USS Indianapolis CA-35

• Flagship of the Fifth Fleet: USS Indianapolis (CA-35) served as the flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance during major Pacific campaigns, including the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. • Secret Atomic Mission: In July 1945, Indianapolis carried components of the first operational atomic bomb ("Little Boy") to Tinian Island, enabling the bombing of Hiroshima. • Torpedoed by I-58: Shortly after completing her secret mission, Indianapolis was sunk by Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945, in the Philippine Sea. • Worst Naval Disaster in US History: Of the 1,195 crew aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks while awaiting rescue. • Shark Attacks: The survivors endured relentless shark attacks during the nearly five days they awaited rescue—a horror that became infamous in military and popular culture. • Delayed Rescue: Due to communication failures and the ship's secret mission status, rescue did not begin until four days after the sinking. Only 316 sailors survived. • Court-Martial of Captain McVay: Captain Charles B. McVay III was controversially court-martialed and convicted of "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag," making him the only US captain court-martialed for losing his ship to enemy action during WWII. • Redemption and Exoneration: Decades later, public campaigns and testimony by the Japanese submarine commander led to McVay's exoneration by Congress in 2000. • Discovery of the Wreck: The wreck of the USS Indianapolis was discovered in August 2017 by a team led by Paul Allen, at a depth of over 18,000 feet in the Philippine Sea. • Legacy in Pop Culture: The story of the Indianapolis is famously recounted by the character Quint in the movie "Jaws," introducing a new generation to the ship's tragic fate.