At 12:14 a.m. on July 30, 1945, the USS
Indianapolis was torpedoed by a
Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea
and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 men on
board, approximately 300 went down
with the ship. The remainder, about 900
“So why did so
men, were left floating in shark-infested
watersmany sailors die?”
with no lifeboats and most with
no food or water. The ship was never
missed, and by the time the survivors
were spotted by accident four days later
only 316 men were still alive.
The world's first atomic bomb was
delivered by the U.S.S Indianapolis,
to the island of Tinian on 26 July
1945. It was to be used in the
Hiroshima bombing. The Indianapolis
was then directed to prepare for
the invasion of Japan. Due to the
secret nature of the cargo and the
urgency of the mission no records
were kept about the naval ship and
she sailed off on a route nobody
knew about.
At 14 minutes past midnight, on 30 July 1945, the
U.S.S Indianapolis was hit by two torpedoes fired by
a Japanese submarine. The first blew away the bow,
the second struck near midship on the starboard side
adjacent to a fuel tank and a powder magazine. The
resulting explosion split the ship to the keel, knocking
out all electric power. Within minutes she went down
rapidly by the bow, rolling to starboard.
It took just
12 minutes
to sink.
Of the 1,196 sailors aboard, about
900 made it into the water in the
twelve minutes before she sank. Few
life rafts were released. Most
survivors wore the standard kapok life
jacket. Shark attacks began with
sunrise of the first day and continued
until the men were physically removed
from the water, almost five days
later.
The men all clung together in groups of 150.
The tiger sharks started to swim around the survivors on the
Once the shark attacks
second day – but they did not bite anyone.
started almost 6 sailors
On the third day the sharks started to attack:
hour.
were eaten every around, hundreds of
“The day wore on and the sharks were
them. You'd hear guys scream, especially late in the afternoon.
Seemed like the sharks were the worst late in the afternoon
than they were during the day. Then they fed at night too.
Everything would be quiet and then you'd hear somebody scream
and you knew a shark had got him.”
On the fourth day, the survivors were accidentally discovered by LT. (jg)
Wilbur C. Gwinn and a seaplane under the command of LT. R. Adrian Marks
was sent to lend assistance and report. Arriving hours ahead of help the
Marks' crew began dropping rubber rafts and supplies. They observed men
being attacked by sharks. Disregarding orders not to land, Marks landed
and began picking up lone swimmers who were at greatest risk of shark
attack. Learning the men were the crew of the Indianapolis, he radioed the
news, requesting immediate assistance. Marks waited for help, all the while
pulling nearly dead men from the water. When the plane was full, survivors
were tied to the wing with parachute cord. Marks and his crew rescued 56
men that day. The Cecil Doyle was the first vessel on the scene. Homing on
Marks' PBY in total darkness, the Doyle halted to avoid killing or further
injuring survivors, and began taking Marks' survivors aboard.
The impact who unexpected
Of the 900of this made it into
disaster sent only waves of hushed
the water, shock 317 remained
disbelief throughout Navy circles in
alive. After almost five days
the South Pacific. A public
announcement shark attacks,
of constant of the loss of the
starvation, delayed for almost
Indianapolis wasterrible thirst,
two weeks until August 15, thus
suffering from exposure and
insuring that it would be
the men the day
their wounds,the news on of the
overshadowed in
Indianapolis were at last
when the Japanese surrender was
rescued President Truman.
announced byfrom the sea.