HC Sea Tales - Missing! the USS Indianapolis (1997)
She was the flagship of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, returning from one of the most secretive missions of the war delivering the uranium and components to complete the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan. But 600 miles west of Guam, on July 29, 1945, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese sub. MISSING! THE INDIANAPOLIS tells the controversial, tragic tale of this ill-fated ship. Learn how her 850 surviving crewmembers were left to drift for four days in the shark infested waters of the South Pacific before they were discovered by a Navy seaplane and rescued. More than 500 were eaten by sharks or succumbed to injuries and the elements. Hear shocking stories from the survivors, who question why the Navy took so long to rescue them. Trace the ordeal of the Indianapolis's commander who was court-martialed for losing his ship and eventually committed suicide. Many feel that the Navy used him as a scapegoat. Troubling testimony from scholars and naval experts leads to even more questions. It's an unflinching look at one of the darkest moments of World War II, a horrifying tragedy that almost certainly did not have to happen.
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