USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage: Moustache Trailer Reaction

One of the most famous events of World War 2 is the bombing of Hiroshima. On the 6th August 1945 the "Little Boy" bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay and detonated 1,900 feet above the city. Nagasaki became the second target of an atomic strike on the 9th August 1945. Many believe President Truman's decision to use atomic weapons on the Japanese ultimately saved lives. The alternative was continued fire bombing of Japanese cities and the invasion of the Japanese mainland, these actions would have resulted in heavy casualties on both sides and it's possible the war would have continued a lot longer than it did.

USS Indianapolis

But there's a part to this story that's not so well known. Which is strange because it's considered the worst disaster in US Naval history. If you've seen the movie Jaws you would have heard about it. The USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser with a crew of 1,196 men (I got this number from ussindianapolis.org), left San Francisco on the 16th July 1945 headed for the island of Tinian, in the Marianas. Her mission was to deliver parts and Uranium 235 for the "Little Boy" bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Due to the top secret nature of the mission she travelled unescorted. After stopping at Pearl Harbor, Indianapolis arrived at Tinian on the 26th July to deliver her cargo. On the 28th July Indianpolis left Guam where a number of Sailors who'd completed their tours of duty were replaced and headed for Leyte. This was a journey she would not complete.

Nicolas Cage as Captain McVay

At 00:14 hours on the 30th July 1945 the USS Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes - from the Japanese submarine I-58 - on her starboard (right) side. She sank in 12 minutes, taking approximately 300 men with her. The remaining 880 men faced dehydration, exposure, salt water poisoning and shark attacks. According to a Discovery Channel documentary called "Ocean of Fear"; the sinking resulted in the most shark attacks on humans in history. It wasn't until Navy pilots on a routine patrol flight spotted survivors in the water, three and a half days after the sinking that the Navy became aware that the Indianapolis was missing.

Tom Sizemore as Chief Petty Officer McWhorter

Now Director Mario Van Peebles is telling their story. USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage stars Nicolas Cage as Captain Charles McVay, Tom Sizemore as Chief Petty Officer McWhorter and Thomas Jane as Lt. Wilbur C. "Chuck" Gwinn, the pilot who found the survivors. Granted these aren't the biggest stars in Hollywood, even Cage hasn't had a big hit in years, but this definitely feels like a story that should be told. Principal photography took place in and around Mobile, Alabama. The USS Alabama which was used in Steven Seagal's Under Siege was used to depict the Indianapolis. The movie will cover the delivery of the bomb components, the sinking and its aftermath, including what the survivors went through (see the photo below) and Captain McVay's court marshall in November 1945. Captain McVay was the only Captain in the US Navy to be court marshalled for the loss of his ship during World War 2. Many feel (including surviving members of the crew) that McVay was used as a scapegoat to cover up the fact that the Navy didn't notice Indianapolis was missing. Like I said, a story that should be told.

Look at what Tom Sizemore is clinging to

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage Trailer: