Special Sub-Topic: The Tragedy of the USS Indianapolis Click Here To Play: The Tragedy of the USS Indianapolis

What was the name of the atomic bomb that the USS Indy delivered to the South Pacific?

Little Boy. The Indy carried a black cannister which held the radioactive material and a wooden crate that held essential parts of the bomb.

What is the name of the ship that was supposed to deliver the atomic bomb, but was disqualified after failing to perform adequately during maneuvers?

USS Pensacola.

What city in Japan was the A-bomb, carried by the USS Indy, dropped on?

Hiroshima. The other A-bomb, nicknamed 'Fat Man,' was dropped on Nagasaki. When 'Little Boy' was dropped on Hiroshima, it had written on its side, 'This is for the boys of the USS Indianapolis'.

What was the name of the island that the USS Indy delivered the bomb to?

Tinian. Only a short time later, the plane 'Enola Gay', took off from Tinian headed for Hiroshima.

What was the name of the Japanese submarine that torpedoed and sunk the USS Indy?

I-58. The sinking of the USS Indy was the first enemy hit from the I-58, which had failed to see any action prior to that day.

On what date did the USS Indy sink?

July 30, 1945. She was sunk on July 30, 1945, shortly after midnight. The men who were cast into the water would stay there for 4 days before accidentally being discovered by an American bomber.

Who was the captain of the USS Indy?

Charles Butler McVay. He was unjustly courtmartialed by the Navy and convicted. He eventually committed suicide in 1968 due to the guilt he felt for the lives of the boys that were under his command. For the past 33 years, the men that survived the sinking have been working to clear their captain's name.

Close to 900 men went into the water on the night of the sinking. How many were pulled out alive?

321. Three hundred and twentyone men came out of the water alive, although, 5 would later die in hospitals, leaving the total amount of survivors at 316.

How many minutes did it take for the USS Indy to sink?

12.

Prior to the ship sinking was the distress signal that was sent out received by anyone?

yes. It was actually received by 3 different people, but all of the messages were somehow ignored or overlooked by the Naval officers in charge.

What was the name of the doctor aboard the USS Indy?

Lewis Haynes. Giles McCoy was a Marine assigned to the Indy, Mike Kuryla and Ed Brown were sailors in the Navy assigned to the ship. All 4 men survived the sinking. Captain Lewis Haynes, the ship's doctor, lead one of the groups of men in the water who had only life jackets to keep them afloat(other groups had life rafts or floater nets). Captain Haynes group suffered the most due to the fact that they were submerged in the water completely, leaving them extremely vulnerable to hypothermia and shark attacks.

How many of the 39 Marines aboard the USS Indy survived the sinking?

9. All but 9 perished in the sinking.

What was the first movie to make a reference to the tragedy of the USS Indy?

Jaws. The crazy boat captain who takes them out to catch the shark in the first movie talks about the horror of the sinking (although many of the 'facts' stated in the movie are incorrect).

Sharks ravaged the men in the water, many of whom had nothing to wear except their life jacket. What was the worst time of day for the men concerning shark attacks?

night. Although the sharks hunted in the early morning and late evening, the worst time was at night, which is when sharks normally feed. The men said at night people disappeared without a sound and no one would know until morning.

Who wrote the book 'In Harm's Way' that chronicled the events leading up to and following the sinking of the USS Indy?

Doug Stanton & Douglas Stanton. This book is amazing! Anyone who has not read it SHOULD.