The year is 1854 and the Crimean War is at its bloody peak. The British troops are fighting along the precipitous fog-enshrouded ravines of Inkerman Ridge, but despite their bravery the "butcher's bill" is appalling. As the harsh Crimean winter begins to set in, Phillip Hazard, commander of the 31-gun steam-screw frigate Trojan, is sailing through increasingly dirty weather to transport troops. Caught in the grips of a fierce hurricane off the coast of Eupatoria, the Trojan must rescue a stranded French steam transport carrying surgeons and much-needed medical supplies. Hazard and his crew put their lives on the line as they battle both Cossack gunners and the mountainous waves that threaten to smash the Trojan to pieces.