National War Memorial Registry, War Memorial Catalog Of United States

AFTER DELIVERING CRITICAL PARTS FOR THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB TO TINIAN THE SHIP WAS TORPEDOED AND SUNK. FOUR DAYS LATER SURVIVORS WERE RETRIEVED FROM THE SEA. OF THE 1,196 CREWMEN ONLY 317 SAILORS SURVIVED. THIS LEAD TO THE SINGLE GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE AT SEA IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. NAVY. THE INDIANAPOLIS WAS THE LAST MAJOR U.S NAVY SHIP SUNK BY ENEMY ACTION IN WORLD WAR II.