The next day dawned bright and hot for the men in the water. One thing they were thankful for was that the battleship USS Idaho would soon be looking for them because there was to be gunnery practice the next day. Surely, this ship would alert someone and a rescue made.
About this time, they spotted a large fin slicing through the water, heading toward them and circling. . Some thought they were seeing a mirage, and then other fins joined with the first one. Then the attacks began and they started losing sailors.
Fighting off sharks and losing men was pretty much the order for the rest of the day.
By the second night, they had been without water for a long time and some began drinking the seawater. Kapon jackets require near constant swimming and they were worn out from that as well as many had injuries from the explosions. Those who drank the salt water lost their minds. Many were hallucinating.
--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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