USS Indianapolis (CL/CA-35) was a Portland class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Nicknamed “Indy” it cost $10,000,000 and was launched 7 November 1931

In July 1945,Indianapolis completed a top-secret high-speed trip to deliver parts of Little Boy, which would be dropped on Hiroshima a few weeks later, to the United States Army Air Force Base on the island of Tinian, and subsequently departed for the Philippines on training duty.

At 0015 on 30 July, the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,195 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. With few lifeboats and many without life jackets, the remaining 890 was set adrift.

Many of the survivors were injured, and all suffered from lack of food and water, some found rations, such as Spam and crackers, among the debris of the Indianapolis. Most of the deaths on Indianapolis were attributed to exposure, salt poisoning, and thirst/dehydration, with the dead being dragged off by sharks. While some killed themselves or other survivors in various states of delirium and hallucinations. Only 316 of the 890 men set adrift after the sinking survived. The sinking of Indianapolis resulted in the greatest single loss of life at sea from a single ship in the history of the US Navy.

The Navy only learned of the sinking four days later, when survivors were spotted by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol.

Immediately prior to the attack, the seas had been moderate, the visibility fluctuating but poor in general, and Indianapolis had been steaming at 17kn (20mph; 31km/h). When the ship failed to reach Leyte on 31 July, as scheduled, no report was made that she was overdue. This omission was due to a misunderstanding of the Movement Report System.

Captain Charles B. McVay III, who had commanded Indianapolis since November 1944 through several battles, survived the sinking, though he was one of the last to abandon ship, and was among those rescued days later. In November 1945, he was court-martialed on two charges: failing to order his men to abandon ship and hazarding the ship.

While many of Indianapolis's survivors said McVay was not to blame for the sinking, the families of some of the men who died thought otherwise: "Merry Christmas! Our family's holiday would be a lot merrier if you hadn't killed my son", read one piece of mail. The guilt that was placed on his shoulders mounted until he committed suicide in 1968, using his Navy-issued revolver. McVay was discovered on his front lawn by his gardener with a toy sailor in one hand, revolver in the other. He was 70 years old. McVay was the only captain to be court-martialed for the sinking of his ship. In July 2001, the Congressional language cleared him of all wrongdoing.

The USS Indianapolis National Memorial was dedicated on 2 August 1995. It is located on the Canal Walk in Indianapolis. The heavy cruiser is depicted in limestone and granite and sits adjacent to the downtown canal. The crewmembers' names are listed on the monument, with special notations for those who lost their lives

The USS Indianapolis Museum had its grand opening on 7 July 2007, with its gallery in the Indiana War Memorial Museum at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza.

On 19 August 2017, a search team financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen located the wreckage of the sunken cruiser in the Philippine Sea lying at a depth of approximately 18,000 ft (5,500m). On 20 December 2018, the crew of the Indianapolis was collectively awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)#Secret_mission

USS Indianapolis (CL/CA-35)

Melvin R Larsen