Suicide Fleet 1931

Three friends, Skeets O’Reilly, James Gleason, Baltimore Clark, William Boyd, and Dutch Herman, Robert Armstrong, work on the Coney Island Boardwalk and are all in love with Sally, Ginger Rogers. When World War I breaks out, they answer the call of duty and enlist in the US Navy.

Before they leave, Skeets and Baltimore each try to tell Sally how they feel. Baltimore, unable to bear the thought of rejection, keeps his feelings hidden, while Skeets goes so far as to propose to Sally, who gently declines knowing she secretly loves Baltimore.

The three are assigned to a US Naval destroyer, with Baltimore promoted to chief petty officer thanks to prior service, and Skeets and Dutch serving under him. A German U-boat intercepts a Norwegian ship flying neutral colors, and when a German officer boards, the Norwegian captain divulges information about allied shipping. The Norwegian ship is then sunk, but not before Baltimore and the boarding party recover coded dispatches that could change the course of the war.

Back home, decoding these messages reveals a plan to use a fake “message ship” as cover for a German operation. The Navy outfits a convincing substitute vessel and assigns O’Reilly, Clark, and Herman to crew it. The message ship cruises the Atlantic, baiting a German submarine to surface and investigate.

Onboard, the crew learns of the Germans’ intention to ambush and sink a fleet of American destroyers. As the Germans prepare to act, one officer grows suspicious of the deception and exposes the ruse, forcing the Americans to improvise. Dutch manages to slip a warning to the American fleet just in time, shifting the balance of the looming threat.

The chase culminates as the fleet closes in and three German U-boats are dispatched—two by American destroyers and the third by the sailing ship itself. The trio returns home as heroes, and Baltimore finally marries Sally, sealing a story of friendship, courage, and wartime duty. Their loyalty and quick thinking help safeguard countless lives at sea, a testament to the bravery that defined their generation.