Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
Ship name	USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
Ship class	Portland-class cruiser
Builder	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down	1 March 1930
Launched	15 November 1931
Commissioned	15 November 1932
Fate	Sunk 30 July 1945; wreck located 2017
Displacement	9,950 long tons (standard)
Length	610 ft
Beam	61.5 ft
Draft	22.3 ft
Propulsion	Steam turbines
Speed	32.7 knots
Complement	1,100 officers and enlisted
Armament	9 × 8 in (203 mm) guns; 8 × 5 in (127 mm) guns; assorted AA

Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a Portland-class cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific War during World War II. She is noted for delivering parts of the Little Boy atomic bomb to Tinian and for her sinking in July 1945 with heavy loss of life after a torpedo attack by Imperial Japanese Navy forces. The ship's story intersects with major figures, events, and institutions of the mid-20th century.

Design and Construction

USS Indianapolis was laid down at the Fore River Shipyard operated by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts and launched under the sponsorship of Mrs. Thomas A. Edison’s family friend circles. As a Portland-class cruiser, she followed design lineage from the preceding Pensacola-class and Northampton-class cruisers, influenced by the Washington Naval Treaty limitations and the London Naval Treaty negotiations that shaped interwar capital ship design. Her propulsion reflected advances pioneered by firms such as General Electric and Westinghouse Electric Company, while armament echoing the Bureau of Ordnance specifications included nine 8-inch guns developed at Naval Gun Factory facilities. Shipbuilding practices at Bethlehem Steel yards incorporated industrial processes similar to contemporaneous work at Newport News Shipbuilding, Puget Sound Navy Yard, and the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Pre-World War II Service

Between commissioning and the outbreak of global hostilities, Indianapolis engaged in fleet problems and goodwill visits that linked her to naval diplomacy involving President Franklin D. Roosevelt and diplomatic posts in Latin America, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands. She operated with elements of the United States Battle Fleet and trained alongside carriers such as USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3), participating in exercises ordered by Admiral William S. Sims-era doctrine legacy and the evolving strategies advocated by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Port calls included stops at San Diego, Pearl Harbor, and Guam as tensions escalated with Imperial Japan.

World War II Operations

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Indianapolis conducted escort duties and offensive operations across the Solomon Islands campaign, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, and the Marianas campaign. She supported carrier task forces centered on USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Hornet (CV-8), and later USS Essex (CV-9), engaging in shore bombardments at Tarawa, Makin, and Saipan. Commanders such as Captain Charles B. McVay III and task force leaders including Admiral Raymond Spruance and Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher utilized Indianapolis for fire support, reconnaissance, and fast transport missions. In July 1945 she completed a classified mission to Tinian delivering components required for Manhattan Project assembly—specifically elements destined for the Enola Gay operation targeting Hiroshima.

Sinking and Casualties

On 30 July 1945, while transiting from Guam to Leyte Gulf after the Tinian mission, Indianapolis was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58 commanded by Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto. The ship sank in less than 12 minutes in the Philippine Sea, leaving approximately 900 survivors of her crew in the water. Over the subsequent days, many suffered from exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks; estimated deaths numbered more than 800. Delayed rescue resulted from failures in ship-to-shore reporting procedures involving Navy Communications and operational practices linked to the Pacific Fleet command structure. Survivors were rescued after a routine patrol plane, a PBM Mariner of VP-23, sighted them, prompting recovery by vessels including USS Cecil J. Doyle and USS Bassett.

Court Martial and Controversies

After the sinking, Captain Charles B. McVay III was controversially court-martialed and convicted by a general court-martial for failing to zigzag, an order rooted in naval doctrine and testimony including that of Commander Hashimoto. McVay’s conviction sparked debate involving figures such as Admiral Ernest J. King, legal advocates including Navy League of the United States members, and later public figures like Senator Daniel Inouye and Representative Joe Scarborough who argued for exoneration. Appeals, congressional hearings, and advocacy by survivor groups and researchers culminated in 2000 when Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig exonerated McVay, overturning the historical stigma. The episode influenced discussions of command responsibility and Uniform Code of Military Justice interpretations.

Wreck Discovery and Preservation

The wreck of Indianapolis was located on 19 August 2017 by an expedition led by ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, in partnership with Well Rested Ventures and backed by organizations such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and private donors including Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s trusts. The ship was found at a depth of about 18,000 feet in the Philippine Sea, broken into two main sections. The discovery raised questions about seabed preservation, governed by conventions like the Sunken Military Craft Act and policies administered by the United States Navy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientific teams from institutions including Ocean Exploration Trust and universities studied corrosion patterns, benthic colonization, and deep-sea ecology around the debris field.

Legacy and Commemoration

Indianapolis’s loss had enduring effects on naval policy, survivor advocacy, and public memory. Her story appears in works by historians such as William Manchester and documentarians affiliated with PBS and National Geographic. Memorials include the U.S. Navy Memorial exhibits, regional monuments in Indianapolis, Indiana, and commemorative events attended by figures like President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama on anniversaries. Annual survivor reunions, legislative actions, and museum displays at institutions like the National WWII Museum and Indiana War Memorial continue to honor the crew. The ship’s narrative influenced naval training reforms at United States Naval Academy and procedures in Naval Sea Systems Command to improve convoy reporting, search-and-rescue coordination, and accountability. Category: Category:United States Navy cruisers