Seaman First Class Troy Gowers was knocked out of his shoes and onto a net a dozen feet away. He returned to his gun only to find it jammed. Electricity went out and the order to abandon ship given.
Making matters worse, there was a storm going on and it continued to strengthen as the USS Leopold sank. The USS Joyce passed by heading to attack the submarine. Its captain said they were dodging torpedoes, but would be back to pick up the survivors.
The Leopold rolled over in waves fifty feet high. Of the 199 crew, just 28 survived. Clyde Ballenger, 22, was not one of them.
Mr. Clyde Ballenger Next. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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