The third part of Paul May′s "08/15" trilogy based on the novel by Hans Hellmut Kirst takes place shortly before the end of World War II: In the spring of 1945, the German troops are practically defeated, and the battalion of Kowalski, major general von Plönnies and Asch who had risen to the rank of lieutenant in the meantime is left to its own devices to a large extent. They hope to be able to wait for the end of the war without having to encounter any combat operations. At the same time, Asch tries to prevent high-level Nazi officers from disappearing unnoticed and from cashing in on the chaotic circumstances.

As Germany's fortunes in the latter part of World War II wane, several young boys, in their enthusiasm to do something "for the fatherland", volunteer to fight with the German army in the East. Horrified at the news that their children left for the Russian front, the boys' mothers begin a desperate effort to get their sons back.