What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis: The Harrowing Story of One of the U.S. Navy’s Deadliest Incidents during World War II
*Includes pictures
*Includes accounts by survivors
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
“I awoke. I was in the air. I saw a bright light before I felt the concussion of the explosion that threw me up in the air almost to the overhead. A torpedo had detonated under my room. I hit the edge of the bunk, hit the deck, and stood up. Then the second explosion knocked me down again. As I landed on the deck I thought, ‘I've got to get the hell out of here!’” – Dr. Lewis Haynes
The United States lost hundreds of ships during the course of World War II, from the deadly explosion of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor to the sinking of John F. Kennedy’s PT-109, a patrol boat with a crew of less than 15. However, few of the ships lost in the Pacific suffered a fate as gripping or tragic as the sinking of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945.
The USS Indianapolis had been launched nearly 15 years earlier, and it had already survived kamikaze attacks while fighting the Japanese. In July 1945, the cruiser and its crew of nearly 1,200 delivered parts for the first atomic bomb to an air base at Tinian, but due to a chain of events and miscommunication, the cruiser veered into the path of a Japanese submarine shortly after midnight on July 30. Torpedo attacks sank the ship within 15 minutes of the encounter, and about 300 men went down with the ship, but unfortunately, the trials and tribulations were just starting for the survivors. After the call to abandon ship and distress signals were sent out, nearly 900 men found themselves in the water, but the Navy remained unaware of the fate of the Indianapolis, so the survivors would end up spending over 4 days adrift at sea.
Those who didn’t drown had to deal with the effects of dehydration, starvation, and exposure, but while those conditions were terrible enough, the most notorious aspect of the story was the presence of sharks, and the seemingly random nature in which they attacked the sailors. The sailors could never be sure if a gruesome death was coming at any instant, especially at night, and while it’s unclear how many men were actually eaten by sharks, salvage efforts eventually found the remains of nearly 60 bodies that indicated they were bitten.
By the time rescue efforts were completed, just 300 men were saved, and the fallout over the episode was intense. To this day, the sinking of the USS Indianapolis is controversial, and historians continue to debate who shouldered the most blame for what occurred. The Sinking of the USS The Harrowing Story of One of the U.S. Navy’s Deadliest Incidents during World War II chronicles the tragic fate of the ship and everything the survivors had to endure in the aftermath of the sinking. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the USS Indianapolis like never before, in no time at all.
*Includes accounts by survivors
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
“I awoke. I was in the air. I saw a bright light before I felt the concussion of the explosion that threw me up in the air almost to the overhead. A torpedo had detonated under my room. I hit the edge of the bunk, hit the deck, and stood up. Then the second explosion knocked me down again. As I landed on the deck I thought, ‘I've got to get the hell out of here!’” – Dr. Lewis Haynes
The United States lost hundreds of ships during the course of World War II, from the deadly explosion of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor to the sinking of John F. Kennedy’s PT-109, a patrol boat with a crew of less than 15. However, few of the ships lost in the Pacific suffered a fate as gripping or tragic as the sinking of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945.
The USS Indianapolis had been launched nearly 15 years earlier, and it had already survived kamikaze attacks while fighting the Japanese. In July 1945, the cruiser and its crew of nearly 1,200 delivered parts for the first atomic bomb to an air base at Tinian, but due to a chain of events and miscommunication, the cruiser veered into the path of a Japanese submarine shortly after midnight on July 30. Torpedo attacks sank the ship within 15 minutes of the encounter, and about 300 men went down with the ship, but unfortunately, the trials and tribulations were just starting for the survivors. After the call to abandon ship and distress signals were sent out, nearly 900 men found themselves in the water, but the Navy remained unaware of the fate of the Indianapolis, so the survivors would end up spending over 4 days adrift at sea.
Those who didn’t drown had to deal with the effects of dehydration, starvation, and exposure, but while those conditions were terrible enough, the most notorious aspect of the story was the presence of sharks, and the seemingly random nature in which they attacked the sailors. The sailors could never be sure if a gruesome death was coming at any instant, especially at night, and while it’s unclear how many men were actually eaten by sharks, salvage efforts eventually found the remains of nearly 60 bodies that indicated they were bitten.
By the time rescue efforts were completed, just 300 men were saved, and the fallout over the episode was intense. To this day, the sinking of the USS Indianapolis is controversial, and historians continue to debate who shouldered the most blame for what occurred. The Sinking of the USS The Harrowing Story of One of the U.S. Navy’s Deadliest Incidents during World War II chronicles the tragic fate of the ship and everything the survivors had to endure in the aftermath of the sinking. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the USS Indianapolis like never before, in no time at all.
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2015
51 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Charles River Editors
5,662 books279 followersCharles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 14, 2021
My heart breaks
As a former Navy wife, and a lifetime resident of the city of Indianapolis…. Words cannot adequately describe my feelings without them containing expletives towards the men who wronged McVay in order to find some solace to their own dereliction of duty. And, my words choke with emotion to the brave men who died and those who were given the grace of God to live to tell and uphold the truth. Of all in the history of the Navy, McVay not only deserved to be exonerated and to have his descendants presented with a Purple Heart but he exemplifies so much more! May God forever bless you all!
As a former Navy wife, and a lifetime resident of the city of Indianapolis…. Words cannot adequately describe my feelings without them containing expletives towards the men who wronged McVay in order to find some solace to their own dereliction of duty. And, my words choke with emotion to the brave men who died and those who were given the grace of God to live to tell and uphold the truth. Of all in the history of the Navy, McVay not only deserved to be exonerated and to have his descendants presented with a Purple Heart but he exemplifies so much more! May God forever bless you all!
January 4, 2019
True hero's.
GreAt story told by the crewmen who survived. Truly a great read. . Did there duties and never gave up hope.
GreAt story told by the crewmen who survived. Truly a great read. . Did there duties and never gave up hope.
February 23, 2015
I have heard of the fate of the USS Indianapolis but have never really investigated it. Now thanks to this appearing on my Kindle I have now been able to relive the tragic events that surround the sinking of the ship.
War is by it's very definition nasty and this event is certainly another tragic event.
War is by it's very definition nasty and this event is certainly another tragic event.
November 11, 2016
Good boat,worst shark disaster
Good
The ship was a cruiser and the worst shark attack in history
Anyway the ship did split in half and there is a memorial for the crew members who either drowned or got eaten by sharks
Good
The ship was a cruiser and the worst shark attack in history
Anyway the ship did split in half and there is a memorial for the crew members who either drowned or got eaten by sharks
February 9, 2015
Pretty good
Good retelling of eyewitness reports. No storyline. Somewhat interesting but not intimate enough to be spellbinding. Only takes about an hour to read.
Good retelling of eyewitness reports. No storyline. Somewhat interesting but not intimate enough to be spellbinding. Only takes about an hour to read.
October 23, 2015
The Wikipedia version, it was nothing more then an overview. I recommend a more in depth book.
May 11, 2016
Short historical history told by survivors of this tragedy.A different telling of In Harm's Way.
Awaiting the release of the summer movie, The USS Alabama.
Awaiting the release of the summer movie, The USS Alabama.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews