USS Indianapolis (CA 35) and Efforts to Remember the Crew

By Brenda Hale
HRNM Volunteer

USS Indianapolis (CA 35), nicknamed “Indy,” was Fifth Fleet flagship in 1943. Indy served bravely in many World War II battles, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa, earning ten battle stars from 1943-1945. The captain, crew, and vessel abilities put Indy in place to deliver the first nuclear bomb weapon components as directed by President Harry Truman. The Indy’s secret cargo details were unknown to both the captain and crew.

USS Indianapolis passes under the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA (NHHC)

On July 16, 1945, the ship was ready for sea after an overhaul and repairs. Indy left San Francisco and made record time to Tinian Island in the Philippine Sea. After delivering nuclear bomb parts to Tinian on July 26, the captain and crew were still unaware of what they delivered. They were told to get their next orders in Guam, which might have meant a trip home.

USS Indianapolis leaving Tinian on July 26, 1945, after delivering atomic bomb components. (NHHC)

The ship stopped briefly at Guam and headed to sea again on July 28, 1945. The Navy had communications procedures in place to track combat vessel locations and expected arrival times in U.S. held ports. With approximately 700 U.S. fighting ships in the south seas of Japan, carrier task forces were working to create a plan for Japan’s invasion. However, radio traffic in the Joint Communications Center at Guam averaged 18,000 messages a day. Messages had to be decoded and verified as valid. Followup was often low priority unless an urgency was known. When Indy did not arrive at Port Leyte as expected, it was not reported or noticed, and no search parties were immediately sent out. Ships like Indy were thought to be able to take care of themselves.

After leaving Guam, a Japanese submarine spotted Indianapolis, torpedoed it, and the ship sank in twelve minutes, just after midnight on July 30, 1945. Nearly 900 men were alive in the water struggling for survival for four days. The crew suffered from injuries, hypothermia, lack of fresh water and food, at least 12-foot-high seas, and sharks. Mid-morning on August 2, a Navy plane on a routine search mission noticed a large oil slick on the water. Upon circling, he saw men in the water over a thirty-square-mile area. Until that time, an alarm had not alerted anyone to locate Indy; therefore, no rescue efforts had been attempted. Now planes and other ships risked their own safety to get water and equipment to Indy survivors in the water and get them to hospitals. Search and rescue efforts continued through August 8, and a final search was made across at least 3,000 square miles.

USS Indianapolis survivors brought ashore from USS Tranquility (AH 14) at Guam, August 8, 1945. (NHHC)

On August 11, many casualties were officially identified from their ID tags removed from deceased crewmembers found floating in the water. Families of missing crew began receiving telegrams, dated August 12, 1945, saying their loved one was missing in action. In the meantime, the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan on August 6 and 9. Japan officially surrendered to U.S. forces on August 15, the same day the Indianapolis sinking was reported to the public. Japan formally signed a surrender on September 2, 1945. Navy telegrams dated both September 13 and 17 informed family members their Sailors had not survived the sinking.

Left: USS Indianapolis survivors being loaded into ambulances on Guam; Right: Dr. Lewis Haynes, Chief Medical Officer from Indianapolis 

The Indy crew came from every state in the U.S., in addition to Guam, Canada, and Mexico. This HRNM volunteer’s great uncle, Carl Murphy Smith, nicknamed “Buddy,” was born in December 1927. He was the youngest of nine children, from Mississippi and Arkansas. Two of Buddy’s older brothers, Lonnie and Rex, had already joined the armed forces during WWII. At the age of 15, Buddy joined the Navy when his brother signed paperwork confirming Buddy was eighteen years old. He wanted to be like his big brothers and serve his country. His first and only assignment was as Signalman Second Class on USS Indianapolis. With all personal effects lost at sea, his final days were recreated through some letters home, sent from August to December 1944. One photo shows Buddy and his wife, on their last Christmas leave together, with three former Indy shipmates and wives in Vallejo, CA. Buddy wrote in a letter home, saying, “Having a swell time, too, so don’t worry about me.”

Buddy with several of his shipmates

This personal story is only one of hundreds from Indy’s final crew. Most survivors were able to tell their stories; however, 888 men lost at sea still have stories to tell. Indy’s Legacy Organization formed a non-profit to “perpetuate the memory of all who served.” As RADM Sam Cox, Director of the Naval History and Heritage Command remembered, “They were all heroes--every one who had a hand in defeating the tyranny of fascism and imperial aggression.”

Indy’s Legacy group is seeking volunteers to find photos and personal information about every man lost at sea. There are eight men from Virginia and West Virginia whose photos and stories have yet to be found. The Legacy group organized “Project 888” to publish this book in 2025. Their goal is to show photos, letters home, and every crew member’s short story. The Legacy Organization is requesting assistance from anyone who has an interest in locating this information. To learn more or to participate, visit: https://www.ussindianapolis.org/project-888