According to a contemporary article in The Hollywood Reporter, this movie marked the first use of the new RKO radio signal trademark that spelled "VICTORY". The signal in previous films spelled out "RKO".
Art directors Carroll Clark and Albert S. D'Agostino developed a special "sky and horizon" machine which created the effect of water motion against the horizon. All the sea shots were filmed on land using rocking arc lamps that projected waves on an acre of muslin.
Borden Chase's short story was the only story ever to be published twice by the Saturday Evening Post.
The world premiere was held on Navy Day, 27 October 1942 at the Treasure Island Naval Base in San Francisco, California, USA.
The deck guns on the ships were cobbled together from scrap pieces taken from a junkyard by the set builders at RKO.