 As the following Italian offensives also fail, Nicola Quinziato, the commander of Italian garrison orders Angelo, an experienced civil engineer, to dig a tunnel below the Austrian positions.Initially it is planned to launch an offensive through the tunnels, but later Quinziato decides to set the explosives below the mountain to blow up the Austrian troops.Angelo is discharged immediately after that and sent to the regular infantry, thus exposing him to the dangers of the war.