People's Commissar Kuznetsov tries to get the Baltic Fleet evacuated from Tallinn to Kronstadt. But he meets fierce resistance from Kliment Voroshilov, commander of the land defense of Tallinn. Voroshilov refuses to recognize that the city will soon be in enemy hands, and the Baltic Fleet, locked in the port, will be destroyed. Meanwhile, the Germans are bombing Moscow and Leningrad. After a series of retreats and losses, the Soviet people need at least a small victory to raise their spirits. And Kuznetsov develops a daring plan.
