The USS Indianapolis stands out as one of the biggest naval disasters of WWII. But before going down, the ship had completed its mission, allowing the US to use atomic bombs on the Japanese and end the war in the Pacific.
The cruiser delivered atomic bomb components to Tinian and then went on to Guam. On July 30th 1945, while en route, the Japanese torpedoed the USS Indianapolis. 1,196 people were aboard at the time. The ship sank in 12 minutes, taking 300 soldiers with it. The rest of the men struggled for survival. Many died of exposure and dehydration, while many were consumed by the sharks in the area.
Rescue didn't come for some time. Given the secret status of their mission, it took the navy some time to realize what had happened to the USS Indianapolis. Because of this, the Navy has adjusted their procedures to make sure a similar accident isn't repeated because of communication errors.
Only 316 soldiers survived.
The accident was in some ways a matter of bad luck. The commander, Charles B. McVay had taken a calculated risk in adjusting the speed and pattern at which the ship was cruising. By chance, the ship ended up in the vicinity of the Japanese submarine I-58, led by Lieutenant Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto.
The wreckage was discovered on August 19, 2017. 11 crew members from the voyage are still alive today and meet annually for a reunion in Indianapolis. Surely, these heroes helped win the war in the Pacific, saving thousands of lives with their sacrifice.
https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/08/24/lest-we-forget-uss-indianapolis-and-her-sailors/
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/disasters-and-phenomena/indianapolis.html
https://www.wthr.com/article/uss-indianapolis-few-remaining-survivors-gather-reunion-indy
very interesting blog post,its very cool to see the celebration that the veterans have every year in Indiana.
ReplyDeleteThese veterans, to the Americans, would have been considered heroes,because of their bravery and delivery of the atomic bomb that decimated the Japanese. In contrast, the Japanese would most likely have the opposite reaction, they would perceive the Americans as monsters. The Americans may have saved thousands of lives by ending the war immediately and making an example out off Japan. But the way that they did this was pretty immoral. Most of the people killed in bombing of Japan were just citizens .