During WW2, two Navy officers take command of an obsolete, World War I-vintage, destroyer that is assigned to convoy-escort duty in the Japanese-controlled waters of the South Pacific.

U. S. Navy Lieutenant Gregg Masterman (Robert Taylor), of THE Harvard and Boston Back Bay Mastermans, learned about the sea while winning silver cups sailing his yacht. He climbs swiftly in rank, and is now Junior Aide to Rear Admiral Stephen Thomas (Charles Laughton). In contrast, Lieutenant Commander Martin J. Roberts (Brian Donlevy) enlisted in World War I, and worked his way up gradually. He retired in 1935 but has been recalled as Executive Officer of the destroyer "Cranshaw." Impressed by Roberts' vigor, the rear admiral raises him to command of the destroyer "Warren," an over-age World War I ship that has been recommissioned. Masterman laughs at Roberts' new command, only to have the Admiral assign him as the Executive Officer of the "Warren," under Roberts. The ship is to join a convoy which has already left Hawaii, bound for the United States. The Flagship of the convoy is the cruiser, "Chattanooga,' with Admiral Thomas in command. On the way, a lifeboat is sighted. From it are picked up two old sailors, two women and twenty babies. Their boat had been sunk while evacuating them from Hawaii. Roberts puts Masterman in charge of the infants. The destroyer reaches the convoy. That night, the Japanese attack the convoy, the "Chattanooga" is hit, and the enemy then turns its attention to the "Warren."—Les Adams <[email protected]>

Having met at the naval base in San Francisco, Lt. Cmdr. Martin J. Roberts and Lt. Gregg Masterman would admit that their assignment aboard the USS Warren is not their first choice, it a recommissioned destroyer that would have been junked in better times. The Commanding Officer, Roberts was expecting to remain CO of his existing modern ship, the USS Crenshaw, which was in dock for major repairs, while Harvard educated Masterman, the Executive Officer from a privileged background, was happy with naval life on shore the aide to Rear Adm. Stephen Thomas, the base Commander, organizing social events, in the process having time for more leisurely pursuits, such as tennis at the club and women. While Masterman only sees the Warren as an accident waiting to happen if they are asked to go into active combat, Roberts has the view that one has to do the best as humanly possible no matter that they're working with WWI era equipment. The two men also have differing views of the sanctity of life, Masterman who has a sentimental view protecting those he knows, which is why he helped Henry Johnson, who was the Warren's civilian caretaker and who fought aboard the Warren during WWI, an assignment as Chief Yeoman on this crew despite his age, while Roberts knows that he has to make unsentimental decisions in looking at the bigger picture of life of the masses that he does not know, and in making those decisions no matter what happens that everything aboard the Warren is his responsibility in the buck stopping with him. In addition to some unexpected precious cargo they have to transport, the two men will have to test their and the Warren's mettle when they are asked to join a convoy of ships from Honolulu to San Francisco, they in the process open for attack by the Japanese.—Huggo