Civilian researchers claim they have uncovered the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis, a World War II cruiser.
A Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis early in the morning of July 30, 1945, according to the Navy. Approximately 800 of the 1,196 sailors and Marines survived the ship’s initial sinking. But the Navy said only 316 people survived the dehydration, drowning, and shark attacks that ensued over the subsequent four to five days they spent stuck in the water.
“Even in the worst defeats and disasters, there is valor and sacrifice that deserves to never be forgotten,” said Sam Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command, in a statement on Saturday. “They can serve as inspiration to current and future sailors enduring situations of mortal peril. There are also lessons learned, and in the case of the Indianapolis, lessons re-learned, that need to be preserved and passed on, so the same mistakes can be prevented, and lives saved.”
An expedition crew found the wreckage at 5,500 meters below the surface on the floor of the North Pacific Ocean, according to the Navy.
The Navy still claims ownership of the USS Indianapolis and said the location of the wreck will “remain confidential and restricted.”
