U.S. Navy Commander Stanley Blair (Richard Denning),Korean-war ace and born leader, is trying to weld together a Navy jet-fighter attack squadron based on the carrier U.S.S. Essex. A feud arises between cocky ensign James Delaney (William Courtney)and Lieutenant Richard HUggins (Don Haggerty), ambitious for promotion but troubled by his wife, Marg (Gloria Jean, nightclub singer who wants him to take shore duty. After Huggins disputes Delaney's claim that he has spotted an unidentified submarine, Blair offers Huggins a transfer but the latter refuses. On a training flight, the squadron runs into dense fog and Huggins gets lost, his instruments out and fuel running low. Delaney volunteers to lead Huggins to safety.