England some months prior to D-Day: the American major Reisman, known to be constantly at odds with his superiors, is ordered to volunteer for a special misssion. Out of a group of twelve soldiers, all criminals like murders and rapists, he has to form a unit that will be dropped behind enemy lines, raid a chateau and kill as enemy officers as they can.
With only weeks to D-Day the aim of their mission is disrupt the German chain of command. If the mission succeeds all charges against the surviving soldiers will be droped. Reisman tough training methods prove to be successful, the mission is completed but only three of the twelve men survive.