USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

USS ''Indianapolis'' (CL/CA-35) was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Launched in 1931, it was the flagship for the commander of Scouting Force 1 for eight years, then flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance in 1943 and 1944 while he commanded the Fifth Fleet in battles across the Central Pacific during World War II.

In July 1945, ''Indianapolis'' completed a top-secret high-speed trip to deliver uranium and other components for "Little Boy", the first nuclear weapon ever used in combat, to the Tinian Naval Base, and subsequently departed for the Philippines on training duty. At 0015 on 30 July, the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine , and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,195 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 890 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks while stranded in the open ocean with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. The Navy only learned of the sinking four days later, when survivors were spotted by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol. A US Navy PBY seaplane crew landed to save those in the water. Only 316 survived.

The sinking of ''Indianapolis'' resulted in the greatest loss of life at sea from a single ship in the history of the US Navy. On 19 August 2017, a search team financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen located the wreckage in the Philippine Sea lying at a depth of approximately . On 20 December, 2018, the crew of ''Indianapolis'' was collectively awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Construction

''Indianapolis'' was the second of two ships in the ''Portland'' class, the third class of "treaty cruisers" constructed by the United States Navy following the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, after the two vessels of the , ordered in 1926, and the six of the , ordered in 1927. Ordered for the US Navy in fiscal year 1930, ''Indianapolis'' was originally designated as a light cruiser because of her thin armor and given the hull classification symbol CL-35. She was reclassified a heavy cruiser, because of her guns, with the symbol CA-35 on 1 July 1931, in accordance with the London Naval Treaty.

As built, the ''Portland''-class cruisers were designed for a standard displacement of , and a full-load displacement of . However, when completed, ''Indianapolis'' did not reach this weight, displacing . The ship had two distinctive raked funnels, a tripod foremast, and a small tower and pole mast aft. In 1943, light tripods were added forward of the second funnel on each ship, and a prominent Naval director was installed aft.

The ship had four propeller shafts and four Parsons GT geared turbines and eight White-Forster boilers. The gave a design speed of . She was designed for a range of at . She rolled badly until fitted with a bilge keel.

The cruiser had nine 8-inch/55 caliber Mark 9 guns in three triple mounts, a superfiring pair fore and one aft. For anti-aircraft defense, she had eight 5-inch/25 caliber guns and two QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss guns. In 1945, she received twenty-four Bofors guns, arrayed in six quad mounts. Both ships were upgraded with nineteen Oerlikon cannons. The ship did not have torpedo tubes.

The ''Portland''-class cruisers originally had armor for deck and side protection, but in construction they were given belt armor between (around the magazines) and in thickness. Armor on the bulkheads was between and ; that on the deck was , the barbettes , the gunhouses 2.5 in, and the conning tower .

''Portland''-class cruisers were outfitted as fleet flagships, with space for a flag officer and his staff. The class also had two aircraft catapults amidships. They could carry four aircraft. The total crew varied, with a regular designed complement of 807 and a wartime complement of 952, which could increase to 1,229 when the cruiser was a fleet flagship.

''Indianapolis'' was laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corporation on 31 March 1930. The hull and machinery were provided by the builder. ''Indianapolis'' was launched on 7 November 1931, and commissioned on 15 November 1932. She was the second ship named for the city of Indianapolis, following the cargo ship of the same name in 1918. She was sponsored by Lucy M. Taggart, daughter of former Mayor of Indianapolis Thomas Taggart.

Interwar period

Under Captain John M. Smeallie, ''Indianapolis'' undertook her shakedown cruise through the Atlantic and into Guantánamo Bay, until 23 February 1932. ''Indianapolis'' then transited the Panama Canal for training off the Chilean coast. After overhaul at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, she sailed to Maine to embark President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, on 1 July 1933. Getting underway the same day, ''Indianapolis'' arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, on 3 July. She hosted six members of the Cabinet, along with Roosevelt, during her stay there. After disembarking Roosevelt, she departed Annapolis on 4 July, and steamed for Philadelphia Navy Yard.

On 6 September, she embarked United States Secretary of the Navy Claude A. Swanson, for an inspection of the Navy in the Pacific. ''Indianapolis'' toured the Canal Zone, Hawaii, and installations in San Pedro and San Diego. Swanson disembarked on 27 October. On 1 November 1933, she became flagship of Scouting Fleet 1, and maneuvered with the force off Long Beach, California. She departed on 9 April 1934, and arrived at New York City, embarking Roosevelt, a second time, for a naval review. She returned to Long Beach on 9 November 1934 for more training with the Scouting Force. She remained flagship of Scouting Force 1 until 1941. On 18 November 1936, she embarked Roosevelt a third time at Charleston, South Carolina, and conducted a goodwill cruise to South America with him. She visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, for state visits before returning to Charleston and disembarking Roosevelt's party on 15 December. President Roosevelt underwent his crossing the line ceremony on this cruise on 26 November: an "intensive initiation lasting two days, but we have all survived and are now full-fledged Shellbacks".

World War II

On 7 December 1941, ''Indianapolis'', leading Task Force 3, (''Indianapolis'' and destroyer-minesweepers , , and from MineDiv 6, and and from MineDiv 5) was conducting a mock bombardment at Johnston Atoll during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. ''Indianapolis'' was absorbed into Task Force 12 and searched for the Japanese carriers responsible for the attack, though the force did not locate them. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 December and joined Task Force 11.

New Guinea campaign

With the task force, she steamed to the South Pacific, to south of Rabaul, New Britain, escorting the aircraft carrier . Late in the afternoon of 20 February 1942, the American ships were attacked by 18 Japanese aircraft. Of these, 16 were shot down by aircraft from ''Lexington'' and the other two were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire from the ships.

On 10 March, the task force, reinforced by another force centered on the carrier , attacked Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea, where the Japanese were marshaling amphibious forces. Attacking from the south through the Owen Stanley mountain range, the US air forces surprised and inflicted heavy damage on Japanese warships and transports, losing few aircraft. ''Indianapolis'' returned to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a refit before escorting a convoy to Australia.

Aleutian Islands campaign

''Indianapolis'' then headed for the North Pacific to support American units in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands. On 7 August, ''Indianapolis'' and the task force attacked Kiska Island, a Japanese staging area. Although fog hindered observation, ''Indianapolis'' and other ships fired their main guns into the bay. Floatplanes from the cruisers reported Japanese ships sunk in the harbor and damage to shore installations. After 15 minutes, Japanese shore batteries returned fire before being destroyed by the ships' main guns. Japanese submarines approaching the force were depth-charged by American destroyers and Japanese seaplanes made an ineffective bombing attack. In spite of a lack of information on the Japanese forces, the operation was considered a success. US forces later occupied Adak Island, providing a naval base farther from Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island.

1943 operations

In January 1943, ''Indianapolis'' supported a landing and occupation on Amchitka, part of an Allied island hopping strategy in the Aleutian Islands.

On the evening of 19 February, ''Indianapolis'' led two destroyers on a patrol southwest of Attu Island, searching for Japanese ships trying to reinforce Kiska and Attu. She intercepted the Japanese cargo ship, laden with troops, munitions, and supplies. The cargo ship tried to reply to the radio challenge but was shelled by ''Indianapolis''. ''Akagane Maru'' exploded and sank with all hands. Through mid-1943, ''Indianapolis'' remained near the Aleutian Islands, escorting American convoys and providing shore bombardments supporting amphibious assaults. In May, the Allies captured Attu, then turned on Kiska, thought to be the final Japanese holdout in the Aleutians. Allied landings there began on 15 August, but the Japanese had already abandoned the Aleutian Islands, unbeknownst to the Allies.

After refitting at Mare Island, ''Indianapolis'' moved to Hawaii as flagship of Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, commanding the 5th Fleet. She sortied from Pearl Harbor on 10 November, with the main body of the Southern Attack Force for Operation Galvanic, the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. On 19 November, ''Indianapolis'' bombarded Tarawa Atoll

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