Wreckage of WWII-era warship U.S.S. Indianapolis found after 72 years
A search led by billionaire Paul Allen locates the cruiser at the bottom of the Philippine Sea.
After decades of fruitless searches, the wreckage of heavy cruiser U.S.S. Indianapolis was found on the floor of the Philippine Sea on August 19, 2017.
Searchers located the remains of the ship 5,500 meters (18,044 feet) below the sea, according to billionaire Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who led the expedition. "Important chapter of WWII history concludes," Allen wrote on Twitter. "I hope survivors/families gain some closure."
There were nearly 1,200 sailors on board, and about 300 died when the ship went down. Unable to secure life rafts, survivors were left adrift in the shark-infested Philippine Sea. Dehydration, starvation, and salt poisoning were responsible for hundreds more deaths. Oceanic white-tip sharks and tiger sharks also attacked the vulnerable men.
The Navy failed