The Wreck of USS Indianapolis – In the Blackness of the Deep Sea

The reference had to be made.

That aside, there are few (military) shipwrecks quite as famous as USS Indianapolis. Her story has become a very well known one. The suffering of her crew and the scapegoating of her captain, in particular.

As for the wreck, itself, it's one of the better preserved ones out there. Battle damage aside, obviously. She's certainly worth a look at...even if most of the best stuff is behind a paywall.

Documentaries:

[scottdixon]

Poor guy ended up putting a pistol to his head after being ridiculously blamed for the sinking. Even the Japanese commander said there was nothing they could have done to avoid her sinking

[easttexan]

My uncle (my dad's brother), Clarence Max Hill, CWT, went down with her at the initial blast/sinking. From speaking directly with one of the survivors, Seaman Wilcox, he told me that he had spoken briefly with my uncle just minutes before the first torpedo hit and that my uncle had gone below to his quarters mid ship. Mr. Wilcox said the first torpedo hit mid ship first and that no way my uncle could have survived the explosion. I was born in 46, so I never knew him but I have two letters from him to my dad and mom and find them very interesting in content, especially writing about supporting the invasion of Iwo Jima. My mother's brother, W. Richardson, went down with the USS Plymouth (escort gun ship) off the coast of North Carolina in 45 also. I have the honor of being named after both of them. Thanks for sharing this video.

[steveoconnor]

I was fortunate enough to know Jimmy O'Donnell who was the last survivor who was an actual resident of the city of Indianapolis. We were both members of an Irish-Catholic fraternal group. He was a very nice man who came home and continued to serve as a fireman for the city. May he and all the crew RIP.

[iamrichrocker]

one of the most horrific and saddest event in WW2..shame that they hung out McVay to dry..and the burden took a fatal turn..neglect and lack of awareness and red tape let these poor crewmen down..cannot imagine what they went through..thx for this great video and research..haunting..

[odd-ovgf]

I have the book "Only 317 survived" signed by 10 of the survivors, i received the book from them after singing to them while in cub scouts, at an airshow, i still remember their faces and as a native of Indiana will hold this book close wherever i go

[Gunners_Mate_Guns]

"Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences.
Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction."
-Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto, captain of I-58, the Japanese submarine that sank the USS Indianapolis

[mikeandhev]

Whilst any shipwreck is a testament to human loss and suffering I cannot help but admire the superb quality of the images of USS Indianapolis.

[Backwardlooking]

A horrific fate for those men. My father served in both the Royal Navy and for a time in the U.S.Navy during 1943. As a teenager I asked him why his Crossing the Line Certificate from H.M.S. Nelson was simply a poor black and white version unlike that from H.M.S.Malaya. He replied that those went down with the torpedoed ship off West Africa and that the unfortunate nurses aboard were similarly eaten by sharks. Such incidents stay with you. 👍🏻🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[BB]

Several years ago, while living in Indianapolis I had the pleasure of attending one of the Indy's reunions. There I met several survivors, heard their stories, and was blessed to receive 10 autographs. Those have become cherished memories.

[pgmreallaw]

Best monologue Robert Shaw made on the silver screen was as Captain Quint retelling his experience on the Indianapolis. While fictional, it was still a gripping scene and I think honored the real heroes who actually gave their lives on that ship.

[Commanderc]

RIP to all brave crew that went down with USS Indianapolis. The memorial in Indianapolis is beautiful and a wonderful tribute to her sacrifice. Rest easy..

[CEngineering-pvuw]

The technology to find these wrecks and keep the history from fading away is amazing!

[soldierski]

I had family who survived this, he was bitten in the leg, lived but years later developed cancer at the scar tissue. Being who he was, joked that "The Sharks finally got him".
I suggest reading the books, they get your pain water going.

[aftershock]

When it comes to ww2 and ww1 ships, their turrets were held in by gravity alone so it’s common to see ww2 ship wrecks without their turrets. As to why that rear turret stayed in it could be a number of factors. It could be the superstructure shielded the turret from the waters current enough to prevent it falling out, or it could be that the ship sank very level and prevented it from falling out. Either way it’s very surprising that the turret stayed in place.

[billyrock]

The Japanese submarine captain Mochitsura Hashimoto was an expert sailor and said he couldn’t miss the Indy. There was nothing captain Mcvay could have done against the superior and more experienced Hashimoto.

He bravely and gallantly served on the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Battle of Okinawa and the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Saving all his crew during every campaign against the enemy.

When Hashimoto came home from the war as a Great War hero, he learned that his entire family had been killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 7 August.

❤️ 🇯🇵

[richardcline]

The tragedy and loss of the USS Indianapolis and her crew is a real testimony to the complacent and INCOMPETENT US Navy brass of that era! No escorts, no timetable, no concern when she didn't show up at her designated port. How much more could the US Navy brass have screwed this tragedy up?

[heathroland]

I had a cousin, S1C James Denny Price, who survived the sinking. I spoke with him numerous times about the sinking. He passed away in October 2005

[acdii]

The big gun turrets have locking pins when in the center position to prevent them from moving in heavy seas. The majority of turrets when ships were built starting in the 30's started having clamps installed when the turrets were installed, but not every turret got them. It's possible that the forward turrets did not have clamps, or were not locked in place, while the rear turret did appear to be in heavy seas lockdown mode, which would be enough to keep the turret from falling out. As part of securing from battle, each turret is centered and locked in place with 2 centering pins. This would keep the turret from coming out unless the carriage was damaged from battle. My guess is the rear turret did not get damaged so remained intact while the forward guns were damaged from the torpedo and fell out when the ship rolled over. The clamps were added to prevent misalignments with the barbetts during heavy seas.

[tbmfan]

Had a patient about a dozen years ago, now passed away, who made the trip from Mare Island to Tinian. He was in the meteorologist pool at Mare. A Chief came in looking for one and told him take this slot as it was a good ship and better than assigned to some random ship. He sailed over to Hunter's Point and noticed a large crate loaded onto the ship and guarded by officers. He thought when do officers do guard duty? He got off at Tinian since he was slotted with the Admiral's staff. Once I found out, and since there was a free hour after him, we spent that hour on the event. During an exam of older seniors, mainly one to two decades ago, and I found out you served in the Navy then we went into depth. Gave me first hand accounts of battles from Midway to Samar.

[Torchriver]

My neighbor, Richard thelen was a survivor of the Indianapolis. He’s a very humble man and honorable person, and I’m glad to have known him rest in. Peace Richard Thelen. Lansing, MI