USS Indianapolis CA-35 - "Shark Infested Waters"

Launched in 1931, the USS Indianapolis (CA 35) was a Portland Class heavy cruiser. During World War 2, the ship served with distinction. She was the flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance from 1943 to 1945 while he commanded the Fifth Fleet. The Indianapolis had a distinguished career, earning ten battle stars during the war. She fought in operations across the Pacific and sustained a kamikaze attack. The cruiser had a main armament of nine 8-inch/55-caliber Mark 9 guns in three turrets with a secondary armament of eight 5-inch/25-caliber guns and two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns. During a 1945 refit, the ship gained twenty-four 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns, mounted in six quad mounts as well as nineteen 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons. The Indianapolis was a fast ship having four propellers which were powered by four Parsons GT geared turbines and eight White-Forster boilers producing a total of 107,000 SHP. This gave a design speed of 32.7 knots. The ship is perhaps most remembered for