Fatigued by the long combat in Europe, Lt. Phil Hartman (George Segal) and his men are ordered to advance on Remagen, a possible toehold into enemy territory. Meanwhile, Maj. Paul Kreuger (Robert Vaughn) of the German armed forces is ordered to defend the town and the nearby bridge across the Rhine. As a desperate battle commences, Hartman and Kreuger both find themselves pawns of larger forces and witness how war can turn each side against itself.