When the USS Indianapolis Sunk | Lost Ships of WW2 | National Geographic UK

Because the ship is so hot below decks, you've got a bunch of sailors sleeping topside. I chose to sleep under number two gun turret. I took a blanket and a pillow. I was under the barrels of number one turret right down on the deck. Just after midnight, Hashimoto fires six torpedoes. I just started to doze off to sleep and then all of a sudden a massive explosion. I lay down at 10 minutes to 12. The ship blew up at 10 after 12. I don't know if I went two feet. I don't know if I went 20 feet. I wasn't there. I know that. The first explosion is at the front of the ship. Fire immediately breaks out. Seconds later, another farther back. Three of the four engines shut down. But the fourth engine is still turning. That was pushing even more water in. It's ingesting water by the ton. It's happening very quickly. All electrical power is out. The only lights that we've got is the infernos below deck. All of that water is coming in. The bow is going under. It only took a few minutes and a few reports from his officers to convince McVeigh they were going down. Abandon ship. Abandon ship. Abandon ship. You could hear, and maybe as it got closer, boys are repeating, abandon ship.