After breaking through the enemy lines, only five fighters survive out of the whole squadron of partisans. Among them are three wounded.

They now fight to withdraw from their position and save their brigade. Anders tries to analyze why the offensive battle was not successful. He follows the few surviving fighters through his fieldglasses and watches them dragging through the fog in order to reach their birgade. Anders forbids his soldiersto shoot and the hunt for the wounded foe begins in silence in the expecation that they will be physically and mentally exhausted. Anders waits for the secret of his own failure. A conflict among the fighters does in fact exists, should the unharmed fighters sacrifice themselves in order to help drag the wounded out? One fighter abandons the group, leaving his unharmed companion with the wounded. Anders concentrates his attention on the deserting fighter. However, the drama among the wounded partisans reached its peak and one of them commits suicide in the belief that he will thus make it easier for his comrades. The run-away fighter reaches Anders and falls at his feet from physical and mental exhaustion. Anders order water to be brought to him, but the figther refuses. Anders understands that he is in fact defeated by moral strenght of will of his adversary...