A team of civilian researcher has discovered the crash of the USS Indianapolis , a US Navy cruiser which Imperial Japanese forces sink in July 1945 to the deprivation of nearly three fourth of its crew .

agree to astatement from the Navy , two Japanese poor boy hired gun strike the ship , sinking it more than 18,000 feet ( close to 5,500 meters ) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean in the closing stages of World War II .

We ’ve located wreckage of USS Indianapolis in Philippine Sea at 5500 meter below the sea . ' 35 ' on hull 1st confirmation : https://t.co / V29TLj1Ba4pic.twitter.com / y5S7AU6OEl

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

— Paul Allen ( @PaulGAllen)August 19 , 2017

The squad car travel down in approximately 12 minutes , preventing the infection of a distress signal . Though about 800 of its 1,196 sailors and Marines live on the initial sinking , following four days of float in shark - infest waters with few supply or protection from the constituent , just 316 made it back home . It had just finished delivering components to the atomic bomb after detonated in Hiroshima .

Philanthrophist Paul G. Allen led the 13 - someone search team , which trust on estimate from Naval History and Heritage Command ’s Dr. Richard Hulver to narrow the search margin to approximately 600 square mi ( 1550 square klick ) . The team was capable to locate the Indianapolis using “ state - of - the - artistry subsea equipment capable of diving to 6,000 meter ” deployed off the 250 - pes Research Vessel Petrel , and is still in the process of surveying and mapping the web site .

William Duplessie

“ The Petrel and its capacity , the technology it has and the enquiry we ’ve done , are the culmination long time of dedication and hard work , ” Allen ’s director of subsea operations Robert Kraft tell the Navy . “ We ’ve assembled and integrated this technology , plus and unequaled capability into operating political program , which is now one amongst very few on the planet . ”

photo of the craft show share of it are extraordinarily well preserved . At over 18,000 feet down in the ocean , it also occur close to matching world platter for deepest known shipwreck , which is currently held by the World War II - era German encirclement runnerSS Rio Grandeat 18,900 foot .

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Starship Test 9

Important chapter of WWII story reason out – I hope survivor / families gain some closedown . Anchor and ship ’s bell seen here.#USSIndianapolispic.twitter.com / Kk1YrcaeN1

accord to the Navy , Allen ’s squad is comply with the standard practice of treating the web site as a war grave and not physically disturbing it — which will honor the wish of the 22 surviving gang members and the lost Man ’s families .

[ Naval History and Heritage Command ]

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