The show follows Quinton McHale, the Lieutenant Commander of the U.S. Navy Reserve as he journeys through the Pacific during World War II on Torpedo Patrol Boat #73 and the zany crew that mans it. The crew includes Ensign Charles Parker, Lester Gruber, and Joseph "Happy" Haines, each having their own quirks but all meaning well. McHale is overseen by Base Commander Captain Wallace B. Binghamton who sees McHale and his men as a constant problem, often hearing of the oddball situations in which the men of the PT73 find themselves.