The Sea Ghost

Navy Lieutenant Greg Winters is found guilty at a naval court-martial for pausing to prepare a rescue rather than immediately attacking the submarine. The ruling ends his active service for the remainder of World War I, tarnishing his reputation in the Fleet. The decision sets up the long-term tension that drives the later plot.

In 1925, Henry Sykes hires Winters as a civilian captain for a salvage operation, representing Evelyn Inchcape. The job is to retrieve a sealed box from the sunken Alatania, a mission that promises both money and answers. Winters travels to New Orleans to begin the assignment.

A salvage crew raises a box from the Alatania, and Winters confronts the diver who handles the operation. The diver is revealed to be Karl Ludwig, the submarine commander Winters has hunted for years. Winters places Ludwig in the brig, hoping to slow the conspirators.

Winters informs Sykes and Inchcape that two wills have been recovered: one leaving a million to Inchcape and the other to the cousin, whom Sykes implies is still alive. The seven-year gap since the Alatania's sinking now allows the uncle to be legally dead. Winters remains nonchalant about the money but hints at a possible split.

Despite professed indifference, Winters negotiates with Inchcape in a private moment. He tears the will in her favor and hands her half the estate, signaling a precarious alliance built on leverage. The gesture complicates his feelings and the power dynamics between the trio.

Sykes arranges bribes for Winters' first mate and several crew members to betray him. The betrayal weakens Winters' control of the salvage operation and creates a window for Sykes' schemes. The tension on board climbs as trust erodes.

When Winters goes to settle accounts with Ludwig, he is ambushed and knocked out by Sykes' men. Sykes kidnaps Inchcape and takes control of Winters' ship, setting the stage for a deadly confrontation at sea. Ludwig, though involved in the larger scheme, is not part of the kidnapping itself.

In a desperate moment, Ludwig fights his way to Inchcape and rescues her from the cabin where Sykes forces himself on her. The rescue reveals a measure of mercy between enemies and complicates Winters' vendetta. The incident also signals shifting loyalties aboard the ship.

Winters, aided by his friend Percy Atwater, boards the ship and subdues the crew. The alliance with Atwater helps him regain command and move toward the climactic showdown. The mutiny is quelled as Winters tightens his hold on the Alatania.

Winters engages Ludwig in a long-awaited duel. Just as he seems about to overpower his foe, Inchcape shows him a letter from Ludwig's sweetheart revealing she will sail on the Alatania. Winters decides Ludwig has suffered enough and chooses mercy, letting him go.

With Ludwig spared, Winters forces Sykes to marry him and Inchcape, uniting them for life. The lawyer is then tossed overboard, signaling the end of Sykes's schemes. The settlement ends the immediate danger and redefines Winters's future.