After fighting the Soviets as a Foreign support of Finland in the Winter War during the Winter War in Finland, Max Manus, now haunted by his experiences there, returns to Norway, finding it occupied by the Nazis. He joins with the Norwegian resistance movement in their fight against the Germans, producing illegal public propaganda, but his cell is soon detected and he is arrested after jumping out a window. After being hospitalised, he manages to escape to Scotland where he receives British Commando training before being sent back to Norway to carry out sabotage and disinformation missions against the occupying forces. Returning to Norway with his friend Gregers Gram, his first mission is an attack on German supply ships. He is spectacularly successful, and soon he becomes a special target for the local Gestapo chief Siegfried Fehmer. Manus, however, avoids capture, and with Gram and Gunnar Sønsteby he forms the so-called "Oslogjengen" and along with others, he receives a medal from the Haakon VII of Norway.