Then proceeded to send copies of the new directions that had been given to them. The directions stated that the Indy was to "report to Admiral McCormik for gunnery practice, and then get back into the war with Admiral Oldendorf." (81) Though the directions were sent to many parties, McCormik never received his first message and didn't know why the Indy would be reporting to him. Admiral Oldendorf received the first message but didn't get the second one, so he didn't know when the Indy was reporting. Therefore, "the two people to whom McVay was to report did not possess enough information to determine if he was late." (82).
Before leaving, the Indy requested an escort to help find enemy submarines that may be lurking in the depths beneath them. The reply was that none was needed so the boys aboard the Indy assumed that it would be a relatively safe trip. Contrary to this belief, the Indy was well on it's way to be known as "one of the darkest pages of our navel history." (259) .
The Indy left Guam on July 28 at 9:00 am and was to arrive in Leyte Tues July 31. At 11:00 pm the Indy was a mere 12 miles from a bloodthirsty Japanese submarine. It was commanded by Captain Hashimoto who had never sunk a ship the four years had been in the war. With the clinking of dishes said to be heard from one of the Indy's galleys, all the Japanese boys were moving as fast as they could to prepare the torpedoes. By 11:09 pm six of the torpedoes were ready to fire and Hashimoto's war status was about to change; especially considering the Indy had no destroyer escort and was well beyond any kind of help by this point. .
Hashimoto was successful; at 12:04 he shot "six torpedoes at three-second intervals, each with enough power to destroy a city block." (101) The first torpedo hit the Indy's radio station #1 and by 12:06 the once great ship was taking in water by the tons. Resulting from where the torpedo hit, the two decks of the ship couldn't communicate with each other.