The wreckage of the USS Indianapolis was found Saturday afternoon in the Philippine Sea by a team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, USA Today reported.
Allen announced the discovery of the sunken World War II ship Saturday afternoon on Twitter.
“Important chapter of WWII history concludes – I hope survivors/families gain some closure,” Allen said in another tweet. “Anchor and ship's bell seen here.”
The ship sank on July 30, 1945, in just 12 minutes after it was hit by two torpedoes that came from a Japanese submarine. Around 800 of the ship's 1,196 sailors and Marines survived the sinking, but only 316 ultimately made it after at least four days on the water. The USS Indianapolis had just completed a secret mission to the island Tinian to deliver components of the atomic bomb “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima, which would ultimately end the war.
The ship was found at a depth of more than 18,000 feet by Allen’s 13-person team.