Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945

CA-35 USS Indianapolis

• Portland class Heavy Cruiser:
• Displacement: 12,411 tons (full load)
• Length: 588'2"
• Beam: 61'10"
• Draft: 24'4"
• Speed: 32.5 knots
• Armament: 3x3 8"/55, 8x1 5"/25, 6x4 40mm, 28x1 20mm, 8x1 .50-caliber MG; 3 planes
• Complement: 1,121
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 107,000 hp
• Built at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, NJ, and commissioned 15 November 1932

Served as Adm. Spruance's Fifth Fleet flagship at Iwo Jima and until struck by a kamikaze the day before the Okinawa landings, 31 Mar 1945

: Sailing for Leyte, via Guam, after delivering key elements of the atomic bombs to Tinian, Indianapolis was torpedoed by I-58 on the night of 29-30 Jul 1945. Approximately 800-850 men survived the sinking, but only 316 remained to be rescued after 3 1/2-5 days in shark-filled waters. The movie "Jaws" contains a powerful scene recounting the ordeal of the survivors.

Additional Links:

• "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships" -- USS Indianapolis
• Contract for the Construction of Indianapolis Light Cruiser No. 35
• Naval Historical Center FAQ [USN]
• Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
• Capt. Charles McVay, USN recollects carrying the atomic bomb to Tinian and the sinking of Indianapolis [NHC: oral history]
• Capt. Lewis L. Haynes, MC, USN (Ret.) recollects the sinking of the ship [NHC: oral history]
• Interrogation of Cdr. Mochitsura Hashimoto, IJN (Commanding Officer of I-58
• USS Indianapolis Home Page
• Warship Pictorial: USS Indianapolis, CA-35, Steve Wiper, ed. (Class Warships Publishing: 1996)

  ---

• For additional photos, see the Main Page.
• For crew lists, and reunions see the Veterans Info Page.
• For ship's logs and personnel records, see the Reference Page.

At Mare Island, 10 July 45 -- just before departing for Tinian with the Bomb

Return to Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-45: Cruisers

Return to Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945