"Fateful Voyage" http://www.ussindianapolis.org/story.htm The world's first operational atomic bomb was delivered by the Indianapolis, (CA-35) to the island of Tinian on 26 July 1945. The Indianapolis then reported to CINCPAC (Commander-In-Chief, Pacific) Headquarters at Guam for further orders. She was directed to join the battleship USS Idaho (BB-42) at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. The Indianapolis, unescorted, departed Guam on a course of 262 degrees making about 17 knots. At 14 minutes past midnight, on 30 July 1945, midway between Guam and Leyte Gulf, she was hit by two torpedoes out of six fired by the I-58, 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. Of the 1,196 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. Of the 900 who made it into the water, only 317 remained alive. ---------- Congress resolution passed in 2000, and signed by President Clinton, expressing the belief that McVay was innocent. And finally, in July 2001, Navy Secretary Gordon R. England ordered that McVay's naval record be officially amended to exonerate him of any wrongdoing in the loss of the Indianapolis. http://www.discovery.com/exp/indianapolis/captain.html
A little late!!At least his family knows the truth.Poor guy blew his brains out because of that.Does' anyone truly believe[in '45]that zig-zagging would have made a difference??
The fault lies mainly with the men at the naval stations of Guam and Tinian who failed to notify each other of the movement of the indanapolis. Now yes she was sunk and possibly this could have been avioded but it was what happened afterwards. Because no one knew she had left that she was due to arrive no one notified anybody that she was missing. By the time they did the vast majority of the crew were dead. There are a couple of good book on the Indy but the best is probably Doug Stanton's In Harms Way. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312983379/ref=sr_aps_books_1_2/202-8695533-9091062
Thanks for the link Mahross don't suppose you know a book on that cruiser[my memory is bad]that went down carrying the Sullivan?? brothers with it.It was torpedoed but the rest of the fleet could'nt stop to help[I think].Had a book at one time Thanks.
The cruiser was the USS Juneau. The book you are probably thinking of is - Left to Die: The Tragedy of the Uss Juneau by Dan Kursman.
Yep! I think that's the one.Seems I lost[threw out]more stuff than I thought when I moved awhile back Still looking for the title for my truck?
The commander in charge of the task force not only didn't stop for the Juneau (because of fear of additional attacks) but also did not radio in that the Juneau had been sunk. No one knew what happened until I think a PBY flew over the remaining survivors. Halsey blew his stack when he heard that the Juneau crew was left behind. Greg
