April 1945 in a small German town, shortly before the end of the Second World War: Seven adolescent boys enjoy a relatively normal everyday life in the last days of the war: They go to school, weave their first tender bonds and meet at their favorite spot by the river. On the evening of a carefree day, the conscription order is suddenly on the table for all of them. In just one afternoon they are prepared for their deployment at the front, and already during the night there is an alarm: the Americans have broken through. Captain Fröhlich tries a trick to keep the children away from the front. He gives them the order to defend the small bridge in front of the town. Sergeant Heilmann is to make sure that nothing happens to them. But Heilmann is mistaken for a deserter during a reconnaissance mission in the village and is shot. The boys at the bridge have nothing to hold on to - except their mission, their "orders". Fanatically, they throw themselves at the approaching American tanks. Five of the boys die, only Mutz and Scholten survive the fighting. As the Americans turn away to get reinforcements, a German demolition squad appears to blow up the strategically unimportant bridge. Stunned by the senseless deaths of his comrades, Mutz shoots down one of the demolition squad. The soldiers shoot back and fatally shoot Scholten. Mutz staggers back into the city.