On July 30 , 1945 , the cruiserUSSIndianapolissank in the Pacific Ocean after it was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58 . More than 70 years after the historic naval tragedy — which claimed the lives of nearly 900 crew — The New York Timesreportsthat the ship ’s mysterious net resting place has been found .
The discovery came courtesy of a team of civilian researchers , led by Microsoft Centennial State - laminitis Paul Allen . His commonwealth - of - the - art inquiry vessel , Petrel , located the crash 18,000 foot below the Pacific ’s surface , the squad announcedon Saturday , August 19 .
" To be able to honor the brave men of the USSIndianapolisand their family line through the find of a ship that played such a significant theatrical role in ending World War II is really chagrin , ” Allen said in a financial statement . “ As Americans , we all owe a debt of gratitude to the crowd for their courage , persistence , and ritual killing in the face of horrendous circumstances . "
Before it lapse , the USSIndianapolishad just completeda top - secret mission to a naval fundament on the Northern Mariana island of Tinian . Afterdeliveringenriched uranium and components for Little Boy — the nuclear bomb that the U.S. would dangle on the Japanese city of Hiroshima about a week afterwards — the cruiser formulate ahead to Guam , and then to the Philippines . It was supposed to meet the battleship USSIdahoat Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare to attack Japan .
The USSIndianapolisnever made it to Leyte Gulf . Shortly after midnight on July 30 , the Japanese submarine I-58 spot the cruiser and fired six torpedoes . The USSIndianapolis — which was run into doubly — sank within 12 minutes . Around 300 to 400 sailor and Marines were belt down in the attack ; the repose were strand in the Pacific Ocean for several Day .
Many of these survivor would in the end fall behind their livesto shark , a grisly scene that would be magnificently ( albeit semi - accurately ) recounted in the 1975 movieJaws . Others diedfrom drown , heat fortuity , thirstiness , burns and injuries , swallowing common salt piddle or fuel vegetable oil , and felo-de-se . More than 300 bunch members were deliver after a Italian sandwich pilot accidently spy the imperiled world while on a routine antisubmarine patrol .
The great deal catastrophe — which would n’t be foretell to the public until August 15 , 1945 — sparked controversy : Charles B. McVay III , police chief of the USSIndianapolis , was found guilty in a court martial of fail to steer the ship on a “ zag ” course to elude Nipponese sub . A Japanese Italian sandwich master attest that this precautionary touchstone would n’t have thwarted the enemy , but McVay was bill however . The captain break by suicide in 1968 , and would n’t be officially exonerated by the Navy until 2001 .
For decades , the remains of the USSIndianapoliswere lose to the depredation of prison term and nature . But in 2016 , naval historiographer Richard Hulver found a historic ship log that mention a sighting of the USSIndianapolis . Allen ’s lookup squad used this info to site the ship , which was west of where experts assumed it had gone down .
Allen ’s bunch took pictures of the wreckage , including a piece of its Isaac Hull , and will search for more of the ship . They plan to keep the exact location of the USSIndianapolisa secret , however , to honour the sunken ship as a war tomb .
" While our hunt for the rest of the wreckage will continue , I hope everyone connected to this historical ship will sense some measure of blockage at this find so long in coming , ” Allen said .
[ h / tThe New York Times ]
