Fact1: testimony of Chief Gunner 's Mate Mike Mallory at United States Navy Board of Inquiry regarding fatal gun turret accident helps end career of Lieutenant Tom Sands, Fact2: United States enters World War II, Fact3: Sands and rest of Mallory 's men are disappointed to be assigned to man guns of freighter Sybil Gray, Fact4: Mallory is assigned to same convoy as Navy nurse, Fact5: Murray and Myra are brought to perform surgery on Bayless injured in fighting
Output: In 1940, the testimony of Chief Gunners Mate Mike Mallory Pat OBrien at a United States Navy Board of Inquiry regarding a fatal gun turret accident helps end the career of Lieutenant Tom Sands George Murphy. The situation is complicated by the fact that Sands and Mallorys sister Myra Jane Wyatt are in love. Afterward, Sands resigns his commission and breaks up with Myra, telling her there is no future for them. When the United States enters World War II, however, Sands rejoins the Navy as an enlisted man. By chance, he is assigned to Mallory, to their mutual displeasure. They and the rest of Mallorys men are disappointed to be assigned to man the guns of the freighter Sybil Gray. When Myra comes to see her brother off though she is assigned to the same convoy as a Navy nurse, she encounters Sands, whom she had not seen since the inquiry. On board, Coxswain G. Berringer Max Baer recognizes Sands, making him a pariah among the navy sailors. On the voyage to England, they are attacked by a German Uboat on the surface. They exchange fire, before the submarine is driven off by escorting warships. Doctor Lieutenant Commander Murray and Myra are brought aboard to perform surgery on Bayless, seriously injured in the fighting. They remain on the ship to avoid delaying the convoy further. A near encounter with a German pocket battleship in the fog causes Sands to admit to Myra that he still loves her. Later, two German airplanes strafe and bomb the Sybil Gray. When Myra is knocked out by falling debris, Sands abandons his machine gun to carry her to safety. While he is gone, Berringer, the other sailor manning the gun, is fatally wounded. The two aircraft are shot down, but the sailors now believe that Sands is a coward. When Babe Duttsons Jackie Cooper radio intercepts a German message, Austrianborn Dutch Croner Carl Esmond is able to interpret it. He informs Mallory that a German Uboat supply ship is nearby. Mallory persuades the freighters captain to change course and capture the vessel. Unbeknownst to the Americans, once the German captain realizes he cannot get away, he has one of the torpedoes rigged to explode after a delay, but the suspicious Sands foils that scheme. Then, he disobeys Mallorys order to guide the German ship to Belfast. He has decided they can load unsuspecting Uboats with boobytrapped torpedoes. As Sands is the only qualified navigator available, Mallory has no choice but to agree. The plan goes without a hitch the first three times, but an officer on the fourth submarine recognizes Dutch as a famous antiNazi violinist. The two ships exchange fire. Then another Uboat surfaces and joins the battle. The Americans sink both submarines, but the hold of the supply ship is set on fire. When Mallory goes to deal with it, he is overcome by the fumes. Sands rescues him. After the action, Sands questions Mallory about his actions during the battle that endangered their ship. Mallory admits the situation was similar to that in which he testified against Sands—except that no one survived to prove that Sands was not negligent. Returning to the United States, the Board of Inquiry is reconvened and Sands is reinstated as an officer.