USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Chronological History

by Carl Fahnestock

DATE(S)	DESCRIPTION OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
15 Nov 1932	USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was commissioned as a Portland Class Cruiser Ship by the United States Navy. (Coincidentally, she was commissioned just one week after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR's) successful win in the 1932 US Presidential Election. FDR selected Indy to serve as his "Ship of State".)
1933	Indy selected to serve as a host ship for a Presidential Cruise for FDR and his guests for a Panama Canal transition.
May 1934	Indy selected to serve as a host ship for FDR's review of selected air and naval forces of the United States Navy.
1934	Indy selected to serve as a host ship for FDR's Presidential Cruise which was embarked to Brazil, Argentina & Uruguay.
1936	Indy selected to serve as a host ship for a South American "Good Neighbor" Tour which also included a special "Crossing the Equator Line Ceremony".
1933 thru Nov 1941	For the eight years leading up to 7 December, 1941, Indy was selected to serve an honorary role as the "Flagship" for the Commander of Scouting Force 1.
7 Dec 1941	Indy was participating in a mock bombardment at Johnston Atoll (an uninhabited island located about 750 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii). On that day, Indy joined Task Force 12 to search the area for Japanese ships.
13 Dec 1941	Indy arrived in Pearl Harbor and joined Task Force 11 to officially begin her WWII period of service.
Feb 1942	Indy began her WWII service under the command of CINCPAC (Commander in Chief, Pacific) Admiral Chester Nimitz.
20 Feb - 10 Mar 1942	10 Mar 1942 Earned 1st Battle Star for active participation and service in Bougainville Air Action and Salamaua-Lae Raid.
25 May - 2 Jun 1943	Earned 2nd Battle Star for active participation and service in Aleutians Operation: Attu Occupation.
November 1943	Indy was selected to serve as a CINCPAC "Flagship" for Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. She would serve in this role from November 1943 thru March 1945.
20 Nov - 8 Dec 1943	Earned 3rd Battle Star for active participation and service in Gilbert Islands Operation.
29 Jan - 2 Mar 1944	Earned 4th Battle Star for active participation and service in Marshall Islands Operation; Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls and Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll.
30 Mar - 1 Apr 1944	Earned 5th Battle Star for active participation and service in Asiatic-Pacific Raids: Palau, Yap, Ulitihi and Woleai Raid.
11 Jun - 10 Aug 1944	Earned 6th Battle Star for active participation and service in Marianas Operation: Capture/Occupation of Saipan and Guam and Battle of the Phillipine Sea and Capture/Occupation of Guam.
24-25 Jul 1944	Earned 7th Battle Star for active participation and service in the Capture/Occupation of Tinian Island. (Note: In July 1945, Tinian Island would be the destination location for Indy's delivery of the "Little Boy" Bomb which would eventually lead to Japan's surrender.)
6 Sep - 14 Oct 1944	Earned 8th Battle Star for active participation and service in Western Caroline Islands Operation: Capture/Occupation of Southern Palau Islands.
15 Feb - 6 Mar 1945	Earned 9th Battle Star for active participation and service in Iwo Jima Operation: Fifth Fleet Raids against Honshu and the Nansei Shoto.
17 Mar - 5 Apr 1945	Earned 10th Battle Star for active participation and service in Okinawa Gunto Operation: Fifth/Third Raids in Support of Okinawa Gunto and Assault/Occupation of Okinawa Gunto.
31 Mar 1945	Indy was attacked by a Kamikaze Plane which crashed into Indy's fantail. Nine (9) sailors were killed and Twenty Six (26) were injured. Indy suffered physical damage and would return to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for dry-dock and repairs.
3 May 1945	After receiving preliminary repairs in the South Pacific, Indy sailed under her own power to Mare Island in Vallejo, CA (35 miles north of San Francisco) and she arrived there on 3 May 1945.
4 May - 15 July 1945	Indy received overhaul and repair at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. During this period, approximately 25% of her crew turned over and many new younger crew members would come aboard. On 12 July, Captain Charles McVay received orders that Indy was scheduled to transport a "Top Secret Cargo" and would be leaving Mare Island on 16 July. On 15 Jul, a large wooden crate was loaded onto Indy's main deck and was then transferred to the port hangar where armed marines were posted for guard duty around the clock. Also, two metal canisters were hand carried to the Flag Secretary's quarters where they were chained to the deck with eye bolts.
16 Jul 1945	Indy departed Mare Island (Hunter's Point, CA) for the Special Assignment. She was scheduled to make a ten day trip to Tinian Island where she would offload the "Top Secret Cargo" on 26 Jul 1945.
19 Jul 1945	Indy arrived at Pearl Harbor for a brief stop to unload passengers and refuel. The 2,091 mile voyage from Farallon Light, San Francisco to Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor set a new US Navy Speed Record. Indy would depart Pearl Harbor a few hours later to complete her remaining voyage to Tinian Island.
26 Jul 1945	Indy arrived at Tinian Island and her "Top Secret Cargo" was unloaded. Indy then departed Tinian Island for a scheduled overnight trip to Guam.
27 Jul 1945	Indy arrived at Guam where she was refueled and cargo and ammunition were loaded onboard. Capt. McVay went ashore and met with Senior Staff to schedule the details for her next voyage. Indy was ordered to depart Guam on the morning of 28 Jul for a planned 1,100+ mile voyage to Leyte (Phillippines).
28 Jul 1945	Indy departed Guam at 0900 hrs on Saturday, 28 July 1945 for a scheduled voyage to Leyte.
29 Jul 1945	Indy continued in her westward bound voyage headed for Leyte. By the end of the evening of 29 July, Indy had completed about half of her scheduled voyage from Guam to Leyte.
30 Jul 1945 (2-3 minutes after midnight)	Two Torpedoes hit Indy on the Starboard Side! At approximately 0002 hours (2 minutes after midnight), the first of two successful torpedoes hit the bow area forward of the 8" Gun Turret #1 on Indy's starboard side. Within seconds, the second successful torpedo hit close to amidships adjacent to 8" Gun Turret #2 also on Indy's starboard side.
30 Jul 1945 (15 minutes after midnight)	USS Indianapolis (CA-35) sank. It is estimated that about 300 men went down with the ship.
30 Jul - 3 Aug 1945	It is estimated that 895 men were stranded in the water initially after the sinking. It is estimated that 579 men died during the 4 1/2 days following the sinking. 316 men survived to ultimately return home to their families.
2 Aug 1945 (12:00 Noon)	By chance (84 hours post sinking), Lt. Chuck Gwinn (Pilot of a PV-1 Ventura plane) discovered survivors floating in the water. Radio Communication of his discovery would initiate rescue efforts.
2 Aug 1945 (Daylight Hrs after 12:00 Noon)	A PBY-5A Catalina Playmate 2 plane (piloted by Lt. Adrian Marks) arrives on scene and lands in the water. Fifty Three (53) survivors were picked up and transferred to the plane on this first day of rescue.
2-3 Aug 1945	The remaining balance of 263 survivors were picked up by multiple rescue ships that arrived on the scene.
4-5 Aug 1945	All 316 survivors were transported to land based hospitals and would remain under medical care for weeks.
6 Aug 1945	"Little Boy" Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan as the initial step to end the war with Japan. The "Top Secret Cargo" that Indy delivered to Tinian Island on 26 July included "Little Boy" bomb components.
9 Aug 1945	"Fat Boy" Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
15 Aug 1945	Japan surrenders to end WWII
13-20 Aug 1945	A "Court of Inquiry" was convened in Guam. The purpose of the inquiry was to investigate and assign responsibility as appropriate with regard to the sinking of USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
Dec 1945	The "Court-Martial" of Capt. McVay was held in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Navy Yard during the first week of December 1945.
30-31 Jul 1960	Fifteen (15) years after Indy' sinking, the first of many reunions was held in Indianapolis. After meeting with fellow shipmates at this First Reunion, survivors joined together to initiate efforts aimed at securing an exoneration for Captain McVay.
1975	The release of the movie "JAWS" introduced the story of USS Indianapolis (CA-35) for the first time to many in the general public.
2 Aug 1995	Coinciding with the 50th Reunion, USS Indianapolis (CA-35) National Memorial was dedicated at the north end of the Canal Walk in the city of Indianapolis.
Late 1990's	The combined efforts of Florida middle-schooler Hunter Scott, Congressman Bob Smit of New Hampshire, and Captain William Toti, skipper of the namesake submarine USS Indianapolis (SSN-697), led to Captain McVay's Exoneration.
2001	President George W. Bush's Secretary of the Navy (Gordon England) directed U.S. Navy Captain William Toti to have the Exoneration Language entered into Captain McVay's Service Record.
18 Aug 2017	Just over 72 years after the sinking, USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was found by an underwater search team. Indy is resting 18,000+ feet below the surface in the North Pacific Ocean.
2018	USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Legacy Organization was founded by family members and friends of Indy's final crew. It is a no-profit entity that was founded for the purpose of educating the public about the accomplishments and sacrifices made by this highly decorated ship and its storied crew.
30 Jul 2020	On the 75th Anniversary of the sinking of USS Indianapolis (CA-35), the United States Congress held a ceremony to commemorate the sacrifices made by Indy and her crew. At the ceremony, a Congressional Gold Medal was presented.