Early in 1942, German submarines were devastating the Allied effort to bring troops and supplies to Great Britain and Russia.The USS O'Leary, an aging four-stack destroyer fresh from battle with the Japanese in the Java Sea, is transferred to the turbulent North Atlantic for convoy duty. Converted to a three-stacker, she is outfitted with a new arsenal of weaponry in addition to the old 4-inch and 3inch guns: "K-guns," depth charge throwers, air search and surface radars, and combat information centers. Her crew is a combination of seasoned fighting men, unschooled in the new technology, and raw recruits who are familiar with the equipment but have never seen battle. They are led by Captain Jack Meredith and his executive officer, "Tex" Sorenson, who was expelled from flight school for "flat-hatting" and sent to the destroyers against his wishes.Stormy seas and inexperienced merchant ship captains in convoys of 30 to 60 ships make life on board the O'Leary a grim struggle against fatigue, collisions, submarines, and impending death.When the O'Leary takes a few more hits, Sorenson is forced to take command just as she faces her greatest challenge - the pursuit of the Seawolf. This is the first of a powerful new class of German U-boat, faster, more elusive and deadlier than its predecessors. The Seawolf is a monster submarine as large as a destroyer, more heavily armed and protected, and capable of sorely crippling the vital merchant convoys and their escorts.Admiral Mack draws upon his battle experience on destroyers to accurately depict both the tactical aspects of sea battle and the powerful, enduring ties that develop among shipmates during war. Read Less