The Indianapolis battleship carried equipment used for the bombing of Hiroshima • On the way home was sunk • Only 316 crew members survived until their rescue after five days
The ship Indianapolis // Photo: AP
75 years after the sinking of the Indianapolis destroyer by a Japanese submarine, and the survival of hundreds in shark-infested waters, in what became known as the deadliest and deadliest shark attack in history, survivors were awarded the Gold Medal of Congress, the greatest honor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The battleship left the United States, with 1,195 crew members on board, and in its belly enriched uranium and other parts of the "Little Boy" atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima a month later and caused many casualties, ending World War II. Due to her most secret cargo she set off without the standard escort for a ship of this type, which exposed her to submarines.
More about the biggest shark attack in history:
A nightmare in the middle of the sea: Sharks killed 150 soldiers
- 72 years after it disappeared: Remains of the ship "Indianapolis" were found
On its way back to the United States, on July 30, 1945, it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. 900 men survived in the Philippine Sea, but these had to survive for long days with few lifeboats, no food, water or shade, and in addition suffered many shark attacks. Five days after the ship sank, 316 surviving crew members were rescued.The death toll from the tragic event, 879 people, is the largest disaster in U.S. Navy history.At least an estimated 150 of the crew were killed by sharks.
"The team is fighting to stay alert, take care of each other and save their lives - literally," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said at the virtual ceremony last Thursday. "The victims gave our nation the ultimate sacrifice, but the true heritage of the Indianapolis was promised before the torpedo hit - its crew changed the war and now we say thank you to them." The medal was awarded to all of the ship's crew members - living and dead - and will be on display at the World War II Museum in Indianapolis, the capital of the state of Indiana.