and its captain, Captain Charles B. McVay III, was not aware that there were Japanese submarines in the area. McVay was later court-martialed and found guilty of negligence, but he was acquitted on appeal.
The sinking of the Indianapolis remains one of the most tragic events in American naval history. It is a reminder of the dangers of war, and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected.
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