Collision Course

ONE GUN. ONE OLD DESTROYER. AND A CAPTAIN WHO REFUSES TO BACK DOWN.

Lieutenant-Commander John Benedict Dutchy Holland is a fighting captain of the old school—hard-bitten, outspoken and fearless when the shooting starts. But even his remarkable seamanship cannot keep his beloved destroyer Pelican in service forever. After surviving a devastating German air attack in the Mediterranean, Pelican suffers a steering failure that nearly sends her crashing into another destroyer. The damage seals her fate. Worn out by years of relentless action, she is ordered home to Australia for scrapping. For Dutchy and his fiercely loyal crew, it is a bitter farewell. But when the Navy promises him another command, he believes his fighting days are far from over. Then comes the crushing disappointment. His new ship, Utmost, is another ageing destroyer, stripped of almost everything that makes her a warship. With just one 4.7-inch gun, a short-range pom-pom and no torpedo tubes, she has been converted into a high-speed supply vessel. To Dutchy, it is an insult. To his restless crew, it is almost unbearable. But when a powerful Japanese destroyer undertakes a vital mission towards the Philippines, Dutchy faces an enemy with vastly superior firepower. Outgunned and seemingly helpless, he must rely on speed, daring navigation and the fighting spirit of men who have never learned to surrender.