logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
43m 54s

Encore: USS Indianapolis: Disaster at Se...

Wondery
About this episode

In the final weeks of World War II, the Navy cruiser U.S.S. Indianapolis was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the middle of the Philippine Sea. The nine hundred survivors found themselves stranded in the middle of the open ocean, many without rafts or life vests, wondering when – or if – help was coming.

This is the story of the greatest sea disaster in U.S. naval history, and the courageous men who survived it.

Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 21
FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Considered Lost | 2
With night falling, the student climbers and their adult chaperones must take refuge in a cramped, frigid, and hastily dug snow cave. Their leader, Father Tom Goman, begins to succumb to hypothermia. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams prepare to deploy. But as the storm that firs ... Show More
37m 29s
Aug 19
FAN FAVORITE: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | A Killer in Their Midst | 3
Challenges mount as the expedition travels farther down the river. With the end of their journey nowhere in sight, hunger and disease take their toll on the men. Colonel Rondon wonders if members of an indigenous tribe are following them … and waiting to attack. Tensions between ... Show More
44m 59s
Aug 19
FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Whiteout | 1
In May 1986, a group of high school students and faculty embarked on a journey to the top of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain. The climb was part of an annual wilderness program, and was usually uneventful. But during this climb, a brutal and massive storm engulfed the mount ... Show More
47m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Episode 655: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
A little past midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis, a US Navy cruiser, had just delivered the uranium that would be used in the first nuclear bomb dropped on Japan, and was returning to the Philippines when it was struck by a Japanese torpedo. The ship was badly damage ... Show More
1h 27m
Sep 2024
The Titanic | Orphans of the Deep | 3
On April 16, 1912, shocked survivors of the Titanic made their way to New York aboard the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia, and news of the tragedy began to spread around the world. Congress and the British Board of Trade both launched investigations into maritime safety regulations, s ... Show More
36m 50s
May 2024
History Daily: A B-24 Crash Survivor Begins a Fight for Survival
May 27, 1943: A B-24 bomber crashes in the Pacific Ocean, beginning a two year ordeal at sea and in Japanese captivity for former Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini.You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.comHistory Dail ... Show More
15m 15s
Feb 2025
282: The Port Chicago Disaster. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial.
On July 17th, 1944 the worst home front disaster of WWII unfolded in an instant when a munitions base exploded with the force of 5,000 lbs of TNT just outside of San Fransisco. The catastrophic incident killed 320 people instantly and injured hundreds more. The event resulted in ... Show More
48m 2s
Sep 2024
9/11: Rescue on the Water (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 11, 2001. On a clear and sunny day, Captain Richard Thornton is piloting his ferry boat back and forth between New Jersey and New York C ... Show More
34m 7s
Oct 2024
Jamestown | The Starving Time | 3
In the summer of 1609, a hurricane struck a large English fleet bound for Virginia on a rescue mission. Some of the battered survivors safely landed in Jamestown, but the flagship Sea Venture and the provisions it carried were lost. The already hungry colonists were forced to fac ... Show More
38m 27s
Apr 2025
Sinking Cargo Ship: Adrift Without a Lifejacket
London to Guernsey - a simple trip transporting cargo via the world’s busiest shipping lane. Or so you might think… When pounding waves flood their craft, the three-person crew of the Hooness will be forced to do something every sailor dreads: abandon ship. With no help in sight, ... Show More
54m 43s
Apr 2025
Introducing: Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 1
This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famous ship in history. You’ll be right there on board - setting sail from Southampton, chugging across the Atlantic, striking the iceb ... Show More
51m 44s
Apr 2025
Introducing: Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 1
This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famous ship in history. You’ll be right there on board - setting sail from Southampton, chugging across the Atlantic, striking the iceb ... Show More
51m 59s
Jul 22
Operation Underworld: The Secret WW2 Alliance between The Navy and the Mafia
During World War II, the U.S. Navy made an unthinkable alliance—with the Mafia. Fearing enemy sabotage in New York Harbor, military officials turned to notorious gangster Charles “Lucky” Luciano and his underworld network for help securing the docks against Nazi spies. But what s ... Show More
41m 23s