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She was sunk July 30, 1945 after delivering the Little Boy bomb to Tinian. She was on her way to Leyte in the Philippines when she was hit by two torpedos. The ship sank in 12 minutes, and there was no time to send a distress call. Because of the secrecy of the mission, Indianapolis wasn't reported overdue for a week.
Some 800 of the 1200-member crew survived the sinking.
Sharks killed almost 500 of them over the next few days. They were found during a routine patrol mission by a Navy plane. When the first rescue plane landed, the pilot realized what and who he had found, and started letting the sailors climb on the wings and fuselage to get out of the water. That PBY was eventually scrapped, I think.
A mission by Paul Allen pinpointed her location today.
Some 800 of the 1200-member crew survived the sinking.
Sharks killed almost 500 of them over the next few days. They were found during a routine patrol mission by a Navy plane. When the first rescue plane landed, the pilot realized what and who he had found, and started letting the sailors climb on the wings and fuselage to get out of the water. That PBY was eventually scrapped, I think.
A mission by Paul Allen pinpointed her location today.
Probably the best-known memorial those poor men had.