WWII’s Most Infamous Survival Story: The U.S.S. Indianapolis

Heroes Behind Headlines

The most secretive mission of World War II ended in the largest scale shark attack of all time. The U.S.S. Indianapolis’ mission was so secret, the entire crew was unaware of their cargo: the components of the atomic bomb ‘Little Boy’ which was dropped on Hiroshima. Thus, when the cruiser was sunk by a Japanese torpedo, no one knew, and 900 sailors were left floating in shark-infested waters for four days. HBH is excited to welcome Doug Stanton, author of ‘In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors’.
On July 30, 1945, after delivering their top secret cargo which would would strike Japan only one week later, the USS Indianapolis was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine. The 610-foot cruiser quickly sank, and the surviving sailors had to battle dehydration and hundreds of hungry sharks for over four days.
The crew of the Indianapolis was filled with incredible heroes, not all of whom survived this harrowing ordeal.
In addition to 'In Harm’s Way', Doug Stanton is the New York Times bestselling author of 'The Odyssey of Echo Company', as well as 'Horse Soldiers', which was the basis for the 2018 movie '12 Strong', starring Chris Hemsworth.