Evening star., 1946-02-24
both reserve officers, are out of
service.
Further Responsibility Doubted.

service.
Further Responsibility Doubted.
Vice Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
chief of personnel, answered news
conference questions about Capt
McVay's status with 7 doubt he
will ever get a command of great
responsibility"
The court martial, at the con-
clusion of the trial on December
10, announced acquittal of Capt.
McVay on count of inef1ciency
which alleged he failed to issue
timely warning to abandon the
sinking cruiser.
AS to the reprimands for the
regular officers, Admiral Denfeld
said these notations in their per-
manent records might interfere
with their promotions.
Admiral Nimitz, chief Of naval
operations, commented at this point
that he had been reprimanded for
grounding his destroyer in 1908 in
the Philippines.
McVay Glad Its Over.
Capt. McVay, whose father, Ad-
mlral McVay, was commander in
chief of the Asiatic Fleet before his
retirement, told reporters: I'm glad
it's over. It's a great relief to me
to have the findings published.
The tragic chain of mishaps which
brought death to $50 of the ships
crew OF l,196 because of the delayed
rescue efforts, were made public in
report by Admiral Nimitz.
The Indianapolis was sunk while
enroute from Guam to Leyte after
it had delivered atomic bomb ma
terial. The ship was due at Leyte
the following day. More than 700
creWmen escaped over the sides as
the ship sank II minutes after being
torpedoed. Survivors were sighted
IN the water accidentally by a pa
troll plane on August 2. No search
had been instigated for the missing
cruiser up to that time although
she was three days overdue.
Sixteen hours after the sinking
Admiral Nimitz's headquarters in
the Pacific intercepted and decoded
a message, presumably sent by a.
japanese submarine, indicating al
ship sinking in the approximate
predicted position of the Indianap-
oils.
Possible Rescue Stressed.
Had this information been eval-
uated as authentic" said the Navy's
report, 'it is possible that the sur
vivors of the Indianapolis might
have been located within "a hours
OF the time of the sinking of the
ship and many additional lives
might have been saved"
The information was sent to the
commander of the 7th Fleet in the
Philippines and to Washington. |
The departure of the vessel from
Guam on July % was recorded on
the plotting boards in each of the
headquarters" the report declared.
Her estimated position was plotted
on each board daily.
Plotting Boards Changed.
"On July 81, the date on which
the vessel was scheduled to have
arrived at Leyte, the Indianapolis
was removed from the board in
headquarters of commander, Ma
rianas, and was recorded on the
board at the headquarters of COM
Philippine Sea Frontier, as
having arrived at Leyte.
This was the routine method of
the plot of combatant YES
sells. Since, in accordance with all
orders standard throughout the
Southwest Pacific area, the Pacific
Ocean areas and the Atlantic, the
Of combatant vessels were
not reported, vessels of this class
were assumed to have arrived at
their destinations on the date and
at approximately the time sched-
uled in the absence of information
to the contrary.
However, since the Indianapolis
did not arrive, the responsible Of
f1cers at the Office of the Board
Director, Leyte, who knew of her
nonarrival should have instituted
action to determine the reason"
Failure of Officers Cited.
1t. Comdr. sancho, the report de-
clared, had the duty of keeping
informed of such matters although
he was not aware that the In