On29July1945,theUSheavycruiserIndianapoliswasrippedbytorpedoesfromaJapanesesubmarine.Ofthe1,199crewmen,onlyabout850escapedbeforetheshipsank.Intheconfusion,thecaptainhadbeenunabletosendanSOS.Thesurvivorswerealoneandunnoticed,exceptbythesharks.Onesailorhadhislegsbittenoff.Becomingtop-heavyinhislifejacket,hetippedupsidedownanddrowned.
Sunburnbecamelethal;menwentblind.Thosewhodrankseawatergotsaltpoisoning;thosewhoabstainedsuccumbedtodehydration.Finally,on2August,theywerespotted.Anavypilotonaroutineflighthadgivenintomildcuriosityanddippedhisaircrafttoinspectwhathethoughtwasanoilslick.
Whenrescueshipsarrived,thecrewhadbeeninthewaterfor96hours.Only316mensurvived.
一九四五年七月二十九日,美國重型巡洋艦印第安納波利斯號被日本潛艇魚雷炸得支離破碎,沉沒之前,船上一千一百九十九名水手,只有八百五十人左右逃脫。混亂之中,船長未能發出求救信號。逃脫者漂浮海上,四處無人,發現他們的只有鯊魚。一個水手穿着救生衣,雙腿遭咬去,變得上重下輕,一個倒栽葱,淹死了。
烈日勾魂奪魄;有些人給陽光弄盲了。喝海水的或中鹽毒,不喝的或脫水而死。到了八月二日,終於有人發現他們。海軍一名飛行員在例行飛翔途中,看見海面上似乎有浮油,微覺奇怪,忍不住稍稍低飛察看。
拯救船趕到時,船員已在水裏掙扎了九十六個鐘頭。生還的只有三百一十六人。