<P> In 1945 , the sinking of Indianapolis led to the greatest single loss of life at sea , from a single ship , in the history of the US Navy . The ship had just finished a high - speed trip to United States Air Force Base at Tinian , to deliver parts of the first atomic bomb ever used in combat ( the United States ' Little Boy atomic bomb ) , and was on training duty . At 0015 on 30 July 1945 the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I - 58 . The ship , on her way to the Philippines , sank in 12 minutes . Of 1,196 crewmen aboard , approximately 300 went down with the ship . The remaining 900 faced exposure , dehydration , saltwater poisoning , and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water . The Navy learned of the sinking when survivors were spotted four days later by the crew of a PV - 1 Ventura on routine patrol . Only 317 survived . </P>
<P> In 1945 , the sinking of Indianapolis led to the greatest single loss of life at sea , from a single ship , in the history of the US Navy . The ship had just finished a high - speed trip to United States Air Force Base at Tinian , to deliver parts of the first atomic bomb ever used in combat ( the United States ' Little Boy atomic bomb ) , and was on training duty . At 0015 on 30 July 1945 the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I - 58 . The ship , on her way to the Philippines , sank in 12 minutes . Of 1,196 crewmen aboard , approximately 300 went down with the ship . The remaining 900 faced exposure , dehydration , saltwater poisoning , and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water . The Navy learned of the sinking when survivors were spotted four days later by the crew of a PV - 1 Ventura on routine patrol . Only 317 survived . </P>
who found the survivors of the uss indianapolis
who found the survivors of the uss indianapolis
the crew of a PV - 1 Ventura
the crew of a PV - 1 Ventura