They said H.M.S. Adventurer was a haunted ship; haunted by a shadowy figure bent on sending the carrier to the bottom with all her planes and crew.

Mystery lights flashed at night to guide enemy bombers to her. Men were struck down in shadowy corners and never knew what hit them. Guns jammed, planes blew up. Death, sudden and baffling, stalked by night along the quiet alleyways of the ship…

And a young flight lieutenant wanted to get his Spitfires and their pilots to Malta in one piece.