Lieutenant Emser and his men no longer believe in the ideals that have been drilled into them for years. The hope for victory is fading. Desperately, the soldiers try to hold onto the territories they have already captured. The Kuban bridgehead plays a significant role in this. When Emser learns that his wife has died in an air raid, he struggles to find meaning in his life. Then he meets Marianne. The young woman manages to give him a renewed sense of purpose. Amidst war and destruction, he experiences a little bit of happiness. However, the bridgehead cannot be held, and the retreat to Crimea claims more lives.