| Monument Text |
| South Face |
THE STORY OF THE SINKING AND RESCUE
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THE STORY OF THE SINKING AND RESCUE |
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| The world's first operational atomic bomb was delivered by the
Indianapolis, (CA-35) to the island of Tinian on 26 July 1945. The Indianapolis
then reported to CINCPAC (Commander-In-Chief, Pacific) Headquarters at Guam
for further orders. She was directed to join the battleship USS Idaho (BB-42)
at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. The
Indianapolis, unescorted, departed Guam on a course of 262 degrees making
about 17 knots. At 14 minutes past midnight, on 30 July 1945, midway between
Guam and Leyte Gulf, she was hit by two torpedoes. The first blew away the
bow, the second struck near midship on the starboard side adjacent to a fuel
tank and a powder magazine. The resulting explosion split the ship to the
keel, knocking out all electric power. Within minutes she went down rapidly
by the bow, rolling to starboard. Of the 1,196 aboard, about 900 made it
into the water in the twelve minutes before she sank. Few life rafts were
released. Most survivors wore the standard kapok life jacket. Shark attacks
began with sunrise of the first day, and continued until the men were physically
removed from the water, almost five days later. Shortly after 11:00 A.M.
of the fourth day, the survivors were accidentally discovered by LT.(jg)
Wilbur C. Gwinn, piloting his PV -1 Ventura Bomber on routine antisubmarine
patrol. Radioing his base at Peleliu, he alerted, "many men in the water".
A PBY (seaplane) under the command of LT. R. Adrian Marks was dispatched
to lend assistance and report. Enroute to the scene Marks overflew the destroyer
USS Cecil Doyle (DE-368), and alerted her captain, of the emergency. The
captain of the Doyle, on his own authority, decided to divert to the scene.
Arriving hours ahead of the Doyle, Marks' crew began dropping rubber rafts
and supplies. While so engaged, they observed men being attacked by sharks.
Disregarding standing orders not to land at sea, Marks landed, and began
taxiing to pick up the stragglers and lone swimmers who were at greatest
risk of shark attack. Learning the men were the crew of the Indianapolis,
he radioed the news, requesting immediate assistance. The Doyle responded
she was enroute. As complete darkness fell, Marks waited for help to arrive,
all the while continuing to seek out and pull nearly dead men from the water.
When the plane's fuselage was full, survivors were tied to the wing with
parachute cord. Marks and his crew rescued 56 men that day. The Cecil Doyle
was the first vessel on the scene. Homing on Marks' PBY in total darkness,
the Doyle halted to avoid killing or further injuring survivors, and began
taking Marks' survivors aboard. Disregarding the safety of his own vessel,
the Doyle's captain pointed his largest searchlight into the night sky to
serve as a beacon for other rescue vessels. This beacon was the first indication
to most survivors, that their prayers had been answered. Help had at last
arrived. Of the 900 who made it into the water only 317 remained alive. After
almost five days of constant shark attacks, starvation, terrible thirst,
suffering from exposure and their wounds, the men of the Indianapolis were
at last rescued from the sea.
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