The USS Indianapolis was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that played a significant role in World War II. After successfully delivering components for the atomic bomb to the Enola Gay in Tinian, she was en route to the Philippines when she was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945. The attack occurred in the Philippine Sea during the last months of the war, a period characterized by desperate and fierce naval engagements. The cruiser sank within 12 minutes, and of its crew of nearly 1,200, only 316 sailors ultimately survived. Survivors faced extreme conditions, as they were stranded in the open sea with limited supplies of food and water. Many succumbed to exposure and shark attacks, leading to a staggering loss of life. Rescue efforts began after a U.S. Army Air Force plane, on a routine patrol, spotted the survivors on August 2, four days after the sinking. The incident highlighted the need for improved search-and-rescue operations, particularly for naval personnel. The Navy's failure to track the ship after it had delivered its critical cargo raised serious questions about communication and coordination among naval forces. This disaster remains one of the most significant tragedies in U.S. naval history, permeated by human error and mismanagement.