Naval Captain Torrey (John Wayne) manages to bring his ship through the bombing of Pearl Harbor unscathed, but is later demoted when it is damaged in a subsequent battle due to his negligence. Back on land, he begins a reconciliation with his estranged son (Brandon de Wilde) and a romance with nurse Maggie (Patricia Neal), but duty calls him away when he and his firebrand friend, Cmdr. Paul Eddington (Kirk Douglas), are tasked with salvaging a dangerous and important mission.