Jack, I've now read the accounts of the loss of the Indianopolis which you referred to - a horrendous story, described as the greatest loss of life ever suffered by the US Navy.
However, I regret to report that the Royal Navy can beat that. In May 1941 the battlecruiser Hood was engaging the German super-battleship Bismarck, which had been let loose into the north Atlantic to attack the convoys from the US which were so vital to Britain's survival (she had by then been totally on her own in holding out against Germany, for 18 months). Hood was one of the most famous ships of the Royal Navy but a between-wars refit had still left her upper decks horribly under-armoured. The latest German fire-control was also much superior to the British and Hood duly got hit by a plunging shell which penetrated to her magazine (where all her ammunition was stored); the result was a massive explosion and the ship went down with only 3 of her crew of over 1000 surviving.
Meanwhile, another Royal Navy battle-cruiser, the Prince of Wales, had scored enough hits on Bismarck to cause her to leave a trail of oil which subsequently helped the Fleet Air Arm, flying antiquated Swordfish biplanes at about 90 mph, to attack. Bismarck was firing her main armament into the sea in front of them - huge spouts of water erupting in front of them while trying desperately to maintain the correct height and speed for torpedo release. Out of 15 Swordfish attacking only one got a hit, despite all their gallantry, but crucially it did for Bismarck's steering. She couldn't get back to the French west-coast ports (now of course in German hands) and the Renown (16" guns) and King George V closed in and battered her to pieces.
The cruiser Dorsetshire then tried to pick up as many of the German sailors as possible but had to give up when there was a submarine scare - no way could a ship be hazarded just for helpless human lives, so they were left to drown. Life was very hard indeed for those serving in WW2 ... And we should never forget it.
Tony (not for a moment trying to cap anyone else's stories)
|