[surveychile]

20th of August of 2017

The USS Indianapolis sank in just 12 minutes, so it did not have time to send a distress alert, according to historical documents of the US Navy.

The wreckage of the USS Indianapolis warship was found 72 years after it sank after being hit by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine, investigators reported on Saturday.

The USS Indianapolis was found in the Philippine Sea at 5.5 km depth, according to philanthropist Paul Allen, who led the investigation of a team of civilians who located the vessel.

In the final days of World War II, the ship was hit by a Japanese torpedo after completing a secret mission in which it delivered parts of the atomic bomb used in Hiroshima.

The USS Indianapolis sank in just 12 minutes, so she did not have time to send a distress alert or deploy rescue teams, according to historical documents from the US Navy.

However, about 800 of her 1,196 sailors survived initially, but only 316 lived after spending several days in these shark-infested waters, suffering from dehydration or drowning. 22 are still alive, said the Navy. "Being able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families by discovering the ship that played such a significant role in ending World War II is truly humbling," said Allen. "As Americans, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the crew, for their courage, persistence and sacrifice in the face of horrendous circumstances."

Allen's team investigates the entire area and plans to give a live tour of the ship's remains in the coming weeks. The US law protects the sunken ship from being disturbed by being considered a war grave.

Regards

Tomi.