The Mediterranean, 1943 ... The HMS Rob Roy. A tiny machine, just 230 feet from stem to stern. In peacetime she would have trawled for cod. Now her catch is deadlier by far. Lieutenant-Commander Ian Ransome is a veteran of the treacherous front line of naval combat. For three years, he's swept the explosive curtain of Nazi mines that shrouds the British Isles. Now, under sealed orders in the battle-tossed waters of the Mediterranean, he and his jack-tired crew face one final test of their courage and seamanship under fire. Their secret mission: to spearhead the Allies' desperate invasion of Italy.