USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
History of the USS Indianapolis Cruiser
The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was ordered for the U.S. Navy between World War I and World War II. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in New Jersey on March 31, 1930. She was launched on November 7, 1931 and commissioned on November 15, 1932 under the command of Captain John M. Smeallie.
In her early career, USS Indianapolis carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt from New Brunswick to Annapolis, Maryland, arriving on July 3, 1933. She carried the President again for a Good Neighbor cruise to South America from November 18 until December 15, 1936, which brought her to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the USS Indianapolis was conducting a simulated bombardment of Johnston Island. From there, she joined Task Force 12 in the search for enemy carriers in their vicinity.
USS Indianapolis did not meet with enemy action until February 20, 1942, when her task force was attacked by Japanese aircraft about 350 miles south of Rabaul. Sixteen of the 18 aircraft were shot down, preventing any of the American ships from being damaged. The cruiser moved on to support attacks on Lau and Salamaua on March 10.
From there, the USS Indianapolis headed to Mare Island Navy Yard in California for overhaul. She then escorted a convoy to Australia before sailing north to Alaskan waters. On August 7, her task force attacked Japanese positions on Kiska Island, both aided by the dense fog and unable to evaluate the results of the attack.
After several months in the Aleutians, USS Indianapolis supported the occupation of Amchitka in in January 1943. She sank the Japanese cargo ship Akagane Maru with her gunfire on February 19, an attack that left no survivors. Over the next few months, the cruiser patrolled the waters surrounding the Aleutian Islands, escorting U.S. convoys and covering amphibious operations. When American forces discovered that the Japanese had evacuated Kiska on August 15, the cruiser headed to Mare Island Navy Yard for refitting.
The USS Indianapolis returned to Pearl Harbor, where she became the flagship for Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet. On November 10, she sortied with the rest of Southern Attack Force for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands, known as Operation Galvanic. Nine days later, the cruiser bombarded Tarawa, moving on to Makin the next day. She then headed back to Tarawa to provide fire support for the landing troops. During the Battle of Tarawa, she shot down an enemy plane and fired on enemy shore installations, helping the United States to declare the island secure three days later.
On January 31, 1944, USS Indianapolis began bombarding Kwajalein. She continued to provide fire support to cover invasion troops for the next several days during the Battle of Kwajalein. The cruiser moved on to attack the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai at the end of March and beginning of April, splashing another Japanese aircraft.
In June, the USS Indianapolis joined the assault on the Mariana Islands. She supported the raids on Saipan on June 11 before bombarding enemy shore targets two days later. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the cruiser splashed one Japanese torpedo plane. She then returned to Saipan for fire support and headed to Tinian to take out shore installations.
During mid-September, USS Indianapolis bombarded enemy shore targets at Peleliu. After 10 days at Manus, she proceeded to Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul. Once her yard work was complete, the cruiser returned to the Pacific battle zone, joining the fast carrier task force on Valentine’s Day 1945. She covered the invasion of Iwo Jima and supported the landing forces there until March 1.
USS Indianapolis moved on to support the upcoming invasion of Okinawa, striking at the Japanese home islands throughout the second half of March. On March 24, she took part in the pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa, repeatedly fighting off enemy aircraft. She splashed six enemy planes and damaged two others. The cruiser was struck by an aerial bomb on March 31, killing nine of her crew members. Despite the damage she sustained, she was able to return to Mare Island under her own power.
After her repairs were completed, the USS Indianapolis sailed from San Francisco on July 16 for Tinian Island, carrying parts for the atomic bomb “Little Boy,” which would soon destroy Hiroshima. She arrived at Tinian on July 26 and proceeded to Guam.
On July 28, USS Indianapolis departed for Okinawa via Leyte to join Task Force 95. Two days later, she found herself the victim of a surprise attack by the Japanese submarine I-58. She suffered two torpedo hits on her starboard side that led to her sinking.
Of the ship’s 1,196 original crew members, approximately 300 died onboard the ship. The remaining crew members floated in the water without lifeboats for four days, some without lifejackets. Only 321 survivors of the sinking came out of the water alive; the rest had fallen victim to shark attacks, exposure, hunger, dehydration, and salt poisoning. Of the men pulled from the water, 317 survived. The USS Indianapolis was awarded 10 battle stars for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences, by John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships – USS Indianapolis
