The old sea-captain retires, but the next day, German World War II invasion of Norway begins.

They laugh at him and his outdated uniform and discontinue the second lieutenant officer rank that he had earned years before.

The young men laugh at him and ignore the old sea-captain's advice on how to destroy the bridge effectively.

The film is set during the early part of World War 2, and specifically around Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway and Denmark by Germany, beginning on 9 April 1940.

[1] Key differences between the actual events and those depicted in the film are the age of Lt. Hannevig, that he disbanded his unit instead of being abandoned by his soldiers, and a small staff remained with him until he surrendered to the Germans.