_underway_at_sea_on_27_September_1939_(80-G-425615).jpg) USSIndianapolis, 27 September 1939 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Indianapolis |
| Namesake | City ofIndianapolis,Indiana |
| Ordered | 13 February 1929 |
| Awarded | 15 August 1929 |
| Builder | New York Shipbuilding Corporation,Camden, New Jersey |
| Cost | $10,903,200 (contract price) |
| Laid down | 31 March 1930 |
| Launched | 7 November 1931 |
| Sponsored by | Lucy M. Taggart |
| Commissioned | 15 November 1932 |
| Identification |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Indy"[1] |
| Honors and awards |   10 ×battle stars |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk byJapanese submarineI-58 on 30 July 1945 |
| General characteristics (as built)[2] | |
| Class & type | Portland-classcruiser |
| Displacement | 9,950long tons (10,110 t) (standard) |
| Length | |
| Beam | 66 ft 1 in (20.14 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 32.7 kn (60.6 km/h; 37.6 mph) |
| Range | 13,000 nmi (15,000 mi; 24,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament | |
| Armor |
|
| Aircraft carried | 4 ×floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 2 ×Amidshipcatapults |
| General characteristics (1945)[3] | |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 3 × floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 1 × Amidship catapults (starboard catapult removed in 1945) |
USSIndianapolis (CL/CA-35) was aPortland-classheavy cruiser of theUnited States Navy, named for the city ofIndianapolis, Indiana. Launched in 1931, she was theflagship of the commander ofScouting Force 1 for eight years, then flagship forAdmiralRaymond Spruance from 1943 to 1945 while he commanded theFifth Fleet in battles across theCentral Pacific duringWorld War II.
In July 1945,Indianapolis completed a top-secret high-speed trip to deliveruranium and other components for "Little Boy", the firstnuclear weapon used in combat, to theTinian Naval Base, and subsequently departed for thePhilippines on training duty. At 0015 on 30 July, the ship wastorpedoed by theImperial Japanese Navy submarineI-58, and sank in 12 minutes.
Of 1,195 crewmen aboard, about 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 890 facedexposure,dehydration,saltwater poisoning, andshark attacks while stranded in the open ocean, with few lifeboats and almost no food or water.[4]
The Navy learned of the sinking four days later, when survivors were spotted by the crew of aPV-1 Ventura on routine patrol. A U.S. NavyPBY flying boat crew landed to save those in the water. Only 316 survived.[4] No U.S. warship sunk at sea has lost more sailors.[a]
On 19 August 2017, a search team financed byMicrosoft co-founderPaul Allen located the wreckage in thePhilippine Sea at a depth of about 18,000 ft (5,500 m).[5] On 20 December 2018, the crew ofIndianapolis was collectively awarded aCongressional Gold Medal.[6]
Indianapolis was the second of two ships in thePortland class, the third class of "treaty cruisers" constructed by theUnited States Navy following theWashington Naval Treaty of 1922, after the two vessels of thePensacola class, ordered in 1926, and the six of theNorthampton class, ordered in 1927.[7] Ordered for the U.S. Navy in fiscal year 1930,Indianapolis was originally designated as alight cruiser because of her thin armor and given thehull classification symbol CL-35. She was reclassified aheavy cruiser, because of her 8-inch (203 mm) guns, with the symbol CA-35 on 1 July 1931, in accordance with theLondon Naval Treaty.[8]
ThePortland-class cruisers were designed for astandard displacement of 10,258long tons (10,423 t), and afull-load displacement of 12,755 long tons (12,960 t).[9] ButIndianapolis did not reach this weight, displacing 9,950 long tons (10,110 t).[10] The ship had two distinctive rakedfunnels, a tripodforemast, and a small tower and pole mast aft. In 1943, light tripods were added forward of the second funnel on each ship, and a prominentnaval director was installed aft.[10]
The ship had fourpropeller shafts and four Parsons GTgeared turbines and eightWhite-Forster boilers. The 107,000 shp (80,000 kW) gave a design speed of 32.7 kn (60.6 km/h; 37.6 mph). She was designed for a range of 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).[10] She rolled badly until fitted with abilge keel.[8]
The cruiser had nine8-inch/55-caliber Mark 9 guns in three triple mounts, asuperfiring pair fore and one aft. Foranti-aircraft defense, she had eight5-inch/25-caliber guns and twoQF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns. In 1945, she received twenty-four40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns, arrayed in six quad mounts. Both ships were upgraded with nineteen20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons.[3] The ship did not havetorpedo tubes.[11]
ThePortland-class cruisers originally had 1-inch (25 mm) armor for deck and side protection, but in construction[8] they were givenbelt armor between 3.25 in (83 mm) and 5 in (130 mm) (around themagazines) in thickness.[11] Armor on thebulkheads was between 2 in (51 mm) and 5.75 in (146 mm); that on thedeck was 2.5 in (64 mm), thebarbettes 1.5 in (38 mm), thegun turrets 2.5 in, and theconning tower 1.25 in (32 mm).[10]
Portland-class cruisers were outfitted asfleet flagships, with space for aflag officer and his staff. The class also had twoaircraft catapults amidships.[10] They could carry four aircraft. The total crew varied, with a regular designed complement of 807[9] and a wartime complement of 952, which could increase to 1,229 when the cruiser was a fleet flagship.[10]
Indianapolis waslaid down byNew York Shipbuilding Corporation on 31 March 1930.[10] The hull and machinery were provided by the builder.[8]Indianapolis waslaunched on 7 November 1931, andcommissioned on 15 November 1932.[10] She was the second ship named for the city ofIndianapolis, following thecargo ship of the same name in 1918. She wassponsored byLucy M. Taggart, daughter of formerMayor of IndianapolisThomas Taggart.[12]
_underway_in_1939.jpg)
UnderCaptain John M. Smeallie,Indianapolis undertook hershakedown cruise through the Atlantic and intoGuantánamo Bay, until 23 February 1932.Indianapolis then transited thePanama Canal for training off the Chilean coast. After overhaul at thePhiladelphia Naval Shipyard, she sailed toMaine to embarkPresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt atCampobello Island, New Brunswick, on 1 July 1933.[12] Getting underway the same day,Indianapolis arrived atAnnapolis, Maryland, on 3 July. She hosted six members of theCabinet, along with Roosevelt, during her stay there. After disembarking Roosevelt, she departed Annapolis on 4 July, and steamed for Philadelphia Navy Yard.[12]
On 6 September, she embarkedUnited States Secretary of the NavyClaude A. Swanson, for an inspection of the Navy in the Pacific.Indianapolis toured theCanal Zone, Hawaii, and installations inSan Pedro andSan Diego. Swanson disembarked on 27 October. On 1 November 1933, she became the flagship ofScouting Fleet 1, and maneuvered with the force offLong Beach, California. She departed on 9 April 1934, and arrived at New York City, embarking Roosevelt for a second time, for anaval review. She returned to Long Beach on 9 November 1934 for more training with the Scouting Force. She remained flagship of Scouting Force 1 until 1941. On 18 November 1936, she embarked Roosevelt for a third time atCharleston, South Carolina, and conducted a goodwill cruise to South America with him. She visitedRio de Janeiro, Brazil,Buenos Aires, Argentina, andMontevideo, Uruguay, for state visits before returning to Charleston and disembarking Roosevelt's party on 15 December.[12] President Roosevelt underwent hiscrossing the line ceremony during this cruise on 26 November: an "intensive initiation lasting two days, but we have all survived and are now full-fledged Shellbacks".[13]
On 7 December 1941,Indianapolis, leading Task Force 3, (Indianapolis and destroyer-minesweepersDorsey,Elliot, andLamberton from MineDiv 6, andSouthard andLong from MineDiv 5[14]) was conducting a mock bombardment atJohnston Atoll during theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Indianapolis was absorbed into Task Force 12 and searched for theJapaneseaircraft carriers responsible for the attack, though the force did not locate them. She returned toPearl Harbor on 13 December and joinedTask Force 11.[12]
With the task force, she steamed to theSouth Pacific, to 350 mi (560 km) south ofRabaul,New Britain, escorting theaircraft carrierLexington. Late in the afternoon of 20 February 1942, the American ships were attacked by 18 Japanese aircraft. Of these, 16 were shot down by aircraft fromLexington and the other two were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire from the ships.[12]
On 10 March, the task force, reinforced by another force centered on the carrierYorktown, attackedLae andSalamaua, New Guinea, where the Japanese were marshalingamphibious forces. Attacking from the south through theOwen Stanley mountain range, the US air forces surprised and inflicted heavy damage on Japanese warships and transports, losing few aircraft.Indianapolis returned to theMare Island Naval Shipyard for a refit before escorting a convoy to Australia.[12]
Indianapolis then headed for the North Pacific to support American units in theBattle of the Aleutian Islands. On 7 August,Indianapolis and the task force attackedKiska Island, a Japanese staging area. Although fog hindered observation,Indianapolis and other ships fired their main guns into the bay.Floatplanes from the cruisers reported Japanese ships sunk in the harbor and damage to shore installations. After 15 minutes, Japaneseshore batteries returned fire before being destroyed by the ships' main guns. Japanese submarines approaching the force weredepth-charged by Americandestroyers and Japanese seaplanes made an ineffective bombing attack. In spite of a lack of information on the Japanese forces, the operation was considered a success. US forces later occupiedAdak Island, providing a naval base farther fromDutch Harbor onUnalaska Island.
_underway_at_sea%2c_in_1943-1944_(NH_124466).jpg)
In January 1943,Indianapolis supported a landing and occupation onAmchitka, part of anAlliedisland hopping strategy in theAleutian Islands.[12]
On the evening of 19 February,Indianapolis led two destroyers on a patrol southwest ofAttu Island, searching for Japanese ships trying to reinforce Kiska and Attu. She intercepted the Japanese 3,100-long-ton (3,150 t)cargo ship,Akagane Maru laden with troops, munitions, and supplies. The cargo ship tried to reply to the radio challenge but was shelled byIndianapolis.Akagane Maru exploded and sank with all hands. Through mid-1943,Indianapolis remained near the Aleutian Islands, escorting American convoys and providing shore bombardments supporting amphibious assaults. In May, the Allies captured Attu, then turned on Kiska, thought to be the final Japanese holdout in the Aleutians. Allied landings there began on 15 August, but the Japanese had already abandoned the Aleutian Islands, unbeknownst to the Allies.[12]
After refitting at Mare Island,Indianapolis moved to Hawaii as flagship ofVice AdmiralRaymond A. Spruance, commanding the5th Fleet. She sortied from Pearl Harbor on 10 November, with the main body of the Southern Attack Force forOperation Galvanic, the invasion of theGilbert Islands. On 19 November,Indianapolis bombardedTarawa Atoll, and next day poundedMakin (seeBattle of Makin). The ship then returned to Tarawa as fire-support for the landings. Her guns shot down an enemy plane and shelled enemy strongpoints as landing parties fought Japanese defenders in theBattle of Tarawa. She continued this role until the island was secure three days later. The conquest of theMarshall Islands followed victory in the Gilberts.Indianapolis was again 5th Fleet flagship.
_underway_in_1944_(stbd).jpg)
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The cruiser met other ships of her task force at Tarawa, and onD-Day minus 1, 31 January 1944, she was one of the cruisers that bombarded the islands ofKwajalein Atoll. The shelling continued on D-Day, withIndianapolis suppressing two enemy shore batteries. Next day, she destroyed a blockhouse and other shore installations and supported advancing troops with acreeping barrage. The ship entered Kwajalein Lagoon, on 4 February, and remained until resistance disappeared (seeBattle of Kwajalein).
In March and April,Indianapolis, still flagship of the 5th Fleet, attacked theWestern Carolines. Carrier planes at thePalau Islands on 30–31 March, sank three destroyers, 17 freighters, fiveoilers and damaged 17 other ships. Airfields were bombed and surrounding watermined.Yap andUlithi were struck on 31 March, andWoleai on 1 April. Japanese planes attacked but were driven off without damaging the American ships.Indianapolis shot down her second plane, a torpedo bomber, and the Japanese lost 160 planes, including 46 on the ground. These attacks prevented Japanese forces stationed in the Carolines from interfering with the US landings onNew Guinea.
In June, the 5th Fleet was busy with the assault on theMariana Islands. Raids onSaipan began with carrier-based planes on 11 June, followed by surface bombardment, in whichIndianapolis had a major role, from 13 June (seeBattle of Saipan). On D-Day, 15 June, Admiral Spruance heard thatbattleships, carriers, cruisers, and destroyers were headed south to relieve threatened garrisons in the Marianas. Since amphibious operations at Saipan had to be protected, Spruance could not withdraw too far. Consequently, a fast carrier force was sent to meet this threat while another force attacked Japanese air bases onIwo Jima andChichi Jima, in theBonin andVolcano Islands, bases for potential enemy air attacks.
A combined US fleet fought the Japanese on 19 June in theBattle of the Philippine Sea. Japanese carrier planes, which planned to use the airfields ofGuam andTinian to refuel and rearm, were met by carrier planes and the guns of the Allied escorting ships. That day, the U.S. Navy destroyed a reported 426 Japanese planes while losing 29.[15]Indianapolis shot down one torpedo plane. This day of aerial combat became known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". With Japanese air opposition wiped out, the US carrier planes sankHiyō, two destroyers, and onetanker and damaged others. Two other carriers,Taihō andShōkaku, were sunk by submarines.
Indianapolis returned to Saipan on 23 June to resume fire support and six days later moved to Tinian to attack shore installations (seeBattle of Tinian). Meanwhile, Guam had been taken, andIndianapolis became the first ship to enterApra Harbor since early in the war. The ship operated in the Marianas for the next few weeks, then moved to the Western Carolines, where further landings were planned. From 12 to 29 September, she bombardedPeleliu, in thePalau Group, before and after the landings (seeBattle of Peleliu). She then sailed toManus Island, in theAdmiralty Islands, where she operated for 10 days before returning to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California for refitting.
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Overhauled,Indianapolis joined Vice AdmiralMarc A. Mitscher's fast carrier task force on 14 February 1945. Two days later, the task force launched an attack onTokyo to cover the landings on Iwo Jima, scheduled for 19 February. This was the first carrier attack on mainland Japan since theDoolittle Raid. The mission was to destroy Japanese air facilities and other installations in theHome Islands. The fleet achieved complete tactical surprise by approaching the Japanese coast under cover of bad weather. The attacks were pressed home for two days. The U.S. Navy lost 49 carrier planes while claiming 499 enemy planes, a 10-to-1 kill/loss ratio. The task force also sank a carrier, nine coastal ships, a destroyer, twodestroyer escorts, and a cargo ship. They destroyed hangars, shops, aircraft installations, factories, and other industrial targets.
_off_the_Mare_Island_Naval_Shipyard_on_10_July_1945_(19-N-86911).jpg)
Immediately after the strikes, the task force raced to the Bonin Islands to support thelandings on Iwo Jima. The ship remained there until 1 March, protecting the invasion ships and bombarding targets in support of the landings.Indianapolis returned to VADM Mitscher's task force in time to strike Tokyo, again on 25 February, andHachijō, off the southern coast ofHonshū, the following day. Although weather was extremely bad, the American force destroyed 158 planes and sank five small ships while pounding ground installations and destroying trains.
The next target for the US forces wasOkinawa, in theRyukyu Islands, which were in range of aircraft from the Japanese mainland. The fast carrier force was tasked with attacking airfields in southern Japan until they were incapable of launching effective airborne opposition to the impending invasion. The fast carrier force departed for Japan from Ulithi on 14 March. On 18 March, she launched an attack from a position 100 mi (160 km) southeast of the island ofKyūshū. The attack targeted airfields on Kyūshū, as well as ships of the Japanese fleet in the harbors ofKobe andKure, on southern Honshū. The Japanese located the American task force on 21 March, sending 48 planes to attack the ships. Twenty-fourfighters from the task force intercepted and shot down all the Japanese aircraft.
Indianapolis was assigned toTask Force 54 (TF 54) for theinvasion of Okinawa. When TF 54 began pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa on 24 March,Indianapolis spent seven days pouring 8-inch shells into the beach defenses. During this time, enemy aircraft repeatedly attacked the American ships.Indianapolis shot down six planes and damaged two others. On 31 March, the day before theTenth Army (combined U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps) started its assault landings, theIndianapolis lookouts spotted a JapaneseNakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" fighter as it emerged from the morning twilight and dived vertically towards the bridge. The ship's 20 mm guns opened fire, but within 15 seconds the plane was over the ship. Tracers converged on it, causing it to swerve, but the pilot managed to release his bomb from a height of 25 ft (7.6 m), then crashed his plane into the sea near theportstern. The bomb plummeted through the deck, into the crew'smess hall, down through the berthing compartment, and through the fuel tanks before crashing through the keel and exploding in the water underneath. The concussion blew two gaping holes in the keel which flooded nearby compartments, killing nine crewmen. The ship's bulkheads prevented any progressive flooding.Indianapolis, settling slightly by the stern and listing to port, steamed to a salvage ship for emergency repairs. Here, inspection revealed that her propeller shafts were damaged, her fuel tanks ruptured, and her water-distilling equipment ruined.Indianapolis then steamed under her own power to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for repairs.
After major repairs and an overhaul,Indianapolis received orders to undertake a top-secret mission: transporting a "critical shipment" of material for the firstatomic bomb toTinian Island. In its hold was loaded the complete non-nuclear parts for aLittle Boy gun-type atomic bomb unit (L-11) and several hundred pounds of scientific instruments and tools. Also on board was the bomb'senriched uranium "projectile", in the form of 38.5-kilogram (85 lb) discs, which were kept inside a lead-lined steel container that was bolted and chained to the floor of CaptainMcVay's quarters for the duration of the journey. Two representatives of theManhattan Project, MajorRobert R. Furman and Dr. James F. Nolan, accompanied them on the journey incognito. Nolan, the Chief Medical Officer forProject Y, was there to monitor the uranium's radioactivity. Nolan was frequentlyseasick on the journey, which he used as an excuse to surreptitiously monitor the container.[16][17]
TheFat Man atomic bomb, used against Nagasaki, was transported by air to Tinian. Other equipment necessary for the atomic bomb mission, including "spare" non-nuclear assemblies, had been previously sent to Tinian on other surface ships. Ships were the preferred method for sending critical materials, when time allowed for it, because the risk of loss was considered smaller than going by air. While not particularly radioactive by itself, the amount of enriched uranium in the shipment was large enough to pose acriticality risk under certain circumstances, such as being submerged in water (which acts as aneutron moderator, decreasing thecritical mass).[18]
Indianapolis departed San Francisco'sHunters Point Naval Shipyard on 16 July 1945, within hours of theTrinity test in New Mexico. She set a speed record of74+1⁄2 hours[19] from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, an average speed of 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph). Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 19 July,[20] she raced on unaccompanied,[21] delivering the atomic bomb components to Tinian on 26 July.[22]
On the same day thatIndianapolis offloaded its cargo at Tinian, the remaining 25.6 kilograms (56 lb) of enriched uranium used for the "target" piece of the bomb was divided into three pieces and sent on three differentC-54 cargo planes fromAlbuquerque, New Mexico. By 29 July, all three had arrived at Tinian and the next day the assembly of the L-11 atomic bomb unit began.[16] The weapon, which would be dropped onHiroshima on the morning of 6 August, would be inscribed with numerous autographs and graffiti by ground crews who loaded it into the plane. One of them read: "Greetings to the Emperor from the men of theIndianapolis".[23] Later General Groves learned that the ship was a "very poor choice" to carry the expensive bomb components, as she had "no underwater sound equipment, and was so designed that a single torpedo was able to sink her quickly".[17]
After its stop at Tinian,Indianapolis then continued on its route to Guam, where a number of the crew who had completed their tours of duty were relieved by other sailors. Leaving Guam on 28 July, she began sailing towardLeyte, where her crew was to receive training before continuing on to Okinawa to join Vice AdmiralJesse B. Oldendorf'sTask Force 95.[citation needed][24]
At 00:15 on 30 July 1945,Indianapolis was struck on her starboard side by twoType 95 torpedoes, one in the bow and one amidships, from the Japanese submarineI-58,[21] captained byCommanderMochitsura Hashimoto, who initially thought he had spotted theNew Mexico-class battleshipIdaho.[25] The explosions caused massive damage.Indianapolis took on a heavy list (the ship had a great deal of armament and gun-firing directors added as the war went on, and was therefore top-heavy)[26] and settled by the bow. Twelve minutes later, she rolled completely over, then her stern rose into the air and she sank. Some 300 of the 1,195 crewmen aboard went down with the ship.[4] With few lifeboats and many without life jackets, the remainder of the crew was set adrift.[27]
Navy command did not know of the ship's sinking until survivors were spotted in the open ocean three and a half days later. At 11:25 on 2 August, aPV-1 Ventura flown byLieutenant Wilbur "Chuck" Gwinn and his copilot, Lieutenant Warren Colwell, and a crew of three other men spotted the men adrift while on a routine patrol flight.[28] Gwinn reported his findings of up to 150 men back to his base at Peleliu. He immediately dropped a life raft, other life-saving equipment and radio transmitter. All air and surface units capable of rescue operations were dispatched to the scene at once.
First to arrive was Gwinn's commanding officer, Lieutenant Richard Atteberry. He and his PV-1 crew relieved Gwinn's crew, ordering them to return to base because of very low fuel. Atteberry continued to circle the area and guided the arrival on scene by an amphibious PBY-5A Catalina patrol plane flown by Lieutenant Commander (USN)Robert Adrian Marks. Marks and his flight crew spotted the survivors and dropped life rafts; one raft was destroyed by the drop while others were too far away from the exhausted crew. Against standing orders not to land in the open ocean, Marks took a vote of his crew and decided to land the aircraft in twelve-foot (3.7 m) swells. He was able to maneuver his craft to pick up 56 survivors. Space in the plane was limited, so Marks had men lashed to the wing with parachute cord. His actions rendered the aircraft unflyable. After nightfall, the destroyer escortUSS Cecil J. Doyle, the first of seven rescue ships, used its searchlight as a beacon and instilled hope in those still in the water.Cecil J. Doyle and six other ships picked up the remaining survivors. After the rescue, Marks' plane was sunk byCecil J. Doyle as it could not be recovered.[29]
Many of the survivors were injured. All suffered from lack of food and water (leading todehydration andhypernatremia; some foundrations, such asSpam andcrackers, among theflotsam ofIndianapolis), exposure to the elements (dehydration from the hot sun during the day andhypothermia at night, as well as severedesquamation due to continued exposure to saltwater and bunker oil), andshark attacks, while some killed themselves. Other survivors were found in various states ofdelirium or suffered fromhallucinations.[30][31] Only 316 of the 890 men set adrift after the sinking survived.[4] Two of the rescued survivors, Robert Lee Shipman and Frederick Harrison, died in August 1945.
Hundreds of sharks were apparently drawn to the wreck. After picking off the dead and wounded, they began attacking survivors. The number of deaths attributed to sharks ranges from a few dozen to 150.[32]
Ocean of Fear, a 2007 documentary film that was part ofDiscovery Channel'sShark Week, states that the sinking ofIndianapolis resulted in the most shark attacks on humans in history, attributing the attacks to theoceanic whitetip shark species.Tiger sharks may also have killed some sailors. The same show attributed most of the deaths onIndianapolis to exposure, salt poisoning, and thirst/dehydration, with the dead being dragged off by sharks.[33]
The Headquarters of Commander Marianas on Guam and of the CommanderPhilippine Sea Frontier on Leyte kept Operations plotting boards on which were plotted the positions of all vessels with which the headquarters were concerned. However, it was assumed that ships as large asIndianapolis would reach their destinations on time, unless reported otherwise. Therefore, their positions were based on predictions and not on reports. On 31 July, when she should have arrived at Leyte,Indianapolis was removed from the board in the headquarters of Commander Marianas. She was also recorded as having arrived at Leyte by the headquarters of Commander Philippine Sea Frontier. Lieutenant Stuart B. Gibson, the operations officer under the Port Director, Tacloban, was the officer blamed for not tracking the movements ofIndianapolis. The vessel's failure to arrive on schedule was known at once to Gibson, who failed to investigate the matter and made no immediate report of the fact to his superiors. It was common for expected vessels to not arrive, and there was no directive for the port director to report the nonarrival of any ship. Gibson received aletter of reprimand in connection with the incident. The acting commander and operations officer of the Philippine Sea Frontier also received reprimands, while Gibson's immediate superior received a letter of admonition (a less severe military punishment than a reprimand). These letters were later withdrawn.[34][35]
In the first official statement, the Navy said that distress calls "were keyed by radio operators and possibly were actually transmitted" but that "no evidence has been developed that any distress message from the ship was received by any ship, aircraft or shore station".[35] Declassified records later showed that three stations received the signals but none acted upon the call. One commander was drunk, another had ordered his men not to disturb him, and a third thought it was a Japanese trap.[36]
Immediately prior to the attack, the seas had been moderate, the visibility fluctuating but poor in general, andIndianapolis had been steaming at 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h). When the ship failed to reach Leyte on 31 July, as scheduled, no report was made that she was overdue. From lessons learned by the disaster, the Navy created theMovement Report System to prevent such disasters in the future.[37]
CaptainCharles B. McVay III, who had commandedIndianapolis since November 1944 through several battles, survived the sinking, though he was one of the last to abandon ship, and was among those rescued days later. In November 1945, he wascourt-martialed on two charges: failing to order his men to abandon ship and hazarding the ship. Cleared of the charge of failing to order abandon ship, McVay was convicted of "hazarding his ship by failing tozigzag". Several aspects of the court-martial were controversial. There was evidence that the Navy itself had placed the ship in harm's way. McVay's orders were to "zigzag at his discretion, weather permitting"; however, McVay was not informed that a Japanese submarine was operating in the vicinity of his route from Guam to Leyte. Further, Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto, commanding officer ofI-58, wrote in his testimony to Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that zigzagging would have made no difference.[38]Fleet AdmiralChester Nimitz remitted McVay's sentence and restored him to active duty. McVay retired in 1949 as arear admiral.[39]
While many ofIndianapolis's survivors said McVay was not to blame for the sinking, the families of some of the men who died thought otherwise: "Merry Christmas! Our family's holiday would be a lot merrier if you hadn't killed my son", read one piece of mail.[40] The guilt that was placed on his shoulders mounted until hekilled himself in 1968, aged 70.[41]
In 1996, sixth-grade student Hunter Scott began his research on the sinking ofIndianapolis for a class history project. Scott's effort led to an increase in national publicity,[42] which got the attention of retired Congressional lobbyist Michael Monroney, who had been scheduled to be assigned toIndianapolis before she shipped out on her final voyage. Around the same time,Captain William J. Toti, USN, final commanding officer of the fast attack nuclear submarineUSS Indianapolis (SSN-697) received an appeal from severalIndianapolis survivors to assist with the exoneration effort. Toti then demonstrated through analysis that the tactic of zigzagging would not have spared theIndianapolis from at least one torpedo hit by theI-58.[43] Monroney brought the matter to the attention of his son-in-law, who was on the staff ofSenator Bob Smith (R, NH) and was able to get the issue in front of Smith. Smith convincedSenator John Warner (R, VA) to hold hearings on theSenate Armed Services Committee on 14 September 1999, in which severalIndianapolis survivors testified. Also called to testify in the hearings wereVice Chief of Naval OperationsAdmiral Donald Pilling, Director of theNaval History Center Dr. William Dudley, and theJudge Advocate General of the NavyRear Admiral John Hutson. The hearings were reported to sway Senator Warner into allowing a "Sense of Congress" resolution clearing Captain McVay's name to be passed to full Congress for a vote. In October 2000, theUnited States Congress passed a resolution that Captain McVay's record should state that "he isexonerated for the loss ofIndianapolis". PresidentBill Clinton also signed the resolution.[44] The resolution noted that, although several hundred ships of the U.S. Navy were lost in combat during World War II, McVay was the only captain to be court-martialed for the loss of his ship due to enemy action in combat.[45] In July 2001, United States Secretary of the NavyGordon England directed Captain Toti to enter the Congressional language into McVay's official Navy service record, clearing him of all wrongdoing.[46][47]
Commanders of USSIndianapolis:[48]
| Rank | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | John M. Smeallie | 15 November 1932 – 10 December 1934 |
| Captain | William S. McClintic | 10 December 1934 – 16 March 1936 |
| Captain | Henry Kent Hewitt | 16 March 1936 – 5 June 1937 |
| Captain | Thomas C. Kinkaid | 5 June 1937 – 1 July 1938 |
| Captain | John F. Shafroth Jr. | 1 July 1938 – 1 October 1941 |
| Captain | Edward Hanson | 1 October 1941 – 11 July 1942 |
| Captain | Morton L. Deyo | 11 July 1942 – 12 January 1943 |
| Captain | Nicholas Vytlacil | 12 January 1943 – 30 July 1943 |
| Captain | Einar R. Johnson | 30 July 1943 – 18 November 1944 |
| Captain | Charles B. McVay III | 18 November 1944 – 30 July 1945 |
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The wreck ofIndianapolis is in the Philippine Sea.[50] In July–August 2001, an expedition sought to find the wreckage through the use ofside-scan sonar and underwater cameras mounted on aremotely operated vehicle. FourIndianapolis survivors accompanied the expedition, which was not successful. In June 2005, a second expedition was mounted to find the wreck.National Geographic covered the story and released it in July.Submersibles were launched to find any sign of wreckage, although they only located pieces of metal that were not proven conclusively to be from the ship.
In July 2016, new information emerged regarding the possible location ofIndianapolis when naval records were discovered indicating that the tank landing shipLST-779 recorded passing byIndianapolis 11 hours before the torpedoes struck. This information allowed researchers to determine thatIndianapolis had been moving faster and was therefore farther west than previously assumed, as well as slightly off the route taken. Using this information,National Geographic planned to mount an expedition to search for the wreck in the summer of 2017.[51] Reports estimated thatIndianapolis was actually 25 miles (40 km) west of the reported sinking position, in water over three miles (4,800 m) deep, and likely on the side of an underwater mountain.[52]
A year after the discovery of the records, the wreck was located byPaul Allen's "USSIndianapolis Project" aboard the research vesselPetrel [53] on 19 August 2017, at a depth of 18,000 ft (5,500 m).[54] The wreck was revealed to the public on 13 September 2017, in a live TV show on PBS titled "USSIndianapolis, Live from the Deep", starringMiles O'Brien and also including now-retired Captain William Toti.[55] The wreck is well-preserved due to the great depth at whichIndianapolis rests, among the rocky mountain ranges of the North Philippine Sea.[56]
In September 2017, a map detailing the wreckage was released. The main part of the wreck lies in an enormous impact crater; her bow, which broke off before the ship sank, lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east. The two forward 8-inch gun turrets, which also broke off on the surface and mark the ship's last position on the surface, lie 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of the main wreck. The bridge, which broke off the ship due to the torpedoes, lies in a debris field near the forward guns. The single 8-inch gun turret on the stern remains in place, though the stern's roof collapsed over itself. Airplane wreckage from the ship lies about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) north of the main part of the wreck.[57] The full exposition of the method by which the wreck was located and documented was released in anotherPBS documentary on 8 January 2019 titledUSS Indianapolis: The Final Chapter.[58]
Since 1960, surviving crew members met for reunions in Indianapolis. Fourteen of the thirty-two remaining survivors attended the 70th reunion, held 23–26 July 2015. Held only sporadically at first, then biannually, the reunions were later held annually. By 2015 most of the survivors were in their nineties, voted every year whether to continue.[59][60][61] Seven out of twenty remaining survivors attended the 2017 reunion.[62] With the death of Cleatus Lebow on 29 September 2022,[63] there is only one crew member still alive,Harold Bray.[64]
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The USSIndianapolis Museum had its grand opening on 7 July 2007, with its gallery in the Indiana War Memorial Museum at theIndiana World War Memorial Plaza.[65]
The USSIndianapolis National Memorial was dedicated on 2 August 1995. It is located inIndianapolis, Indiana, in the city'sCanal and White River State Park cultural district.[66] The heavy cruiser is depicted in limestone and granite and sits adjacent to the downtown canal. The crewmembers' names are listed on the monument, with special notations for those who died.[67] It was designated anational memorial by Congress in 1993.[68]
In May 2011, theI-465 beltway around Indianapolis was named the USSIndianapolis Memorial Highway.[69]
USS Indianapolis is the name of the Navy's combat training pool, located atRTC Great Lakes. This facility is used during Navy boot camp to test recruit swimming ability, and to instruct recruits who lack those skills. The building was dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea, with the intent of providing training to recruits on how to survive until a rescue is made.
Some material relating toIndianapolis is held by theIndiana State Museum. Her bell and a commissioning pennant were formerly located atHeslar Naval Armory but currently reside at theIndiana War Memorial Museum.[70][71]
In a scene in the 1975 movieJaws, one of the main characters, Quint, who is a survivor ofIndianapolis, recounts the sinking and shark attacks. This scene broughtIndianapolis, and her sinking, into a much wider public spotlight 30 years after the events occurred.[72][73] The 2019 playThe Shark Is Broken, which opened on Broadway in 2023, both exploresRobert Shaw (Quint's actor) rewriting the dialogue to the scene, as well as doing a full rendition of the famous scene at the end.[74]
The sinking is the subject of the 1991 made-for-TV filmMission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, starringStacy Keach.
The 2014 novelShark, by English writerWill Self, is based on the sinking ofIndianapolis.
The 2016 filmUSS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, directed byMario Van Peebles and starringNicolas Cage, is based on the sinking.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
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