In October 1943, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army approaches Changde from Shashi District and Yueyang by crossing the Yangtze River and Xiang River rivers, and surrounds the Chinese city. Yu Chengwan, a division commander in the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, and his men have received orders to defend Changde to the death. Most of Changde's civilian population have evacuated, leaving behind Yu and his troops to defend the isolated city.