71st Anniversary: USS Indianapolis

In this very special episode, we mark the 71st anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. We delve deeper into the events leading up to and resulting in the sinking of the ship as described by Quint in the classic movie Jaws.

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was hit by a Japanese torpedo in the Philippine Sea, sinking in just 12 minutes. On board there were 1,196, 300 of which went down with the ship. The remainder were left floating in shark ridden water awaiting rescue, with no lifeboats, food, or water. The ship was not missed in terms of a scheduled arrival, and the survivors were only spotted accidentally four days later, with only 316 of the men still surviving. 

One of the survivors was the ship's captain, Charles Butler McVay III, who was court-martialed and convicted of "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag". However, in October of 2000, Charles Butler McVay III's record was exonerated for his efforts in protecting his crew. The survivors are thankful that, 56 years later, their captains name has been cleared. 

In this podcast we explore a written journal of one of the crew members on the ship during this challenging ordeal, and learn a little more about Quint's backstory.

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