Shadowing one Russian submarine, the USS Tulsa never sees the other, which causes a collision with the American boat in the Norwegian Sea. The US sub sinks to the bottom, but her hull is not breached - most of the men are still alive, but the clock is ticking. Do the Russians tell the US and face their wrath, or keep quiet and hope the collision is never discovered? And will the men in the sub survive? From Commander Richter, captain of the US sub, to Commander Borzhov of the Russian vessel, and all their officers and men, this is written realistically and excitingly. Not everyone is a hero, or cool under pressure. As the clock ticks, an American officer's wife - who once loved Richter - and other people on the surface (including Brits, who are major players in the rescue party) deal with the ever-increasing possibility that the crew will not be rescued, while Borzhov has to face the anger of his masters.