Francis in the Navy

Lt. Peter Sterling is mistaken for his lookalike Slicker Donevan and is shipped to the Navy base. He tries to keep a low profile as everyone treats him as the missing Slicker. The mix-up immediately puts him on a collision course with the Navy's routines and quirks.

Francis tells Peter that the only way to gain his freedom is to impersonate Slicker. Peter reluctantly agrees to consider the ruse as a means to clear his name. The idea sets up the deception that drives much of the story.

Peter learns Francis is about to be sold at auction. He attends the sale hoping to bid for Francis, but is pickpocketed first, and the Navy ends up buying Francis as a lab test animal. The exchange marks a grim turn in their attempts to regain freedom.

Slicker is AWOL, and the MPs arrest Peter for the confusion, forcing him into a psychiatric ward despite his protests that they have the wrong man. The misidentity spirals as the base authorities scramble for a solution. Peter's situation grows more tangled as the plan to become Slicker is considered.

In a bid to break out, Francis urges Peter to keep impersonating Slicker and behave as the base's star athlete. Peter weighs the risk of continuing the disguise and what it will mean for his future. The plan becomes the backbone of his escape from custody.

Peter must perform in a boxing exhibition against the bruiser Bull Bostwick as part of maintaining the Slicker persona. The fight is uneven and Peter is knocked out, despite Francis' faulty attempts to rig the match. The event highlights the fragility of the disguise and the risks involved.

Peter develops an attraction to Betsy, a nurse, only to discover she is revealed to be his sister. The lie complicates his personal entanglements and adds a domestic complication to the military misadventure. This misdirection deepens the confusion around his identity.

Slicker, enjoying the ruse, refuses to help Peter and interferes with Peter's plans. When an Army vs. Navy war games exercise is announced, Slicker decides to call it off so he can rejoin the Navy team. The ruse remains in play, but the stakes rise as the exercise looms.

On the day of the big war games, Slicker is found unconscious in the infirmary, a consequence of Peter's clumsy handling. The plan to fake Slicker's presence derails as the real armed event approaches. The participants must improvise as the project continues with Slicker out of commission.

Peter is tasked with piloting a DUCK amphibious vehicle to a pre-arranged delivery spot. A heavy fog pushes the mission off course, forcing the crew to beach miles from the target and improvise along winding highways around a mountain range. The route tests Peter's resolve and the viability of the disguise.

A traffic jam costs Peter two shipmates, and he runs out of gas with no reputable help available. Francis kicks and breaks a gas pump to preserve the leaking fuel, inadvertently creating a messy but necessary supply. The preserves gas ends up in Peter's vehicle, complicating the mission.

When the DUCK finally reaches its destination, Francis is revealed as the only passenger, while others are no longer available. The top brass unanimously decide not to mention the incident to avoid embarrassment and further complications. The cover-up underscores the absurdities of wartime misadventure.

The authorities work to straighten out the mistaken identities with the top brass, but MPs remain determined to pursue the case. The resolution foreshadows Peter's return home under cover. The confusion is finally being unwound, but not without continued friction with the MPs.

With the identity finally clarified, Peter must ride the train home in disguise, hiding in the baggage car along with Francis. The two men endure the long ride while still clinging to their unlikely alliance. The journey ends the misadventure as they head back to civilian life.