Naval Survivors Come Together at USS Indianapolis

In the early morning of July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis – which had, just days earlier, delivered the world’s first atomic bomb to the island of Tinian – was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea and sank in 12 minutes. Of the 1,196 men on board, about 900 survived the initial attack, but only 317 survived the harrowing four days spent at sea before they were discovered.

Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Radio Club

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The USS Indianapolis National Memorial, honoring those aboard the doomed ship, is located on the north end of the Canal Walk in Indianapolis. Each year in late July, the city hosts a reunion for the survivors of the worst naval disaster in U.S. history.

To learn more about the USS Indianapolis including information about the survivors, the 2011 reunion and a message board of topics, visit www.ussindianapolis.org.