Autumn 1944. German troops, suffering heavy losses, are retreating on all fronts. In order to supplement the army’s personnel, Hitler, by a special decree, establishes the Volkssturm formation. Initially, all men between 16 and 60 years of age were conscripted into the Wehrmacht. A few months later, he conscripts all civilians able to bear arms into the army. Hastily trained civilians – elderly people, women and teenage children – are to face regular armies with several years of combat experience approaching Germany.