USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

In 1945, the United States faced significant challenges in dislodging the Japanese forces entrenched in Okinawa, a crucial gateway to the Japanese main islands. US troops attempting to approach Okinawa were met with fierce resistance from both aerial dive bombers and heavily armed ground troops.

In light of the steep human costs associated with a ground invasion of Japan, a high-stakes plan emerged: an atomic bomb would be delivered to Japan. However, the aircraft capable of carrying it lacked the necessary range, necessitating transport to the Philippines. The decision was made to send the bomb aboard a single, unprotected military ship, designed to evade detection by the Japanese fleet.

The chosen vessel for this perilous mission was the USS Indianapolis, commanded by Captain Charles McVay. Tasked with delivering components that would ultimately be used to devastate Hiroshima, McVay realized the gravity of the situation—he was embarking on what could be perceived as a suicidal mission. While the USS Indianapolis was a formidable heavy cruiser against ships and aircraft, it was highly vulnerable to submarine attacks. Unlike typical operations where heavy cruisers traveled with an escort of destroyers to fend off submarines, in this instance, McVay was ordered to proceed without any protective measures. In the event of a torpedo strike, the crew would have merely four minutes to evacuate. Although the ship could maneuver to evade enemy subs, it could not outrun the deadly Kaitens, manned torpedoes launched from Japanese submarines.

Under the direction of Rear Admiral William S. Parnell, McVay was pushed to undertake this mission despite the inexperience of many in his crew, which included Lieutenant Adrian Marks and Chief Petty Officer Brian “Bama” Smithwick. To make matters worse, the ship was still undergoing repairs from a prior kamikaze attack. After delivering the bomb’s components to Tinian Island on July 26, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was ordered to leave without an escort to maintain the secrecy of the operation.

As it sailed back with 1,197 men on board, disaster struck on July 30, when a Japanese submarine I-58—commanded by a captain who sensed his own impending curse due to a lack of confirmed kills—spotted the heavy cruiser and launched a Kaiten. The submarine’s torpedo struck, leading to the rapid sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Of the crew, 300 men perished in the depths of the Philippine Sea, while the remaining sailors found themselves stranded for five harrowing days in treacherous waters, bereft of food or drink in an environment teeming with sharks.

Suffering intense thirst and hunger, many of the survivors succumbed to the unforgiving sea, either eaten by sharks or dying from saltwater poisoning. By the end of the third day, only 500 men were left, dwindling further to 350 by the fourth day. Hope appeared lost until a pilot fortuitously spotted the remaining survivors on the fifth day and initiated a rescue operation, leading to the recovery of just 317 crew members.

In the aftermath, the US Navy faced scrutiny over its failure to provide an escort or respond adequately to the distress calls sent by the Indianapolis prior to its sinking. This negligence was swept under the rug, with the Navy courts-martialing Captain McVay for supposedly endangering his ship by not zigzagging to avoid enemy fire. Despite testimonies, including one from the former captain of the IJN I-58 submarine who sought to prove McVay’s innocence, the blame was unfairly placed on him.

As the years passed, McVay became a target for vilification by the media and harassed by the families of those lost in the tragedy, which ultimately led him to take his own life. Meanwhile, the commander of the Japanese submarine returned to Japan, eventually participating in the exoneration of Captain McVay years later. In 2000, President Bill Clinton formally cleared McVay of all charges, recognizing the grave injustices surrounding this historical maritime disaster.