 Young American Joanne Hunter is stranded in the German-occupied Holland with her Dutch grandparents. The German CO, Captain Kessel begins to wage war on the village s morale, and Joanne s house must quarter another German officer, Lt. Braun, who finds himself torn between his duty and distaste of Kessel s methods. When Kessel threatens the lead statues of 16th-century freedom fighters in the town clock, Joanne and her grandparents rally the villagers to save Kirkendam s "little riders".