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The Indy was under radio silence traveling alone so when she was hit no one realized that she was missing. The captain was condemned at court martial for not zig zagging with the govt. saying that would have saved them from being hit by torpedo's. The 800 or so survivors spent 5 days in shark infested waters with most dying from wounds not shark attack.
The captain of the jap sub that sank the Indy testified in court zig zagging would not have saved the ship. His testimony did not matter the govt. was looking for someone to condemn and they condemned blamed Indy Captain McVay for the sinking.
What was Captain McVay's punishment?
Because the members of the court knew, "There, but by the grace of God go I," they unanimously recommended clemency. Indeed, McVay's punishment was in effect a slap on the wrist: loss of 100 "lineal" numbers in his temporary rank of Captain and 100 numbers in his permanent rank of Commander.
McVay ended up serving out his final years on active duty in the New Orleans Naval District and retired in 1949 with the rank of Rear Admiral.
He took his own life in 1968.
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