June 1943, and Lieutenant-Commander Richard Thorburn, Captain of the small Hunt class destroyer H.M.S. Brackendale, is summoned to take command of a temporary but vital reinforcement of the English Channel. Although predicted to be a mission of limited duration there are warnings of a prolonged enemy attack. Richard Thorburn, under no illusions as to the severity of the threat, prepares for a bitter battle of attrition. Called into action at a time of desperate need, his small flotilla of battle-scarred destroyers slip their moorings and take passage for a hostile sea.
