This Day in History: USS Indianapolis Torpedoed
On this day in 1945, USS Indianapolis is sunk by Japanese torpedoes. Her survivors would float in the ocean for days before anyone found them.
There was just one silver lining to the tragedy. Indianapolis had already performed the most important part of her mission: She had successfully carried parts for the Little Boy atomic bomb across the Pacific. American bombers would soon carry Little Boy toward Hiroshima. Along with the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Little Boy would ultimately force an end to World War II.
If only crew members had known what they were carrying! But they didn’t. Instead, Indianapolis completed her delivery of the bomb components on July 26. The ship’s captain, Captain Charles McVay, then continued on to Guam. From there, he was ordered to continue to the Leyte Gulf.
Sadly, the seeds for tragedy were already being sown.
A transmission with Indianapolis’s expected route was sent ahead to the Leyte Gulf. Unfortunately, a radio staff member there decoded part of the message incorrectly. As a result, the senior officer there had no idea that Indianapolis was coming.
Thus, he would not miss her when she failed to arrive on time.
But that wasn’t the only problem. McVay had asked about an escort to the Philippines, but he did not get one. Indianapolis had no sonar capabilities, limiting McVay’s ability to detect Japanese submarines on his own. When McVay heard that he wouldn’t have an escort, he took the news calmly. He’d traveled alone before, and the intelligence report for his voyage indicated that the trip should be routine.
It turns out that critical pieces of information were missing from that intelligence report. The trip would not be routine: Japanese submarines were known to be operating along McVay’s planned path.
Thus, no one aboard Indianapolis was really worried—even if they should have been. It was assumed she could travel safely through backwaters from Guam to the Leyte Gulf. The ship and her crew left Guam, alone, on July 28.
The voyage was uneventful at first, but the evening of July 29 brought difficulties. Visibility became limited. Indianapolis had been zigzagging through the water, theoretically making it more difficult for a submarine to attack. But as visibility worsened, Captain McVay ordered an end to the zigzagging. He had been given discretion to make such a decision, although he was later criticized for making such a call.
A little before midnight, a Japanese submarine spotted Indianapolis. Six torpedoes were fired at her just after midnight. Two found their mark and tore their way through the American ship.
One sailor later described the impact: “Whoom. Up in the air I went. There was water, debris, fire, everything just coming up and we were 81ft (25m) from the water line. It was a tremendous explosion. Then, about the time I got to my knees, another one hit. Whoom.”
One torpedo blew away the bow of the ship. A second hit near the fuel compartment. The ship exploded—she sank in only 12 minutes! One distress signal may have been sent as Indianapolis went down, but the signal was either not received or ignored. Possibly Americans thought the signal was a Japanese ruse to lure rescue ships out to sea.
Of the nearly 1,200 men on board, about 900 men survived the initial explosion and went overboard into the water. They would not be rescued for days.
The story continues tomorrow.
A note for those who are interested: Some of you might know I am running an experiment in history reels. If you are so inclined, check out my YouTube channel and/or subscribe to those HERE. I’m working on a reel to accompany this story and hope to post tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Primary Sources
Alex Last, “USS Indianapolis sinking: ‘You could see sharks circling,’” BBC News (July 29, 2013)
Doug Stanton, In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors (2001)
Raymond B. Lech, The Tragic Fate of the U.S.S. Indianapolis: The U.S. Navy’s Worst Disaster at Sea (2000)
Such a heartbreaking story. It’s hard to imagine what those survivors went through waiting for rescue for days. Thank you for sharing this important piece of history.
— MPR Movers , Mississauga
I’ve noticed Bathroom Vanity designs increasingly feature clean lines and simple hardware. This minimalist approach works particularly well in modern bathroom renovations.
Wow, that story about the USS Indianapolis really puts things in perspective—imagine waiting days for rescue. It makes me think about how we manage time today, like using an interval timer to keep workouts or classroom activities on track. History and timing both matter!
Years ago I worked with a woman that told me her grandfather was the pilot that found the survivors of the USS Indianapolis. She referred me to this photo.