USS Indianapolis

cowhornedspike

Senior Member
Knew the man who was the communications officer on that ship and spent days in the water in a life raft waiting to be rescued. His story was interesting to say the least.

He also had a piece of a Jap zero wing that he recovered from a kamikaze attack during an earlier mission well before the ship was sunk by the sub attack. He passed a few years ago.
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
Great video.

Total fiction, but Robert Shaw's character telling of his Indianapolis experience during the movie "Jaws" is a pure classic.
 

georgia_home

Senior Member
1990’s. Was sitting in a car waiting for someone at the airport in … New Orleans iirc and heard excerpts of book on NPR. Iirc the doctor.

inspired me to get the book and read it. Very good

edit: in harms way
 

cowhornedspike

Senior Member
My friend and his fellow survivors spent years trying to get their captain exonerated. He claimed the cap did nothing wrong. They are pretty much all dead now as far as I know.
 

Use Enough Gun

Senior Member
My friend and his fellow survivors spent years trying to get their captain exonerated. He claimed the cap did nothing wrong. They are pretty much all dead now as far as I know.
Correct , he was the only captain in US military history to be court marshaled for losing a ship in warfare . His surviving crew spent years trying to get him exonerated .
The book in Harms Way begins with the Captain killing himself , book is great but a sad read .
 

Resica

Senior Member
The Japanese sub commander said it would have made no diff. if he was zig zagging. Capt. Toti of the USS Indianapolis sub and a commodore of a sub squadron in Pearl spent a lot of time trying to get Capt. Mcvay exonerated. He's on " The Unauthorized History of The Pacific War" podcast and he is great. There are several videos on there about the Heavy Cruiser Indianapolis!
 
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