to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sailing for Leyte unescorted under Captain Charles B. McVay III, she was sunk by on 30 July 1945, sinking in just 12 minutes. Many sailors were killed by sharks after the wreck. An estimated 900 of her 1,197 crew survived the initial sinking, but her SOS signal was not heard, and due to a series of errors and misunderstandings, her loss was not discovered until 2 August when her crew was spotted by reconnaissance plane. Only 320 men were recovered following the sinking, of whom 316 survived. McVay survived and faced a court martial and reprimand but retired in 1949 as rear-admiral, committing suicide in 1968. Following years of efforts by some survivors and others to clear his name, McVay was posthumously exonerated by the 106th United States Congress and President Bill Clinton on October 30, 2000. See also List of cruisers of the United States Navy References Notes Sources External links Global Security.org - Portland-class cruiser Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) Cruiser classes