USS Indianapolis Sunk: 883 Die in Shark-Filled Waters
The Japanese submarine I-58 torpedoed the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis in the Philippine Sea on July 30, 1945, splitting the ship in half. It sank in twelve minutes. Of the 1,196 crew aboard, roughly 900 survived the sinking and entered the water. The Navy didn't know the ship was missing. For four and a half days, survivors floated in shark-infested waters without food, water, or life rafts, suffering from dehydration, salt poisoning, hallucinations, and repeated shark attacks. A patrol plane spotted them by accident on August 2. Only 316 survived. Captain Charles McVay was court-martialed for failing to zigzag, though the Japanese submarine commander testified that zigzagging would not have mattered.
July 30, 1945
81 years ago
Key Figures & Places
World War II
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Japanese submarine I-58
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USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
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World War II
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Japanese submarine I-58 (1943)
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USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
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Heavy cruiser
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Clase Portland
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United States Navy
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Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands
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Michel Gartner
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Nuclear weapon
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