GRcade

Lost WW2 warship USS Indianapolis found after 72 years


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40991326

I had no idea that was a real story, assumed it was made up for the film.

I only knew of it from the film. Robert Shaw's monologue is possibly my favourite ever speech on film. Mesmerising.

but all the associated factors - the tragic loss of life and secrecy etc but above all - the vital and deadly role it played in the war. Delivery of or parts of the Hiroshima bomb.

I was always shocked that they couldn't find it. Amazing it's taken this long.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:I was always shocked that they couldn't find it. Amazing it's taken this long.

Nobody knew the location where it sank. Even if you know the rough location there's a hell of a lot of ocean to search and searching the seabed for something even as big as a shipwreck can be a monumentally difficult task.
It's a miracle it was ever found at all before rotting away completely.

smurphy wrote:I had no idea that was a real story, assumed it was made up for the film.

Same. I just assumed they invented a ship for the movie.

So finally Herbie Robinson, Bosun's mate, can rest in peace. Here's to swimmin' wi' bow legged women.

Robert Shaw!

I was reading up on the full story of the USS Indianapolis just a couple of weeks ago, so this is a bit eerie turning up so soon.

Horrifying story of the survivors, and the captain being dishonorably discharged, hounded for years by families of the deceased, and killing himself at 70, before being posthumously cleared of wrongdoing, was a further tragedy on top.

It's amazing that they've found it. Wonder what they might find if they get in there.

Has Trump taken the credit for finding it yet?

Fascinating.

5.5km deep. No wonder it took a while to find it.

Was anyone else disappointed by the lack of a Jaws/Quint mention in the BBC article?

Obligatory 'Robert Shaw ' post. What a hero.

The Indianapolis is the biggest loss of life by the USN I believe. A terrible, tragic story. So many people survived the initial sinking, but so many died in the water.

Their mission beforehand was probably one of the most important to the US Navy. In a way it's a shame it led to so many civillian deaths what they accomplished, but it did bring about the end of the war with Japan. I find it super interesting when they find these WW2 wrecks. They very recently found the Battleship Mutsu. I hope they make this a world heritage site.

Knoyleo wrote:It's amazing that they've found it. Wonder what they might find if they get in there.

A whole bunch of skeletons and some rusty bombs, I'd imagine.