“In 2000 he was exonerated by the U.S. Congress”
An inappropriate move. There were other reasons he should not have been let off the hook with the key one being as to how the ship was first discovered by the Japanese sub - noise transcience originating from the galley. Sorry. The captain failed in his job.
Excellent thread btw. Thank you for posting it!
Let me tell you something--galley noises are the least of your concerns when you're driving a WWII-era battle cruiser. As a former sonarman, I think I know a little about that.
Furthermore, McVay had asked for an escort ship, prior to setting out to the Philippines; he was denied.
Sometimes in the fog of war, when you're time is up, you're time is up. The Japanese submarine captain did not have one kill throughout the entire war. Then, with only weeks left, with the Japanese navy in a shambles, this sub stumbles across a big target, one not designed for sub-hunting. In fact, the Japanese captain testified: it would not have made one bit of difference if the Indianapolis was zig-zagging or not. She was a relatively easy kill.