Warship find key to unlocking decades-old mystery

The USS Indianapolis. Picture: www.paulallen.com

The USS Indianapolis. Picture: www.paulallen.com

Published Aug 21, 2017

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Discovering unmistakeable wreckage of a US warship that was sunk 72 years ago during World War 2 was “truly humbling”.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen led the civilian search team seeking out the vessel that was destroyed while returning from its secret mission to deliver parts for the atomic bomb which was later used on Hiroshima.

The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine with 1196 men on board, only 316 of whom were rescued.

It was discovered on Saturday 18 000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.

“While our search for the rest of the wreckage will continue, I hope everyone connected to this historic ship will feel some measure of closure at this discovery so long in coming,” Allen said in a statement

The vessel was destroyed on July 30, 1945 when, between Guam and Leyte in the Pacific Ocean, it was hit by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine.

The ship went down in short order, no distress call was ever received, and by the time the survivors were found by chance four days later, just 316 were left alive in the shark-infested waters.

Allen's crew discovered the vessel on August 18, the BBC reported, after new research from a naval historian pointed them to a specific region of the ocean where the warship had been sighted the night before its destruction.

They have released photographs that clearly identify the wreckage as part of the Indianapolis. 

The ship’s secret mission was to carry parts for the atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" as well as enriched uranium fuel for its nuclear reaction. The supplies were delivered to Tinian island, an American base which launched the world's first nuclear bombing.

Allen-led expeditions have also resulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi (March 2015) and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere (March 2017). His team was also responsible for retrieving and restoring the ship’s bell from the HMS Hood for presentation to the British Navy in honour of its heroic service. - Source BBC, paulallen.com

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