Alayna

And even if there was evidence of a ship being attacked in that location, that would have been very little help to the survivors of the Indianapolis because by the time the Navy had become alarmed about the crew's failure to return, the survivors had drifted anywhere between 60 and 200 miles from the site of the attack. They were nowhere near where that happened.

And even if there was evidence of a ship being attacked in that location, that would have been very little help to the survivors of the Indianapolis because by the time the Navy had become alarmed about the crew's failure to return, the survivors had drifted anywhere between 60 and 200 miles from the site of the attack. They were nowhere near where that happened.

So a search of the area wouldn't have really led to their rescue, really. That the crew of the Indianapolis were rescued at all had more to do with luck and coincidence than it really did military policy and tracking ability.

So a search of the area wouldn't have really led to their rescue, really. That the crew of the Indianapolis were rescued at all had more to do with luck and coincidence than it really did military policy and tracking ability.

Yeah. On the morning of August 2nd, Wilbur Chuck Gwynn was flying over the Philippine Sea in his PV-1 Ventura bomber, conducting a sweep for enemy vessels. A new antenna had been installed on the bomber that morning and it had snapped off a few minutes into the flight. So he had been told to come back to base so they could replace it. And then so he ended up being like an hour behind schedule.

Yeah. On the morning of August 2nd, Wilbur Chuck Gwynn was flying over the Philippine Sea in his PV-1 Ventura bomber, conducting a sweep for enemy vessels. A new antenna had been installed on the bomber that morning and it had snapped off a few minutes into the flight. So he had been told to come back to base so they could replace it. And then so he ended up being like an hour behind schedule.

And a little past 11 a.m., he was about 350 miles north of Palau at the tip of the Philippines, cruising at roughly 3,000 feet. Because he had fallen behind schedule, his trajectory had him facing directly into the sun at that time of the day, but he could still see about 20 miles in every direction. He hadn't been out very long when the second antenna snapped.

And a little past 11 a.m., he was about 350 miles north of Palau at the tip of the Philippines, cruising at roughly 3,000 feet. Because he had fallen behind schedule, his trajectory had him facing directly into the sun at that time of the day, but he could still see about 20 miles in every direction. He hadn't been out very long when the second antenna snapped.

And it was only replaced like 10 minutes earlier. Damn. And it snapped off, and the radio men suggested he return and get a replacement for the replacement. So after turning the controls over to his co-pilot, Warren Colwell, Gwyn ducked into the belly of the plane, and he was trying to secure the antenna wire to the plane to keep it from damaging the tail. Right.

And it was only replaced like 10 minutes earlier. Damn. And it snapped off, and the radio men suggested he return and get a replacement for the replacement. So after turning the controls over to his co-pilot, Warren Colwell, Gwyn ducked into the belly of the plane, and he was trying to secure the antenna wire to the plane to keep it from damaging the tail. Right.

So he grabbed a long length of rubber hose and then opened a small hatch to start reeling the wire back into the plane. When he looked down, though, he saw something. And he jumped to his feet and ran back to his co-pilot. And he yelled to him. He said, look down. And when he looked down, it appeared to be an enemy submarine.

So he grabbed a long length of rubber hose and then opened a small hatch to start reeling the wire back into the plane. When he looked down, though, he saw something. And he jumped to his feet and ran back to his co-pilot. And he yelled to him. He said, look down. And when he looked down, it appeared to be an enemy submarine.

Now, at that time of day, the sun had reflected really hard off the surface of the ocean. So it made it impossible to see, like, anything but, like, a general shape in the water. He had said, it's like glass down there. You can't see a thing. Assuming that what he was seeing was an enemy vessel, Gwyn ordered his co-pilot to open the bomb bay doors and prepare to release one of the depth charges.

Now, at that time of day, the sun had reflected really hard off the surface of the ocean. So it made it impossible to see, like, anything but, like, a general shape in the water. He had said, it's like glass down there. You can't see a thing. Assuming that what he was seeing was an enemy vessel, Gwyn ordered his co-pilot to open the bomb bay doors and prepare to release one of the depth charges.

Shut the fuck up. But the Ventura got descended and got into position, so it had to descend a little. And Gwyn realized he was not seeing an enemy ship. Thank goodness he realized. Yeah. But he's seeing a few hundred men floating in the water on rafts or some, most he said were just bobbing on the surface alongside the lifeboats.

Shut the fuck up. But the Ventura got descended and got into position, so it had to descend a little. And Gwyn realized he was not seeing an enemy ship. Thank goodness he realized. Yeah. But he's seeing a few hundred men floating in the water on rafts or some, most he said were just bobbing on the surface alongside the lifeboats.

That would have been... I mean, I can't even. Now, by the fourth day in the water, the survivors had begun to accept that rescue wasn't likely going to come and they were going to die. Then late Thursday morning, Kenley Lanter, one of the men in Glenn Morgan's group, spotted something in the air coming in their direction. So Lanter called out, hey, Morgan, look.

That would have been... I mean, I can't even. Now, by the fourth day in the water, the survivors had begun to accept that rescue wasn't likely going to come and they were going to die. Then late Thursday morning, Kenley Lanter, one of the men in Glenn Morgan's group, spotted something in the air coming in their direction. So Lanter called out, hey, Morgan, look.

And he said, jerking his head in the direction of it. He said, do you see it? And Morgan and the other men. He probably thought he was going nuts. Yeah, well, and he was probably just like, look, another plane that's going to fly by us and not do anything. And so the other men on the raft looked up and they saw it and they were like, yeah, I see it. And at first he said, is it a bird?

And he said, jerking his head in the direction of it. He said, do you see it? And Morgan and the other men. He probably thought he was going nuts. Yeah, well, and he was probably just like, look, another plane that's going to fly by us and not do anything. And so the other men on the raft looked up and they saw it and they were like, yeah, I see it. And at first he said, is it a bird?