USS Indianapolis
Indianapolis was an American heavy cruiser that was commissioned in 1932. It delivered the world’s first atom bomb to the island of Tinian in the North Pacific on July 26, 1945, and then was ordered to join USS Idaho in the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. She left Guam, and this heavy vessel was torpedoed by a Japanese sub and sunk in 12 minutes.
Even though about 900 of the crew survived the immediate attack, they were left stranded, facing dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and Hypothermia in shark-infested waters. Days went by before they were found and rescued by the Navy, with just 317 people left alive. It became known as the worst American naval disaster of World War II. The ship itself has never been recovered.
