A grave misfortune : the USS Indianapolis tragedy / Richard A. Hulver ; Peter C. Luebke, associate editor.

U.S. Government official edition.

9781943604265 (paperback)
1943604266
9781943604272

Washington, D.C. : Naval History and Heritage Command, 2018.

Washington, DC : For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office

English

xxxiv, 396 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

D774.I5 H85 2018

940.54/26

0399-A-04

"This volume presents the final chapter of Indianapolis's decorated service history using primary source documents with accompanying historic analysis. Documents were carefully selected to represent the whole story of the loss of Indianapolis: from her war damage taken off Okinawa on 31 March 1945, through her refitting, atomic bomb delivery, and sinking. Documents also follow her crew's ordeal at sea and rescue, subsequent Navy investigations, the court-martial of Captain Charles McVay III, and more recent considerations of the tragedy. Much has already been published on Indianapolis disaster, but inevitably errors and misinterpretations have crept into the now-standard accounts. Claims have exaggerated the impact of intelligence failures, identified an alleged elaborate Navy cover-up, propagated misunderstandings of Indianapolis's role in delivering the atomic bomb to Tinian, and sensationalized the presence of sharks in the story. The documents here correct some of those errors and allow readers to see how the event unfolded and how the Navy responded. More importantly, this book makes widely available the testimony of survivors and participants. In presenting these documents, it also corrects the record. The heroism and bravery of the crew remains undiminished and even enhanced through a proper understanding of their ordeal. This volume also stands as a small example of the Navy's moral obligation to ensure that the sacrifices of all those who served are not forgotten by telling the complete history, both the good and the bad."--Provided by publisher.

Folded plan of USS Indianapolis tipped in before half title.
Shipping list no.: 2019-0075-P.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 369-372) and index.

Contributions to naval history ; no. 7.

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