Bataan

An improvised squad of thirteen soldiers from different units is assembled to defend the bridge and carry out its demolition. They establish a defensive position on the hillside and brief themselves on delaying the Japanese rebuilding efforts. The mission tests their resolve as the retreat unfolds.

The small force digs in on the hillside overlooking the bridge, preparing for a long stand. Supplies are limited and fatigue grows as the shelling and patrols intensify. They brace for a stubborn assault while waiting for orders to act against the enemy.

The defenders succeed in blowing up the bridge, but Captain Henry Lassiter is killed by a sniper. With the commander dead, Sergeant Dane takes command and keeps the plan on track. The explosion buys time but signals the gravity of the imminent threat.

Dane consolidates leadership and directs the battered unit in a stubborn defense against repeated Japanese attacks. He emphasizes discipline and timing to maximize the impact of each counterstrike. The defenders endure further losses while refusing to yield their position.

As casualties mount, Ramirez succumbs to malaria, thinning already scarce manpower. The surviving soldiers push on despite the toll of disease and dehydration. The hillside becomes a crucible for endurance as the siege continues.

Dane and Todd creep up to the partially rebuilt bridge and lob grenades, blowing it up again. The covert strike underscores their willingness to take decisive action despite danger. With the bridge re-ruined, Japanese efforts to rebuild are set back.

Malloy fires on an enemy aircraft with his Tommy gun, gaining a momentary victory in the air. He is killed shortly afterward, a stark reminder of the perils facing the defenders. The loss dampens the morale of the small force but does not break their resistance.

Dane voices suspicion that Todd is actually his past associate Danny Burns, a soldier who was arrested for killing a man and later escaped. The tension between past and present hovers over the battlefield as trust frays. The question of identity adds a personal dimension to the mission.

Lieutenant Steve Bentley and Corporal Juan Katigbak work frantically to repair a Beechcraft C-43 Traveller, hoping to assist with resupply or evacuation. Katigbak is killed, and Bentley is mortally wounded in the effort. Their sacrifice illustrates the role of air support even as the ground defense fights for every meter.

Bentley, mortally wounded, carries explosives aboard and flies the damaged plane into the bridge’s foundation, destroying it for a third time. The dramatic act devastates the defenders’ position while costing his life. His sacrifice accelerates the Japanese timetable for rebuilding but reinforces the resolve of the survivors.

The remaining soldiers repel a massive frontal assault, inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese. Epps and Feingold are killed, leaving Dane, Todd, and a wounded Purckett as the last defenders. The fight tightens to a brutal close as the enemy presses in.

Purckett is shot, and Todd is stabbed through the back by a Japanese soldier who had feigned death. Before he dies, Todd admits that he is Burns. Dane remains alone, resolute amid the encroaching threat as the grave preparation begins.

With his Tommy gun exhausted, Dane switches to an M1917 Browning and fires until the end. The ending card honors the heroes and their broader impact on the Pacific campaigns. The final image is a relentless show of single-minded sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.