| The Sinking of USS Indianapolis: Navy Department |
| Press Release, Charges and Specifications in Case of Capt. Charles B.
McVay, III, USN, 3 Dec. 1945 |
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| To: Captain Thomas J. Ryan, Jr., U.S. Navy Judge Advocate, General
Court Martial, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. |
| Subject: Charges and specifications in case of Captain Charles
B. McVay, III, U.S. Navy |
| The above-named officer will be tried before the general court
martial of which you are judge advocate, upon the following charges and
specifications. You will notify the president of the court accordingly, inform
the accused of the date set for his trial, and summon all witnesses, both
for the prosecution and the defense. |
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CHARGE I |
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THROUGH NEGLIGENCE SUFFERING A VESSEL OF THE NAVY |
TO BE HAZARDED |
SPECIFICATION |
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| In that Charles B. McVay, III, Captain, U.S. Navy, while so serving
in command of the USS Indianapolis, making passage singly, without
escort, from Guam, Marianas Islands, to Leyte, Philippine Islands, through
an area in which enemy submarines might be encountered, did, during good
visibility after moonrise on 29 July, 1945, at or about 10:30 p.m. , minus
nine and one-half zone time, neglect and fail to exercise proper care and
attention to the safety of said vessel in that he neglected and failed, then
and thereafter, to cause a zigzag course to be steered, and he, the said
McVay, through said negligence, did suffer the said USS Indianapolis
to be hazarded; the United States then being in a state of war. |
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CHARGE II |
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CULPABLE INEFFICIENCY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY |
SPECIFICATION |
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| In that Charles B. McVay, III, Captain, U.S. Navy, while so serving
in command of the USS Indianapolis, making passage from Guam, Marianas
Islands, to Leyte, Philippine Islands, having been informed at or about 12:30
a.m., minus nine and one-half zone time, on 30 July 1945, that said vessel
was badly damaged and in sinking condition, did then and there fail to issue
and see effected such timely orders as were necessary to cause said vessel
to be abandoned, as it was his duty to do, by reason of which inefficiency
many persons on board perished with the sinking of said vessel; the United
States then being in a state of war. |
| JAMES FORRESTAL |
| www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-2.htm |
