During the early months of U.S. involvement in
World War II, well-connected, Harvard-educated Lieutenant Gregg Masterman enjoys his cushy posting as the junior aide to Rear Admiral Stephen "Old Ironpants" Thomas, playing tennis and arranging various Navy social functions. During a chance encounter, he gives bad advice to up-from-the-ranks Lieutenant Commander Martin J. Roberts. As a result, Thomas gives Roberts command of a once obsolete but now reconditioned
World War I-era destroyer, the USS
Warren. To his dismay, however, Masterman finds himself reassigned by Admiral Thomas as Roberts' new
executive officer. When Masterman learns that Henry Johnson, the ship's civilian caretaker, was a member of the
Warrens original crew during the war and is familiar with the ship's quirks, he helps him to reenlist in the Navy with his old rating and once again serve aboard his beloved ship. Despite his awkward beginning, Masterman begins to turn into an effective sea officer under Roberts' tutelage, though Roberts has to constantly remind him that he cannot put the welfare of any person over that of their mission. The first time a Japanese plane attacks the
Warren, though, it is Masterman's error that keeps them from shooting it down. Admiral Thomas is put in charge of a
convoy of ships from Honolulu to San Francisco, but one of the escort destroyers breaks down and USS
Warren is assigned to replace it. While traveling at flank speed through a heavy Pacific squall to join the convoy, Johnson falls and suffers a
concussion. Masterman violates orders and reduces speed to give Johnson a smoother ride for a while. Johnson improves but remains delirious, believing he is back aboard the destroyer during World War I. Before reaching the convoy, the
Warren comes across a lifeboat from a ship that had to separate from it and was torpedoed. On it are two crewmen and a party being evacuated from a maternity hospital: two pregnant women and 20 babies. Masterman and the crew must deal with them, as well as two births. Another Japanese plane attacks and cripples Admiral Thomas's flagship, damaging its steering mechanism. The
Warren shoots the plane down, but its battleship emerges from a thick fog bank and opens fire on the flagship. It is up to the
Warrens crew to take immediate battle action. Roberts informs Masterman of his attack plan: to set up a heavy
smoke screen, double-back behind it, then charge through the smoke and launch a spread of
torpedoes into the battleship at close range. When the captain is injured, Masterman must assume command. The injured Johnson is able to escape from sickbay and appears at the destroyer's helm shortly after the bridge crew are injured. He immediately takes charge under Masterman during the battle. The
Warren successfully fires six torpedoes into the Japanese battleship, detonating its ammunition magazines and completely destroying the capital ship. After their return to San Francisco, a formal ceremony is held aboard the now repaired USS
Warren: a proud Admiral Thomas presents Roberts, Masterman, and a recovered Johnson with the Navy's highest honor, the
Navy Cross, awarded by the president. ==Cast==