The Germans launched the attack at two o'clock in the morning the next day.

Until then, the Germans had been implementing fatigue tactics.

The so-called "fatigue tactic" is to not let the opponent get rest...... This is not something that can be done simply by bombardment with artillery fire, especially since the Soviet troops are still hiding in the basement, exhausted to a certain extent, even if the artillery fire outside can snore like thunder in the sky.

The exhausted tactics of the Germans were feints.

Since the beginning of darkness, they have launched feints on the hospital again and again.

For such a feint Shulka did not dare to relax, although he knew the true intentions of the German army.

The reason is that this feint can turn into a real offensive at any time due to the state and negative reaction of the Soviet troops.

The Germans could afford such a battle, because the Soviet army had less than a thousand soldiers in hospitals and schools, while the German 29th Motorcycle Infantry Division had more than 10,000 men.

The huge superiority in strength allowed the Germans to divide their troops into groups and then take turns attacking hospitals and schools.

No one could sleep, including Shulka in the command, because he had to command the battle together with Mikhailvich...... Andrianka was transferred to the school to direct the school's battles.

Even if a regiment is a small regiment, many problems will arise when the battle starts.

For example, there is a gap in which direction, which position has lost contact because the telephone line has been blown up, where reinforcements are needed, etc., all need unified command, otherwise problems will occur and the enemy will take advantage of the situation.

Everyone knows what it means to be killed by the enemy in the middle of the night, when the Soviets will be in internal chaos and will not be able to resist the enemy's attack.

"Shouldn't we implement the plan now?" Akimovich, who assisted in the command, asked: "I am afraid that they will no longer be able to hold out, especially the attack from the west, the enemy's artillery fire is fierce, and they have broken through our line several times!" ”

"No, Major!" Shulka replied: "It's not time yet!" ”

"Yes!" Major Mikhailvich put down the phone and continued Shulka's words, saying: "The enemy has not launched a general offensive yet, which means that the enemy at Mamayev Hill is not ready, and they may not even arrive at the hospital...... At this time, the implementation of the cemetery plan could not achieve the purpose of separating its main forces from the Mamayev Hills! ”

Akimovich nodded helplessly in agreement.

In fact, Akimovich is not unaware of this, but this battle is a kind of torture for people, and the continuous battle of not closing their eyes for two days and three nights in a row has plunged people's bodies into a state of extreme exhaustion.

In this state, no matter what you do, no matter what awaits you in the future, people will have a kind of eagerness to hope that it will come soon and end soon.

The same is true of Shulka, who sometimes gets distraught and just lies down and sleeps on the spot, or simply rushes out and fights the Germans to the death.

But reason reminds me again and again, and it can even be said to force myself: I can't do this!

Therefore, on the battlefield, sometimes you have to respect your instincts, and sometimes you have to defy your instincts...... Because the body is in a state of extreme exhaustion, it will constantly send out a clearly false signal.

Until two o'clock in the morning, when Valery's report came on the phone: "A large number of enemies have been found in the east, dozens of tanks ......"

Before he could finish reporting, the sound was interrupted by the sound of cannons, which then turned staccato and slurred.

"They're coming!" Mikhailvich said.

Several people in the command were relieved because it meant they could implement the next step.

The Germans carried out a ten-minute artillery preparation...... This was more just to build momentum, and the Germans also knew that most of the enemy was hiding in the basement and it was useless to prepare artillery fire, they just wanted to use these shells to embolden the German soldiers, let them know that the enemy's position had been blown into a pile of rubble and there was no one.

Then the Germans launched a full-scale offensive.

Dozens of tanks, to be precise, assault guns attacked from the east under the cover of soldiers, and a dozen tanks advanced with a large number of infantry in the west.

Tanks were indispensable for the German offensive.

And not only because the Germans were accustomed to attacking under the cover of tanks...... This is the pot of the "blitzkrieg", the Germans, whether armored units or infantry or motorized infantry divisions, were trained in infantry, and they hardly knew how to fight without tanks.

On the other hand, there was the lack of direct-fire artillery in the hands of the Germans.

As mentioned before, the German Iron Fist was not equipped at this time, so it was best to deal with enemy snipers hiding in the building, bombardment with tank guns.

So, despite the fact that it was difficult for the tanks to maneuver in the ruins, the Germans took them with them.

This was exactly what Shulka wanted, because it would mean that the main German forces in Mamayev were transferred to the hospital for fighting.

After waiting for a few more minutes, after the Germans had engaged the Soviets, Shulka nodded at Mikhailvich.

Mikhailvich immediately picked up the phone and ordered: "All of them, evacuate to the sewers!" Repeat, retreat to the sewer! ”

At the same time, more than a dozen communicators, who had been prepared for a long time, also set off from the command headquarters and ran in all directions under the orders of Akimovich.

The lack of communication equipment is a bad thing, because the telephone lines can easily be blown up, so it is difficult to convey orders in a timely, comprehensive and accurate manner, especially at night...... You can also use a signal flag during the day, and at night you can only rely on a communicator.

There is also the problem of communication delay.

For example, a unit with an intact telephone line receives an order to retreat immediately, while a unit with a blown up telephone line does not receive an order until the communicator arrives, but by this time it may be too late to fall into the enemy's encirclement.

The Soviets, of course, had a way to deal with this situation, that is, to delay all of them for ten minutes and enter the retreat procedure at the same time.

The plan went well, and the soldiers of the 82nd Infantry Regiment withdrew from all directions through three entrances to the sewers.

Then Mikhailvich asked the command of the army group for artillery cover.

"Coordinate hospitals and schools!" Mikhailvich said on the phone: "Ask for ten minutes of artillery cover!" ”

"Hospitals and schools?" Golikov was a little puzzled: "That's your place!" ”

"Yes, General!" Mikhail replied: "The enemy is attacking fiercely, we are already hiding in the basement, ask for artillery cover!" ”

As soon as he heard this, Golikov suddenly came to his senses and immediately commanded the artillery to cover the hospital and school.

But of course, the truth is not what Mikhailvich says...... This artillery cover was in the hope that the Germans would later discover the truth that the hospitals and schools were empty.