Indianapolis, IN
A disaster turns 79. USS Indianapolis sinking leads to world’s worst shark attack
James O’Donnell: ‘If you didn’t stay in a group, the sharks got you’
It was “just fate” that a teenager from Indy’s Eastside sailed out on the famous ship named after his hometown. He ended up in one of the most horrifying tales of modern warfare.
Danese Kenon/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star
It was 79 years ago when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser carrying nearly 1,200 sailors and Marines. The ship was sailing back to the Philippines after delivering components for “Little Boy,” the atomic bomb that helped end World War II. It sank in 12 minutes.
What followed next resulted in the greatest single loss of life at sea, on a single ship, in the history of the U.S. Navy.
Read IndyStar’s prior coverage about the doomed heavy cruiser and the men who survived its tragedy.
When did the USS Indianapolis sink?
The USS Indianapolis sank shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The heavy cruiser was struck by two Japanese torpedoes. The first torpedo blew the bow off the ship, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. A second torpedo blasted into its midsection near the powder magazine, creating an explosion that literally split the ship in two.
How big was the USS Indianapolis?
The USS Indianapolis was 610 feet 3 inches (186 meters) long, according to Britannica. Roughly 900 men survived the ship sinking, of which only a little more than a third would be pulled from the water.
USS Indianapolis survivor: ‘That first morning, we had sharks’
In a story published July 24, 2014, IndyStar reporter Diana Penner interviewed Corporal Edgar Harrell, just 20 years old on July 29, 1945. Harrell had finished his watch on the USS Indianapolis at midnight. It was, he said, unbearably hot and stifling where his berth was, so he got permission to make a pallet on deck, right under the barrels of the No. 1 forward turret.
Harrell had just dozed off. And then, a few minutes into July 30, the world exploded.
USS Indianapolis survivor: ‘That first morning, we had sharks’
What kind of sharks attacked the crew of the USS Indianapolis?
It’s believed oceanic whitetip sharks attacked the surviving members of the USS Indianapolis in what became known as the “worst shark attack in history.” These grayish brown sharks, which can reach up to 11 feet in length, are considered a top predator in the tropical and subtropical waters they hunt, according NOAA Fisheries.
They are opportunistic predators, feeding on bony fish and squid but have been known to eat large tuna, marlin, sea birds, other sharks, rays, marine mammals and even garbage.
How long before the USS Indianapolis crew was rescued?
The ship sank on July 30, 1945. After four days, the survivors were discovered by accident on Aug. 2, 1945.
How many people died on the USS Indianapolis?
Accounts of how many people died in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis have long varied by one. Were there 1,195 sailors and Marines aboard the ill-fated ship — or 1,196? Did 879 men perish in the attack, in the water, or after rescue — or 880?
Two historians collaborated on a paper that helps explain the discrepancy, which boiled down to a record-keeping error.
USS Indianapolis death toll: Historians resolve mystery of how many men died in 1945 attack
The famous Indianapolis speech from the movie ‘Jaws’
Actor Robert Shaw delivered perhaps one of the most haunting movie monologues in cinema history during the 1975 film, “Jaws,” which itself heralded the age of the summer blockbuster. In the scene, Shaw’s character, “Quint,” reveals he was one of the doomed sailors serving aboard the USS Indianapolis when it sank into the Pacific. The moment is fraught with tension as he describes what happened when the sharks arrived.
“Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.
Actor Robert Shaw in the film “Jaws”
Shaw’s speech is quietly horrifying, underscored to perfection with music by composer John Williams. Ironically, while most of what Shaw says is factual, his monologue contains one glaring error — the date. Quint says the disaster occurred on June 29, 1945, when in reality the sinking didn’t happen until a month later.
Putting that aside, the scene remains iconic, offering a rare glimpse into what survivors of the USS Indianapolis endured.
Long before his work appeared in IndyStar, James Briggs’ grandfather was in this newspaper. In 2020, the 75th anniversary of the USS Indianapolis sinking filled Briggs with regret over questions he never asked.
“He was one of 316 men, out of a crew of 1,195, who lived to tell his story. He survived sliding down his ship into the water, he survived being covered in ship fuel and he survived spending five days in the shark-ridden Pacific Ocean with no drinkable water or food,” Briggs wrote in his column.
James Briggs: My grandfather survived the USS Indianapolis sinking. I never asked how he did it. In 2017, researchers discovered the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis at 18,000 feet below the Philippine Sea. News of the discovery came from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who led a 13-person team to find the lost ship.
Wreckage of USS Indianapolis: How researchers found the doomed ship at the bottom of the Philippine Sea
▶ Rest in peace: Closure, finally, for USS Indianapolis survivor
▶ Retro Indy: The sinking of the USS Indianapolis
▶ The ones they left behind: Remembering their lost ‘sailor boys’ former IndyStar reporters Dawn Mitchell, Leigh A. Hedger contributed to this article.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.
James Briggs: ‘My grandfather survived the USS Indianapolis sinking. I never asked how he did it.’
Wreckage of USS Indianapolis found in Philippine Sea
Learn more about the heroes of the USS Indianapolis:
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.
Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.
The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.
The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.
The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.
Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.
See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.
Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.
All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.
(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.
Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.
Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.
An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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