USS Indianapolis Lost At Sea

USS Indianapolis CA-35

Lost At Sea

Ray Gunther WENZEL

Name: Ray Gunther WENZEL

Rank / Rating: RT3-Radio Technician Third Class
Service #: 629 57 68
DOB: Mar 10, 1924
From: Kansas City, MO
Parents: Ernst Max and Gertrude Clara Bachman
Went Aboard: Jan 12, 1945
Age When Ship Went Down: 21 years, 4 months, 20 days
Spouse: Marcella Catherine Gray
Children: Catherine Hazel Wenzel
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Patricia Stephens (Admin)
Date Posted:

Ray Gunther WENZEL, RT3-Radio Technician Third Class

WENZEL, Ray G

Ray was born 10 Mar 1924 in Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO. He was the first of two sons born to Ernst Max and Gertrude Clara Bachman. Ray's brother, Frank Harold Wenzel, was two years younger.

Ray registered for the draft on 30 June 1942 at Oletha, Johnson Co., KS. He was 18 years old, living with his parents and unemployed. He enlisted in the US Navy on 9 Dec 1942 at Kansas City, MO. After basic training, Ray was enrolled initially in the Navy's V-1 training program that prepared men to become deck officers. On 7 Jan 1943, Ray was received at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. He was a AS (Apprentice Seaman). Not long after his arrival, Ray's officer training program was changed V-1(S) to V-12. V-12 was a general officer training program. On 28 Aug 1943, Ray was transferred from the university back to the USN Training Center at Great Lakes, IL. He was still at the rate of AS, V-12 program when he arrived but by the end of Nov he had advanced to S2c (Seaman 2nd class). Before leaving Great Lakes on 31 Aug 1943, his branch of service was changed again, from V-12 to V-6, the general service code used by the majority of enlisted men. On 5 Nov 1943 he was transferred to Wright Junior College in Chicago where a Pre-Radio course was taught. He entered as a S2c. His rate advanced on 23 Nov to S1c. From Chicago he transferred to the Naval Technical School (EE+RM), College Station, TX. At arrival he was advanced to RT3c (Radar Technician 3rd class). At College Station, Ray married Marcella Catherine Gray on 15 Jan 1944. Their time together would be short.` He was transferred from TX and received 28 Feb 1944 for instruction at the Naval Training School (Radio Materiel), Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA . Upon completion, he returned to College Station, TX. He was transferred, for a second time, to the Radio Materiel school, Treasure Island, where he arrived on 27 April 1944. The following day his rating advanced to RT2c. There was an unknown event that resulted in Ray, and several others, being admitted to the USN Hospital at Treasure Island. On 1 May 1944, Ray was received back at the Materiel school. He remained at Radio school in Treasure Island for 6 months, maintaining his rating of RT2c. On 14 Oct 1944 he transferred from Treasure Island and arrived at San Francisco on 28 Oct 1944 for further forwarding. Ray had been in the Navy just one month shy of two years and for the first time was leaving dry ground. He departed San Francisco 14 Nov 1944 on board the transport USS General R. L. Howze for the long voyage across the Pacific. He arrived at Pearl Harbor on 23 Nov 1944. Ray's training was not yet completed. He was transferred and received the same day, 26 Nov 1944, for instruction at Pacific Fleet School, Flight Radar Center, Oahu, I.H. Ray received orders to report to USS Indianapolis CA-35. He would not be a member of the regular crew, but of the Flag Allowance of the Commander 5th Fleet, Admiral Raymond Spruance. He went aboard on 12 Jan 1945. Only a month later, Indianapolis, with the Fifth Fleet, began the Iwo Jima operations on 15 Feb 1945 ending 1 Mar 1945. The Okinawa Gunto campaign began 17 Mar but ended for Indianapolis on 31 Mar 1945 when she was hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane. Seven men were killed and 20 injured. Ray escaped injury. ADM Spruance commanded the Fifth Fleet from Indianapolis until the kamikaze attack when he transferred his flag to USS New Mexico DD-40. Ray disembarked Indy on 5 Apr 1945 for New Mexico for duty. At an unknown time he transferred to the Flag Allowance headquarters at Apra Harbor, Guam. He went back aboard New Mexico on 1 June 1945. On 20 Jun 1945 Ray was transferred back to Indianapolis for temporary duty, via 30 day rehabilitation leave. This meant he now had 30 days to report aboard Indianapolis. Indy was in dry dock at Mare Island, CA so Ray boarded a transport ship at Guam on 30 Jun headed to the US. When he arrived in San Francisco he had a few days of his remaining leave before he went aboard Indy on 14 July, 1945. Hopefully Ray had time to be with his wife, Marcella, and his baby girl, Catherine Hazel Wenzel, born 19 Jun 1945. Indianapolis left Mare Island 16 July 1945 on a secret mission to Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, carrying components of the atomic bomb that would later be dropped on Hiroshima. The secret cargo on board was under guard at all times. In addition to the crew, Indy was transporting passengers to Pearl Harbor. Boyd T. Larrowe, Radio Technician, of Tecumseh MI., was one of the passengers. He wrote that "a large draft of men" went on board at Mare Island." Also, he described his time on board: "I was assigned a pair of overhead hooks over the steam table in the galley for hammock suspension and told to keep out of the way of the ships company. As we were passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Ray Wenzel, my best friend in high school. He was a first class RT and a nervous wreck from being with her for over a year. Being an RT he had freedoms in Officers Country and insisted on taking me on a tour of the ship. He pointed out the large guarded crate on the midship deck which we were not allowed to cross. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it was top secret. We then went below deck and up to the flying bridge and sat in the Admiral's chair. We were doing 30 knots, rolling +- 35 degrees and leaving a wake all the way to the horizon. I was impressed! At his suggestion I tried to get assigned to her but was turned down since they had a full roster. I got off at Pearl as scheduled....." Indianapolis proceeded to Tinian and unloaded her secret cargo on 26 July 1945 and left the next day for Guam where she arrived that same day, July 27, 1945. Ray most likely thought his service on board Indianapolis would end at Guam. He watched as other members of the flag allowance left the ship for shore duty. Ray was to remain on board. LCDR Cedric Foster Coleman, commander of the flag allowance, remained on board. Ray would remain along with Robert Craig Barker, Jr., RT1c, Arno John Telford, RT3c and two new members who had arrived in Guam from basic training in the US and were waiting to come aboard - Pat Leon Adams, S2c and William Hearn Bradley, S2c (SM). Ray, LCDR Coleman, Barker, Telford, Adams and Bradley were lost at sea two days after leaving Guam when Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58 and sunk in less that 12 minutes. All six names are inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines. All were awarded the Purple Heart, posthumously. Ray was authorized to wear the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with two bronze star devices. You are not forgotten, Ray.

Source Credits

USN, Records of CINCPAC Advanced HQ Detachment - Commander Fifth Fleet, Flag Allowance - 1944-1945; citing Ray G. Wenzel USS Indianapolis CA-35 USN Deck Logs, Muster Rolls and Report of Changes USN Radio Materiel School, Treasure Island, CA, 1944-1945; Class #49 Reunion, Nov 1-3, 1995; citing bio of Boyd T. Larrowe. Ancestry.com. U.S., Navy Support Books, 1901-1902, 1917-2010 [database on-line] Navy Department, Casualty Section, Office of Public Information (1946): Combat Connected Naval Casualties, WWII, by States; Vol. AL-MO; CA, p. 94; citing Marcella Catherine Wenzel, wife of Ray Gunther Wenzel Ancestry Family Tree; Wenzell Family, file of Peruna74; citing parents of Ray G. Wenzell.

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