During World War Two, a group of English troops become cut off from their batallion while behind enemy lines in the western desert. Attacked by a German fighter plane and then caught in a sandstorm, the nine men seek refuge in a deserted tomb. However, they soon cross swords with a group of Italian soldiers in a similar situation. While the Italians lay siege to the British unit, the men plan a night-time counter-attack, but it can only be a matter of time before one side buckles under the strain...