When the Japanese catch wind that Gen. MacArthur has ordered U.S. forces to dump $16 million worth in silver off the coast of the Philippines, they force a group of POWs, headed by Navy diver Clyde Preston (Jim Brown), to embark on a retrieval mission. Seeing the operation as golden opportunity, Preston conspires with fellow prisoners "Dealer" (Richard Jaeckel) and Dennis (Rik Van Nutter) to pull off a daring escape.