Eight years after his court martial, Lt. Cmdr. Hugh Alginon Fraser (Trevor Howard) returns to the Royal Navy to serve England during World War II. Given command of a decrepit destroyer and assigned a motley team of seamen -- which includes a Canadian first officer (James Donald), a Cockney sailor (Richard Attenborough) and an American cook (Sonny Tufts) -- Fraser initially clashes with his new officers and men. However, commander and crew forge a bond as they prepare for battle.