It is the beginning of 1945 during World War II in former Austria. 500 Soviet prisoners of war who have refused to fight on the side of the Germans against their country were moved to the concentration camp in Mauthausen awaiting execution. They decide to break out. One winter night the Soviet prisoners make an escape. During the following shooting a great number of them are killed. Some, however, succeed in hiding in nearby villages. However the Germans convince the inhabitants of the villages to hunt the prisoners "like rabbits".