Most of you have heard of the U.S.S. Indianapolis from one source or another. But for those who don't know this tragic story, I'll elaborate.
In July 1945, The USS Indianapolis set out from San Francisco carrying the vital components of the Atomic bomb that would annihalate Hiroshima. The "Indy" offloaded its precious cargo at the airbase of Tinian in the Marianas Islands and set off for the Island of Leyte to undergo refresher training before joining Task Force 95 which was gearing up for the proposed invasion of Japan.
She never arrived.
On July the 30th just after midnight, a Japanese submarine-The I-58- sighted the Indianapolis and fired six torpedoes at the cruiser. Two of the torpedoes hit the ship at 12:05am and destroyed the foward part of the vessel. Sixty feet of the bow was obliterated, and touched of numerous gasoline fed fires in the hull. 12 minutes later, The Indianapolis capsized, and raised her stern into the black sky and plunged 3 miles to her grave in the Phillipine sea. Over 300-400 of her crew went with her, Entombed within the steel hull. Over 900 men escaped into the water and flounderd about the ocean dying of third degree burns and being poisoned by the noxious stew of sea water and fuel oil from the cruiser's ruptured fuel tanks. Rescue seemed imminent according to the survivors which included Charles Butler McVay III, The "Indy's" skipper. But due to a series of burecatic SNAFU's by the Navy, five days passed before rescue arrived (The survivors were spotted accidentaly by a U.S. Navy patrol bomber on a sub hunting patrol). In the end, Only 317 out of 1,196 men on board the Indianapolis survived the horrifying ordeal which included Dehydration, lack of food, battle wounds, exhaustion, hallucinatory demenmtia, and worst of all:
SHARK ATTACK .
880 men lost their lives in what was called the worst Naval disaster in U.S. history rivaled only by the battleship Arizona which was sunk at Pearl Harbor.
After the tragedy Captain McVay was court martialled for failing to abandon ship in time (He waited 8 minutes before leaving the ship), and Hazarding his command by failing to Zig Zag in sub infested waters (McVay was never told that the I-58 was lurking in the same area the Indianapolis was sailing). He was found guilty of the second charge and his carreer was ruined.
Charles Butler McVay III commited suicide on November 6th 1968.
In 2000, The survivors of the Indianapolis and a grade school student from Pensacola, Florida fought Captain McVay's court martial and won. McVay was exhonerated of all charges, but his conviction still stands on his record to this day.
A few years ago Ocean explorer Curt Newport (He found the Liberty bell 7 space capsule) launched an expedition to find the Indianapolis. Four of the Survivors joined the search. However no trace of the Indianapolis was found. Sadly, the mission was a bust. Now, from what I heard, the Indianapolis lies 2-3 miles below the oceans surface in terrain that is very diificult for sonar or an ROV. Many mountains and volcanoes jut up from the surface and find a 610' Heavy Cruiser will be very difficult. I figured This would be a good Idea for the people of NUMA or Blue water recoveries (They found H.M.S. Hood in 2002). As of right now however the Indianapolis remains undiscovered in the depths of the pacific ocean.
USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35)
Still at seaClick here for website with more information