Summary: The Sinking Of US Indianapolis

Through World War II there were many naval ships that were sunk. One of the major naval ships that sunk was the U.S.S. Indianapolis. This ship was an important factor in winning the war but she tragically sunk during her mission. Of the one thousand one hundred and ninety-six men aboard, only three hundred and seventeen survived (Field). The “Indy” was written down as the worst naval disaster in history. The U.S.S Indianapolis was built in Camden, New Jersey. It was launched and commissioned in 1931. The “Indy” was six hundred and ten feet and three inches, or one hundred eighty-six meters, and was displaced at nine thousand nine hundred and fifty tons. The main battery consisted of nine eight-inch guns and eight five-inch anti-aircraft guns. The U.S.S Indianapolis was powered by eight boilers and operated in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. She also had the honor to carry United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on three cruises (Field). When the United States entered World
Why had the Navy brought up this charge? The explosions from the attack knocked the communication system out. Meaning the only means of communication was by word of mouth, which the Captain carried out. Since that wouldn't be pursued, it left the second charge of failing to zigzag. The Navy brought in the commander of the Japanese submarine that sunk the ship, Mochitura Hashimoto, to testify at the court-martial. During the pretrial statements, he states that zigzagging would not have saved the Indianapolis. One prosecution witness was a veteran Navy submariner named Glynn Donaho. A four-time Navy Cross winner during the way, Donaho was asked by McVay's defense counsel whether "it would have been more or less difficult for you to attain the proper firing position" if the Indianapolis had been zigzagging under the conditions which existed that night. His answer was, "No, not as long as I could see the target (“Captain