CHARLES B. MCVAY III (1898-1968) Commander of the cruiser USS INDIANAPOLIS at the time of her sinking by a Japanese submarine on July 30, 1945. The only captain in U.S. Navy history subjected to court-martial for losing a ship sunk by an act of war. Offered here is a very rare, superb content T.L.S. on Navy Department letterhead, 1p. 8vo., Washington, Sep. 28, 1945, sent to the parents of Marine Pvt John H. Kirchner who, with 883 comrades, met his death in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the subsequent drownings and shark attacks. In part: ‘...It is with great sorrow that I...write to you concerning your son...who lost his life as a result of the sinking of the INDIANAPOLIS in the early morning hours of July 30, 1945...enroute to the Philippines from Guam...after delivery of an atomic bomb...when two heavy under-water explosions occurred on the starboard side forward. She filled rapidly with water...within fifteen minutes sank...The exact manner in which your son met his death is not known, but it is believed that he went down with his ship. The first group of survivors were picked up Thursday, August 2, 1945, and the rest, of which I was one...For days thereafter the area where the ship went down, and where any possible survivors could be, was searched...no other survivors were picked up...’. Signed by McVay in full at the conclusion. Accompanied by a chest, up portrait of Kirchner in uniform, a group photo of the Indianapolis crew, posing in front of the guns and dated Feb. 3, 1945, and a newspaper clipping covering the sinking of the ill-fated cruiser. All four pieces have been matted and framed for an attractive presentation piece, 38.5 x 16 in. Also in the frame are two engraved gold plates, one reading: ‘Condolence letter from Captain Charles B. McVay III USS Indianapolis, 1945’ and the second reading: ‘Special Thanks to Collector Rick Kotchian’, likely indicating a collector who donated the letter and photos. Accompanying this lot is a newspaper clipping, titled ‘McVay Accused of Inefficiency’, the article further explaining the charges for McVay’s upcoming court-martial. McVay was accused of: ‘…Through negligence suffering a vessel of the Navy to be hazarded…’ and ‘…Culpable inefficiency in the performance of duty…’ Eventually he was charged with failing to zigzag and failure to order abandon ship in a timely manner, resulting in a loss of 100 numbers in his temporary rank of captain and 100 numbers in his permanent rank of commander, effectively ruining his Navy career. Despite the remittance of his sentence and returned to duty in 1946 at the behest of Admiral Chester Nimitz, McVay remained wracked with guilt and ended his own life on Nov. 6, 1968. It would not be until October, 2000 that McVay would finally be posthumously exonerated of all charges. Interestingly enough, few people were aware of this fascinating albeit tragic story, until the release of the iconic movie 'Jaws'. Robert Shaw who played 'Quint' delivers a speech still beloved by movie buffs today, in which he describes the relentless shark attacks in the aftermath of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. That memorable speech made people aware of not only the sinking of the ship, but also of the very real aftermath of the shark attacks, still known today as the deadliest shark attack in history.