In July 1945, the USS Indianapolis completed one of the most secretive missions of World War II, delivering components for the atomic bomb to Tinian. Days later, while sailing toward the Philippines, the heavy cruiser was struck by torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-58. The ship sank rapidly, throwing hundreds of American sailors and Marines into the Pacific.
Roughly 900 men survived the initial sinking, but their ordeal had only begun. With little food or water and no rescue force immediately searching for them, the survivors spent days exposed to dehydration, injuries, exhaustion, and shark attacks. By the time rescue finally arrived, only 316 men from the ship's crew survived.
In this episode of Forgotten History, Michael Droberg examines the final mission of the USS Indianapolis, the attack that sent her to the bottom, the desperate struggle for survival, and the controversial treatment of Captain Charles McVay in the disaster's aftermath. It remains one of the deadliest naval tragedies in United States history.
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Posted by Woodrow 2026-10-03 00:00||
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