Today I noticed the title of a book of “Only 317 Survived!: USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Navy’s Worst Tragedy at Seaâ€. I am generally familiar with the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in World War II on July 30, 1945. There have been a number of specials about the event on The Discover Channel, The History Channel, The Military Channel, etc.
What I wasn’t aware of was the number of survivors… 317. Then that number struck me as “317†being the telephone area code for the greater Indianapolis area. Was it a coincidence? Which came first? Area code assignments or the sinking of the USS Indianapolis?
A quick search led me to find out that area codes were “invented†in 1947. Was there any kind of planned intention to have Indy’s area code be 317 due to the number of survivors on the USS Indianapolis?
Things that make you go…hmmmm?
The thing that should make you go hmmm, or whatever, is the fact that the Indianapolis was sent to the Leyete gulf to begin with, and the high likely hood that the “intelligence” at Guam knew of submarines in that area. Another thing is that how does anyone know what japanese boat fired the torpedoes? Was that info divulged after the war after some sort of info deal made with japan? Where is that information anyway? That jap sub sure happened to be in the right place at the right time in the south pacific.
Leyte gulf, rather.