Arthur Manson Bishop, Jr.
Seaman, Second Class
United States Navy
World War II
Lost At Sea
The battleship USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser, sank in the shark-infested waters of the eastern Pacific, approx. halfway between Guam and the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship departed San Francisco for the American base on Tinian Island as part of the then top-secret Manhattan Project, carrying components of the first operational atomic bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
After delivery of her nuclear cargo, the Indianapolis was ordered to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Traveling unescorted, the ship was hit by two torpedoes fired by the Japanese submarine I-58, sending her to a watery grave within 12 minutes at 12°2' N, 134°48' E, entombing about 300 men inside, and sending the other 900 into the sea. They drifted in the ocean for five days, battling thirst, exposure, and ravenous sharks.
As the survivors huddled in groups to help keep the sharks away, some would hallucinate. Some would imagine seeing an island in the distance, and when they began to swim toward the mirage they would be eaten by sharks. Due to a series of Navy debacles, no one knew of the crew's plight, since the mission was top-secret. Only 317 men survived. They were accidentally spotted by an anti-submarine plane, and subsequently rescued. The search for survivors continued until Aug. 8. It was the worst single loss of life in the history of the United States Navy. The Indianapolis has never been found.
Arthur's body was not recovered.
(See Memorial #56774768)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: August 19, 2017 - Wreckage from the USS Indianapolis, which sank 72 years ago after being torpedoed during World War II, was found in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 18,000 feet by the expedition crew of Microsoft co-founder billionaire Paul Allen.
The Indianapolis was hit by the Japanese on July 30, 1945 and sank in only 12 minutes, leading to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the Navy's history. Of 1,196 crew aboard the ship, only 317 survived.
The men who didn't go down with the ship faced dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark-infested waters.
"To be able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role during World War II is truly humbling," Allen said in a statement.
Prior to being attacked, the Indianapolis had delivered components of one of the two nuclear weapons that were later dropped on Japan.
"For more than two decades I've been working with survivors. To a man, they have longed for the day when their ship would be found, solving their final mystery," Captain William Toti, retired, spokesperson for the survivors of the USS Indianapolis told PaulAllen.com.
Previous Allen-led expeditions have resulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere.
The 16-person team on Allen's ship will continue to survey the full site and will conduct a live tour of the wreckage in the coming weeks.
Seaman, Second Class
United States Navy
World War II
Lost At Sea
The battleship USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser, sank in the shark-infested waters of the eastern Pacific, approx. halfway between Guam and the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship departed San Francisco for the American base on Tinian Island as part of the then top-secret Manhattan Project, carrying components of the first operational atomic bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
After delivery of her nuclear cargo, the Indianapolis was ordered to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Traveling unescorted, the ship was hit by two torpedoes fired by the Japanese submarine I-58, sending her to a watery grave within 12 minutes at 12°2' N, 134°48' E, entombing about 300 men inside, and sending the other 900 into the sea. They drifted in the ocean for five days, battling thirst, exposure, and ravenous sharks.
As the survivors huddled in groups to help keep the sharks away, some would hallucinate. Some would imagine seeing an island in the distance, and when they began to swim toward the mirage they would be eaten by sharks. Due to a series of Navy debacles, no one knew of the crew's plight, since the mission was top-secret. Only 317 men survived. They were accidentally spotted by an anti-submarine plane, and subsequently rescued. The search for survivors continued until Aug. 8. It was the worst single loss of life in the history of the United States Navy. The Indianapolis has never been found.
Arthur's body was not recovered.
(See Memorial #56774768)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: August 19, 2017 - Wreckage from the USS Indianapolis, which sank 72 years ago after being torpedoed during World War II, was found in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 18,000 feet by the expedition crew of Microsoft co-founder billionaire Paul Allen.
The Indianapolis was hit by the Japanese on July 30, 1945 and sank in only 12 minutes, leading to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the Navy's history. Of 1,196 crew aboard the ship, only 317 survived.
The men who didn't go down with the ship faced dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark-infested waters.
"To be able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role during World War II is truly humbling," Allen said in a statement.
Prior to being attacked, the Indianapolis had delivered components of one of the two nuclear weapons that were later dropped on Japan.
"For more than two decades I've been working with survivors. To a man, they have longed for the day when their ship would be found, solving their final mystery," Captain William Toti, retired, spokesperson for the survivors of the USS Indianapolis told PaulAllen.com.
Previous Allen-led expeditions have resulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere.
The 16-person team on Allen's ship will continue to survey the full site and will conduct a live tour of the wreckage in the coming weeks.
Arthur Manson Bishop, Jr.
Seaman, Second Class
United States Navy
World War II
Lost At Sea
The battleship USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser, sank in the shark-infested waters of the eastern Pacific, approx. halfway between Guam and the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship departed San Francisco for the American base on Tinian Island as part of the then top-secret Manhattan Project, carrying components of the first operational atomic bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
After delivery of her nuclear cargo, the Indianapolis was ordered to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Traveling unescorted, the ship was hit by two torpedoes fired by the Japanese submarine I-58, sending her to a watery grave within 12 minutes at 12°2' N, 134°48' E, entombing about 300 men inside, and sending the other 900 into the sea. They drifted in the ocean for five days, battling thirst, exposure, and ravenous sharks.
As the survivors huddled in groups to help keep the sharks away, some would hallucinate. Some would imagine seeing an island in the distance, and when they began to swim toward the mirage they would be eaten by sharks. Due to a series of Navy debacles, no one knew of the crew's plight, since the mission was top-secret. Only 317 men survived. They were accidentally spotted by an anti-submarine plane, and subsequently rescued. The search for survivors continued until Aug. 8. It was the worst single loss of life in the history of the United States Navy. The Indianapolis has never been found.
Arthur's body was not recovered.
(See Memorial #56774768)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: August 19, 2017 - Wreckage from the USS Indianapolis, which sank 72 years ago after being torpedoed during World War II, was found in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 18,000 feet by the expedition crew of Microsoft co-founder billionaire Paul Allen.
The Indianapolis was hit by the Japanese on July 30, 1945 and sank in only 12 minutes, leading to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the Navy's history. Of 1,196 crew aboard the ship, only 317 survived.
The men who didn't go down with the ship faced dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark-infested waters.
"To be able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role during World War II is truly humbling," Allen said in a statement.
Prior to being attacked, the Indianapolis had delivered components of one of the two nuclear weapons that were later dropped on Japan.
"For more than two decades I've been working with survivors. To a man, they have longed for the day when their ship would be found, solving their final mystery," Captain William Toti, retired, spokesperson for the survivors of the USS Indianapolis told PaulAllen.com.
Previous Allen-led expeditions have resulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere.
The 16-person team on Allen's ship will continue to survey the full site and will conduct a live tour of the wreckage in the coming weeks.
Seaman, Second Class
United States Navy
World War II
Lost At Sea
The battleship USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser, sank in the shark-infested waters of the eastern Pacific, approx. halfway between Guam and the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship departed San Francisco for the American base on Tinian Island as part of the then top-secret Manhattan Project, carrying components of the first operational atomic bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
After delivery of her nuclear cargo, the Indianapolis was ordered to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Traveling unescorted, the ship was hit by two torpedoes fired by the Japanese submarine I-58, sending her to a watery grave within 12 minutes at 12°2' N, 134°48' E, entombing about 300 men inside, and sending the other 900 into the sea. They drifted in the ocean for five days, battling thirst, exposure, and ravenous sharks.
As the survivors huddled in groups to help keep the sharks away, some would hallucinate. Some would imagine seeing an island in the distance, and when they began to swim toward the mirage they would be eaten by sharks. Due to a series of Navy debacles, no one knew of the crew's plight, since the mission was top-secret. Only 317 men survived. They were accidentally spotted by an anti-submarine plane, and subsequently rescued. The search for survivors continued until Aug. 8. It was the worst single loss of life in the history of the United States Navy. The Indianapolis has never been found.
Arthur's body was not recovered.
(See Memorial #56774768)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: August 19, 2017 - Wreckage from the USS Indianapolis, which sank 72 years ago after being torpedoed during World War II, was found in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 18,000 feet by the expedition crew of Microsoft co-founder billionaire Paul Allen.
The Indianapolis was hit by the Japanese on July 30, 1945 and sank in only 12 minutes, leading to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the Navy's history. Of 1,196 crew aboard the ship, only 317 survived.
The men who didn't go down with the ship faced dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark-infested waters.
"To be able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role during World War II is truly humbling," Allen said in a statement.
Prior to being attacked, the Indianapolis had delivered components of one of the two nuclear weapons that were later dropped on Japan.
"For more than two decades I've been working with survivors. To a man, they have longed for the day when their ship would be found, solving their final mystery," Captain William Toti, retired, spokesperson for the survivors of the USS Indianapolis told PaulAllen.com.
Previous Allen-led expeditions have resulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere.
The 16-person team on Allen's ship will continue to survey the full site and will conduct a live tour of the wreckage in the coming weeks.
Inscription
Grave marker reads "IN MEMORY OF".
Gravesite Details
Arthur's body was not recovered, and was reportedly one of the approx. 300 men who were entombed when the ship went down in the Philippine Sea. But, only God knows for sure.
Family Members
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