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Quiz about The Tragedy of the USS Indianapolis

The Tragedy of the USS Indianapolis Quiz

I love WWII history, and the story of the USS Indianapolis is one of the most gripping and saddening stories I've come across.

A multiple-choice quiz by JennaV. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
JennaV

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
76,493

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
1533

Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (8/15), Guest 69 (6/15), Guest 98 (8/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

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

Answer: (Two Words)

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Question 2 of 15

2. 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? Hint

USS Idaho

USS Pensacola

USS Missouri

USS Birmingham

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Question 3 of 15

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

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 4 of 15

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

Guam

Tinian

Leyte

Okinawa

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Question 5 of 15

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

I-47

I-57

I-58

I-48

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Question 6 of 15

6. On what date did the USS Indy sink? Hint

August 1, 1944

August 1, 1945

July 30, 1945

July 30, 1944

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Question 7 of 15

7. Who was the captain of the USS Indy?

Answer: (first, middle, and last name please)

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Question 8 of 15

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

311

328

315

321

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Question 9 of 15

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

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Question 10 of 15

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

Answer: (yes or no)

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Question 11 of 15

11. What was the name of the doctor aboard the USS Indy? Hint

Lewis Haynes

Mike Kuryla

Giles McCoy

Edward Brown

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Question 12 of 15

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

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Question 13 of 15

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

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 14 of 15

14. 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? Hint

evening

morning

night

mid-day

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Question 15 of 15

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

Answer: (first and last name please)

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 06 2024 : Guest 174: 8/15
Mar 29 2024 : Guest 69: 6/15
Mar 09 2024 : Guest 98: 8/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

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

Answer: Little Boy

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

2. 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?

Answer: USS Pensacola

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

Answer: 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'.

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

Answer: Tinian

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

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

Answer: 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.

6. On what date did the USS Indy sink?

Answer: 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.

7. Who was the captain of the USS Indy?

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 12

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

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 9

All but 9 perished in the sinking.

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

Answer: 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).

14. 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?

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: Doug Stanton

This book is amazing! Anyone who has not read it SHOULD.

Source: Author JennaV

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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