Alayna

By dawn, the reality of what had happened became very apparent. The Indianapolis had gone down hundreds of miles from land and there was nothing but water in every direction.

By dawn, the reality of what had happened became very apparent. The Indianapolis had gone down hundreds of miles from land and there was nothing but water in every direction.

To make matters worse, when many of the rafts fell into the water, they had landed upside down, dumping any unsecured contents like rations and blankets into the water.

To make matters worse, when many of the rafts fell into the water, they had landed upside down, dumping any unsecured contents like rations and blankets into the water.

Oh, no. So the men on McVeigh's rafts managed to flip a lot of the boats and found that some of them still contained oars and a canvas bag containing one flare gun and 12 cartridges. That's nothing. No. Things were more encouraging on Morgan's rafts because they did find some, quote, meager rations, flares, fishing supplies, and some flashlights.

Oh, no. So the men on McVeigh's rafts managed to flip a lot of the boats and found that some of them still contained oars and a canvas bag containing one flare gun and 12 cartridges. That's nothing. No. Things were more encouraging on Morgan's rafts because they did find some, quote, meager rations, flares, fishing supplies, and some flashlights.

The flashlights and flares could have been valuable in finding, you know, other crewmen and signaling passing ships and planes, but they also were risky. According to Vincent and Vladek, the authors of that book that I mentioned up ahead, and we'll link in the show notes, Japanese submarines had been known to lurk at a sinking site and machine gun any survivors.

The flashlights and flares could have been valuable in finding, you know, other crewmen and signaling passing ships and planes, but they also were risky. According to Vincent and Vladek, the authors of that book that I mentioned up ahead, and we'll link in the show notes, Japanese submarines had been known to lurk at a sinking site and machine gun any survivors.

Again, war. And they're in enemy waters. Many of those not killed in the blast or dragged down with the ship. Suffered serious flash burns from the explosions. Many of them would die within hours of being in the water. But think of those grueling hours that it took to die. Suffering. Pure suffering. And those who did manage to find each other, like other survivors...

Again, war. And they're in enemy waters. Many of those not killed in the blast or dragged down with the ship. Suffered serious flash burns from the explosions. Many of them would die within hours of being in the water. But think of those grueling hours that it took to die. Suffering. Pure suffering. And those who did manage to find each other, like other survivors...

A lot of them found, now this wasn't always the case, but there was patches of this. Some of them would find that the camaraderie that they had on the ship did not extend to the crisis in the sea. After the ship went down, Harpo Salea found himself stranded without a raft or a life jacket. And he was so happy to spot some other survivors.

A lot of them found, now this wasn't always the case, but there was patches of this. Some of them would find that the camaraderie that they had on the ship did not extend to the crisis in the sea. After the ship went down, Harpo Salea found himself stranded without a raft or a life jacket. And he was so happy to spot some other survivors.

But when he got to the raft and tried to pull himself on board, they pushed him off the raft and pushed the raft away.

But when he got to the raft and tried to pull himself on board, they pushed him off the raft and pushed the raft away.

If there's room, why not? Like, what the fuck, dude? And the same thing happened when he spotted a second raft. It happened to him twice. Yeah. So he grabbed onto a rope trailing behind the raft and clung to it so he wouldn't get separated from everyone. What about no man left behind? Yeah. Isn't that like a fucking pledge? Like, what the fuck? And again, these were small pockets of behavior.

If there's room, why not? Like, what the fuck, dude? And the same thing happened when he spotted a second raft. It happened to him twice. Yeah. So he grabbed onto a rope trailing behind the raft and clung to it so he wouldn't get separated from everyone. What about no man left behind? Yeah. Isn't that like a fucking pledge? Like, what the fuck? And again, these were small pockets of behavior.

Yeah, it wasn't everywhere. For the most part, these men were working together and trying to help each other. But damn. But you're always going to get some dicks in the bunch. No. The instances, again, of selfishness and cruelty, very disheartening, but again, uncommon.

Yeah, it wasn't everywhere. For the most part, these men were working together and trying to help each other. But damn. But you're always going to get some dicks in the bunch. No. The instances, again, of selfishness and cruelty, very disheartening, but again, uncommon.

For the most part, whenever any of the rafts would spot a survivor floating in the water, they would do their best to get to them and drag them on board. Once they were in full daylight, the men on the rafts started paddling around their immediate area looking for any supplies. Anything that was heavy and not lashed to the boats had sunk with the rest of the ship.

For the most part, whenever any of the rafts would spot a survivor floating in the water, they would do their best to get to them and drag them on board. Once they were in full daylight, the men on the rafts started paddling around their immediate area looking for any supplies. Anything that was heavy and not lashed to the boats had sunk with the rest of the ship.