Gunboat San Pablo has no clear mission and has fallen into a state of ease with Chinese locals doing all the work. Lazily patrolling a Chinese backwater amid a civil war, the gunboat gets a new engineer, Jake Holman (Steve McQueen). Jake has been a rebel and has a history of numerous transfers. Jake is despised by almost all the crew mates except by Frenchy Burgoyne (Richard Attenborough). Frenchy's affair with a Chinese girl gives a chance for the locals to spark a political incident.—[email protected]