Sinking of the USS Indianapolis: Disaster and Survival in WWII

Presenter: Michael Tougias

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine.  An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact and close to 900 sailors were cast into the sea, fighting off sharks, hypothermia and hallucinations.  When they were finally discovered, after four days and nights, only 317 men were alive.  In this presentation, Michael Tougias will answer the questions: Why did the Navy fail to realize the ship was missing?  Why was it unescorted in enemy waters?  How did the 317 men survive against all odds? Why was the captain  court-martialed? Was the captain a scapegoat for the Navy's own mistakes? This is a riveting story of survival during WWII that also shows the terrible cost of war.  

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