Seven torpedoes sped toward the Battleship Colorado in a fan-shaped spread. At this range, the sinking of the Battleship Colorado was already a foregone conclusion; no one could change it.
Some American sailors began fighting over the lifeboats, intending to flee in them once the warship was sunk. Others desperately prayed to God, praying that God would help them at this moment.
"General, we're about to be hit. It's far too dangerous here—we have to get out!" Vice Admiral Henry Wilson's face was filled with panic. Though they were certain to lose this battle, he did not want to die here.
General Henry Mayo opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the deck beneath his feet lurched, and he crashed onto the deck. At the same time, violent explosions rang in his ears.
"We've been hit! We're about to sink!"
Soon afterward, General Henry Mayo lost consciousness. The American officers in the conning tower carried the unconscious General Henry Mayo out of the tower and rushed toward the lifeboats.
Of the seven torpedoes, two missed, while the other five struck home. Five huge gashes were ripped directly into the side of the Battleship Colorado. Seawater poured madly into the warship. Faced with such damage, even the damage-control crews gave up, because there was simply no way to seal the breaches. Even if they sealed the Watertight Compartments, the warship would still sink from taking on too much water.
The captain immediately gave the order to abandon ship. However, there were only so many lifeboats aboard, leaving the vast majority without any chance to escape by boat.
In less than five minutes, the Battleship Colorado sank beneath the waves. Of the more than one thousand American Navy officers and sailors aboard, apart from the handful of lucky men who