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Named in honor of our Capitol City, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis keel was laid on 31 March 1930 and launched on 7 November 1931. She was accepted by the Navy and Commissioned on 15 November 1932. She was 610 feet 4 inches in length 66 feet 1 inch at the beam. Drawing 24 feet 10 inches of draft when fully manned and ready for sea. She boasted eight White-Forster boilers driving four Parsons geared turbines. Total rated horsepower was 107,000 delivered through four propellers. Her design flank speed exceeded 32 knots. Main armament consisted of nine 8-inch guns housed in three turrets, and a secondary armament of eight 5-inch guns. She began her thirteen year career as the Flagship of the Scouting Force, and later, the Scouting Fleet, prior to World War II. She served several times as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal Ship of State. Throughout most of World War II she
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served as flagship of the Fifth Fleet under the Command of Adm. Raymond A. Spruance, USN, who was himself raised in Indianapolis. She distinguished herself and all who served aboard her during her career in the Pacific. Earning a total of ten Battle Stars: ★ Bougainville & Salamaua-Lae raids on February 1942 ★ Aleutians Operations in March 1943 ★ Gilbert Islands Operations November 1943 ★ Marshall Islands Operations, Kwajelin & Majuro Atolls, Eniwetok in 1944 ★ Asiatic-Pacific Raids, Yap, Palau, Ulithi, Woleai in 1944 ★ Marianas Operations, including the Battle of Philippine Sea, The Capture of Saipan and Guam in June 1944 ★ Capture of Tinian Island in July 1944 ★ Western Caroline Islands Operations in September 1944 ★ Raids on the Japanese Home Islands Honshu and Nansei Shoto, and the Capture of Iwo Jima in February 1945 ★Okinawa Gunto Operation in March 1945
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at Okinawa. She was hit by a Kamakaze (suicide plane) causing 38 casualties. Following repairs, she was chosen to deliver the World's first operational Atomic Bomb. Delivering it to the Island of Tinian on 26 July 1945. At approximately 14 minutes past Midnight on 30 July 1945, while transiting unescorted from Guam to Leyte Gulf, the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes fired by the submarine I-58 of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and sunk. The Indianapolis was the last surface ship to be lost by the United States in World War II. From Tinian the first Atomic Bomb was flown by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, and dropped on Hiroshima Japan on 6 August 1945. The Atom Bombs brought about the early end of the war saving an estimated two million lives that would have been lost on both sides in an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. The Empire of Japan Surrendered Unconditionally on 14 August 1945.
( Obverse Base )
( Sinking of the Indianapolis - - See attached link )
( List of the Crew - - See attached link )
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