2. The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis (1945)
After delivering atomic bomb components to Tinian Island, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on July 30, 1945. The ship sank in just 12 minutes, resulting in the deaths of approximately 880 sailors and Marines, making it the U.S. Navy’s worst disaster at sea. The Navy initially downplayed the tragedy, shifting blame onto the captain and obscuring communication errors and operational failures. It wasn’t until decades later that the full extent of the disaster was acknowledged. (defense.gov)
