One vast ocean--the Pacific--and two ships that should have been able to avoid each other during a furious midnight storm. The resulting maximum hazard--being in extremis--leads to a tragic encounter naval personnel strive to avoid at all costs, one with fatal consequences. Officer of the Deck Lt. Stephen Wheatley is held responsible and faces a heated and contentious court martial during which he almost attacks the prosecuting attorney physically. Unfortunately, the court finds him responsible and he pays the dreaded price. Subsequently, he must search for redemption to regain his personal and professional bearing. This search and rescue operation leads to another sea adventure that could prove fatal. "You'll all be killed " yells Stephen's new girl friend from the pier in San Francisco before they set sail for a firing zone in the Pacific.