The USS Indianapolis: Lost But Not Forgotten (For Like, 72 Years)
The USS Indianapolis, a mighty heavy cruiser, delivered the world's first atomic bomb parts to Tinian. Talk about high-pressure delivery! But then, things took a turn for the worse. Sharknado worse? No, thankfully not that dramatic, but pretty darn close.
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| How Was The Uss Indianapolis Found |
Lost at Sea, No Wi-Fi Available
QuickTip: Go back if you lost the thread.
Torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in July 1945, the Indianapolis sank in just 12 minutes. With no time to send out an SOS (because who even had flip phones back then?), the crew was left adrift in the Philippine Sea. Fun fact: Turns out, sharks are not big fans of etiquette and will happily ignore the "man overboard" social distancing rule.
The Search That Took Longer Than Finding Your Keys in the Morning
QuickTip: Skim slowly, read deeply.
Believe it or not, the Navy didn't even realize the Indianapolis was missing for four whole days! Apparently, Admiral Ackbar wasn't on duty that week. Thankfully, a patrol plane spotted the survivors by sheer luck. By then, only 316 out of the original 1,197 crew members were still alive. Rough times.
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Fast Forward 7 Decades: Enter Indiana Jones, I Mean, Paul Allen
QuickTip: Scroll back if you lose track.
The final resting place of the Indianapolis remained a mystery for over 70 years. Then, in 2017, billionaire philanthropist and fellow history buff Paul Allen decided to play Indiana Jones (without the fedora, thankfully). Fueled by a thirst for adventure and a hefty bank account, Allen's team used fancy deep-sea submersibles to scour the ocean floor. And guess what? They found the Indianapolis! Turns out, it was just chilling six nautical miles from where the Navy thought it might be. Those were some bad directions, Navy.
Tip: Revisit this page tomorrow to reinforce memory.
How To FAQs:
- How to avoid a similar fate at sea? Maybe avoid getting torpedoed by a sub? Also, bring a life raft. Just in case.
- How to become a deep-sea explorer like Paul Allen? Step 1: Become a billionaire. Step 2: Buy fancy submersibles (optional: fedora).
- How to properly dispose of a shark? This is a tricky one. We recommend seeking advice from a professional marine biologist. Do not attempt to wrestle a shark.
- How to honor the crew of the Indianapolis? You can learn about their story and remember their sacrifice. Visiting a war memorial is also a great way to pay your respects.
- How to find out more about the USS Indianapolis? The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has a great exhibit dedicated to the ship. You can also find tons of resources online.
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