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Ordeal by Sea: The Tragedy of the U.S.S Indianapolis
Chronicles the harrowing ordeal of survivors of the sinking of U.S.S. Indianapolis, destroyed by a Japanese torpedo in the final days of World War II after delivering the atomic bomb to Tinian, a disaster that left many men in the water, subject to a terrifying series of shark attacks that cost more than eight hundred lives. Reprint.
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 3, 2025
I don’t even know where to begin. These are stories that we should have been taught in school and should be taught now in schools. The heartbreak that I felt reading this book and also the inspiration to share this store with others. God bless all the men that experienced this tragedy and anguish for those long excruciating days in the water and eternity. 🙏🏻
March 31, 2012
This is the story of the USS Indianapolis. On July 30, 1945 just having delivered an atomic bomb the ship hurried to rendezvous with the rest of the Pacific fleet. A Japanese submarine launched a torpedo and the ship began to sink. The order was given to abandon ship and 1,196 men did so. Five days later they were finally rescued but only 317 remained.
Ordeal is a very apropos name as that is what the men went through. Terrible shark attacks and dehydration were a few of the nightmares these men suffered. Several mistakes were made but I felt the Captain was made to take the blame for most of them.
The ship had zigzagged for most of the evening when the threat of sub attack was high but having reached what was considered a safer area according to the fleet's reports they quit taking the time to zig zag to their peril. The torpedo hit and there seemed to be some chaos.
For all the men who ended up in the water there were not enough life boats and so some had to cling on to the sides and face potential shark attack. There was also dehydration and the subsequent hallucinations following the drinking of salt water.
No one in the fleet command thought to pay attention to this ship's whereabouts and subsequently these men were not looked for and only found by luck. The Captain was eventually court martialed. In this case it seems that the lowest man on the totem pole gets the blame.
A very interesting book about the hardship of abandoning ship.
Ordeal is a very apropos name as that is what the men went through. Terrible shark attacks and dehydration were a few of the nightmares these men suffered. Several mistakes were made but I felt the Captain was made to take the blame for most of them.
The ship had zigzagged for most of the evening when the threat of sub attack was high but having reached what was considered a safer area according to the fleet's reports they quit taking the time to zig zag to their peril. The torpedo hit and there seemed to be some chaos.
For all the men who ended up in the water there were not enough life boats and so some had to cling on to the sides and face potential shark attack. There was also dehydration and the subsequent hallucinations following the drinking of salt water.
No one in the fleet command thought to pay attention to this ship's whereabouts and subsequently these men were not looked for and only found by luck. The Captain was eventually court martialed. In this case it seems that the lowest man on the totem pole gets the blame.
A very interesting book about the hardship of abandoning ship.
March 15, 2020
From Quint’s monologue in Jaws:
“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into her side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. We’d just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.
Didn’t see the first shark for about a half-hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’ by, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was sorta like you see in the calendars, you know the infantry squares in the old calendars like the Battle of Waterloo and the idea was the shark come to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’ and hollerin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… but sometimes he wouldn’t go away.
Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.
You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don’t know how many sharks there were, maybe a thousand. I do know how many men, they averaged six an hour. Thursday mornin’, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boson’s mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. He bobbed up, down in the water, he was like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he’d been bitten in half below the waist.
At noon on the fifth day, a Lockheed Ventura swung in low and he spotted us, a young pilot, lot younger than Mr. Hooper here, anyway he spotted us and a few hours later a big ol’ fat PBY come down and started to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened. Waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went into the water. 316 men come out, the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945.
Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”
Jaws is one of my favorite movies of all time, and i’ve watched it probably 40-50 times. This speech by Quint is one of the best scenes of the movie, but beyond what he says, I didn’t know much more about the tragedy of U.S.S. Indianapolis and whether what he says was true. So when I saw this book in a local little free library, I grabbed it and immersed myself in the story of the men who survived one of the greatest sea disasters in US Naval History.
Though there are other books on this subject, this one was written just 18 years after the event and benefited from contemporary interviews with survivors along with cooperation from the Navy. The author also served on the Indianapolis prior to the fateful final tour, so he has an intimate knowledge of the ship and life as a sailor.
The book is riveting in that it tells the human story, a narrative pulled from first hand accounts. It reminds me of A Night to Remember about the Titanic. Neither book is focused on the engineering details that led to the sinking, or figuring out who is to blame for the tragedy. Though if you are interested in that, this book does get into the details of the captain’s court-martial trial and whether that was fair, in the Afterword by yet another Naval Captain in the 1990s. I highly recommend this book if you like true stories that are almost too wild to believe. Full of drama, heroics and nightmarish conditions during the five days the men waited to be rescued.
“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into her side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. We’d just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.
Didn’t see the first shark for about a half-hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’ by, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was sorta like you see in the calendars, you know the infantry squares in the old calendars like the Battle of Waterloo and the idea was the shark come to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’ and hollerin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… but sometimes he wouldn’t go away.
Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.
You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don’t know how many sharks there were, maybe a thousand. I do know how many men, they averaged six an hour. Thursday mornin’, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boson’s mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. He bobbed up, down in the water, he was like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he’d been bitten in half below the waist.
At noon on the fifth day, a Lockheed Ventura swung in low and he spotted us, a young pilot, lot younger than Mr. Hooper here, anyway he spotted us and a few hours later a big ol’ fat PBY come down and started to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened. Waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went into the water. 316 men come out, the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945.
Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”
Jaws is one of my favorite movies of all time, and i’ve watched it probably 40-50 times. This speech by Quint is one of the best scenes of the movie, but beyond what he says, I didn’t know much more about the tragedy of U.S.S. Indianapolis and whether what he says was true. So when I saw this book in a local little free library, I grabbed it and immersed myself in the story of the men who survived one of the greatest sea disasters in US Naval History.
Though there are other books on this subject, this one was written just 18 years after the event and benefited from contemporary interviews with survivors along with cooperation from the Navy. The author also served on the Indianapolis prior to the fateful final tour, so he has an intimate knowledge of the ship and life as a sailor.
The book is riveting in that it tells the human story, a narrative pulled from first hand accounts. It reminds me of A Night to Remember about the Titanic. Neither book is focused on the engineering details that led to the sinking, or figuring out who is to blame for the tragedy. Though if you are interested in that, this book does get into the details of the captain’s court-martial trial and whether that was fair, in the Afterword by yet another Naval Captain in the 1990s. I highly recommend this book if you like true stories that are almost too wild to believe. Full of drama, heroics and nightmarish conditions during the five days the men waited to be rescued.
November 1, 2018
I read this book as a 16 year old, having not been much of a reader since I was a young kid. Loved this book and it got me completely hooked on reading again.
July 24, 2019
In the seemingly secure comfort of a big ship before midnight, in the dark waters in the next few minutes. And more. This is the story of probably one of the worst naval disasters in history.
December 26, 2025
This is an excellent book and a quick overview! Recommend to anyone who is a beginner to the tragedy of the Indianapolis.
Written in 1963, it seems closer in proximity to the actual events of the tragedy vs books written much later.
Very tightly written, and not overly verbose.
The forward and afterward add much of the historical facts, esp when it comes to Captain McVays conviction.
Written in 1963, it seems closer in proximity to the actual events of the tragedy vs books written much later.
Very tightly written, and not overly verbose.
The forward and afterward add much of the historical facts, esp when it comes to Captain McVays conviction.
February 13, 2019
Tightly written, mostly just the facts (with the occasional indignant or supportive aside) of the tragic sinking of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, and the aftermath for her survivors and her unfairly targeted captain.
August 8, 2024
Empathetic account of this disaster at sea.
PS I read it because my birthfather survived his ship's sinking. I don't have details, as I was adopted at birth. Apparently he was in the water for some time. This project gave me a glimpse of what he likely experienced. Heartbreaking.
PS I read it because my birthfather survived his ship's sinking. I don't have details, as I was adopted at birth. Apparently he was in the water for some time. This project gave me a glimpse of what he likely experienced. Heartbreaking.
May 28, 2019
Tragic tragic story very well written.
June 28, 2023
Good history. We should learn about and appreciate the sacrifice many have made for our freedoms. Not all of them were treated fairly or justly.
January 16, 2024
Excellent book. Very detailed. Also brought in many personal stories. One of the best WWII books I have read.
May 31, 2017
This was an excellent account of the tragedy and the aftermath. It seems that the Captain's record may never get expunged but there is a good summary of the reasons n the afterword.
July 30, 2007
If you don't know the story, it's a very dramatic tale of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the Pacific at the end of WWII by a Japanese submarine and the horrific survival of 300 or so men after 5 days at sea - facing deyhdration/severe hunger, sharks, and other dangers of the open sea. I think there is a newer book with more on what has happened in the years since (with the captain's court marahalling etc.) and it is probably a better read - this book was written in 1963 and is fairly straightforward, but there are lots of names and he doesn't necessarily weave together a plot iwth the characters, more like a chronological explanantion of what happened. Still, its facinating.
June 12, 2014
Ordeal by Sea is the true story of the USS Indianapolis. This ship was sunk by the Japanese only days after delivering the 2 atomic bombs to Tinian Island. The mission was so secret that news of the sinking took many days to reach the rescue teams. Thomas Helm tells the terrible tale of how over 300 men were taken by sharks as they waited for help. Thomas Helm is a wonderful author who has written many other great books about sharks, hurricanes, and WWII. Thomas Helm was credited with shooting down a Japanese Zero with a Springfield rifle during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. I give this book a 5 Star Excellent rating. By Gregg L. Friedman MD
June 12, 2012
This book is a nail-biter even though you know what's going to happen because in the first few chapters you are introduced to a bunch of young men. You begin to care about them and then you begin to wonder do they make it or not. This book also details what happens to a human being who spends days in the water. It really moves along and I had my boys read it as part of our lessons on WWII.
December 5, 2016
Amazing retelling of this horrific story of tragedy, pain, loss and fortitude. A great story of what our military does for the United States - every American should be required to read this book. It's a real life story well told by Mr. Helm. I appreciate his effort at getting the facts into the public domain. Well done.
November 30, 2011
A nice, quick read about the sinking of a U.S. Naval ship during WW2. The story of the survivors' time at sea fighting dehydration, hallucinations, and shark attacks is a frightening reminder of just how dangerous the sea can be.
January 23, 2010
Story of the sinking of the shio that delivered the A-bomb at the end of WWII.
September 17, 2012
Very intense and quite humbling. I love a good non-fiction book. This gave me greater appreciation for those serving in the military for our country.
March 29, 2016
Fantastic book that felt action packed. I was a little surprised by the little amount of time that the author paid to the sharks and their role in this story. Regardless, it was a great book.
April 11, 2017
I've read several books about the sinking of the Indianapolis and found this one to have more interesting personal accounts of shipboard activities while delivering the atom bomb to Tinian and the struggles encountered simply abandoning the ship.
The atom bomb was brought aboard ship in utmost secrecy in a large crate and tied down on the deck. It was guarded by armed Marines throughout the voyage to Tinian. Crew members placed bets about the top-secret contents of this container. One guessed that it contained fresh mattressses and pillows for officers, another that it was a new Cadillac for General MacArthur. The one bet that really peaked the crews interest was that the crate was filled with cases of liquor intended for officers. This resulted in elaborate planning of how to get at the liquor without alerting the armed guards. One plan was to use a blow torch to burn a hole through the deck directly under the crate. This plan was never acted upon as the Indy made record time in sailing to Tinian.
Following her last repairs and over-haul it was found that Indy was just as heavy above its waterline as below - something that severely endangered its stability, and certainly accounted for its rapid sinking. There are horrific accounts of sailors making their escapes (or not) from the stricken ship.
All-in-all a very interesting and moving read about a tragic event.
The atom bomb was brought aboard ship in utmost secrecy in a large crate and tied down on the deck. It was guarded by armed Marines throughout the voyage to Tinian. Crew members placed bets about the top-secret contents of this container. One guessed that it contained fresh mattressses and pillows for officers, another that it was a new Cadillac for General MacArthur. The one bet that really peaked the crews interest was that the crate was filled with cases of liquor intended for officers. This resulted in elaborate planning of how to get at the liquor without alerting the armed guards. One plan was to use a blow torch to burn a hole through the deck directly under the crate. This plan was never acted upon as the Indy made record time in sailing to Tinian.
Following her last repairs and over-haul it was found that Indy was just as heavy above its waterline as below - something that severely endangered its stability, and certainly accounted for its rapid sinking. There are horrific accounts of sailors making their escapes (or not) from the stricken ship.
All-in-all a very interesting and moving read about a tragic event.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews