Artillery rumbled, shells exploded around Shulka and Vasily.

Vasily glanced at Shulka, nodded to each other and disappeared into the darkness with his sniper rifle.

Shulka understood Vasily's move.

To be precise, they should understand each other that there should not be too many forms on the battlefield, especially at this time:

Salute is dangerous, it only gives the enemy a chance.

It is not necessary to talk, it is a waste of fighters and at the same time it is difficult and dangerous under the sound of artillery.

At the same time, Vasily, as a sniper, should be a lone wolf, a lone wolf who keeps an eye on the enemy, and not stay with other soldiers, especially Shulka, the deputy commander, waiting for orders from the command.

If there was anyone Vasily needed to work with, it would be a sniper.

That's why Vasily and Shulka split after a brief eye contact.

This is the battlefield, where snipers and officers each have their own tasks, and they need to do their thing before the enemy attacks.

For example, Shulka at this time, the most important thing he should do is to unify the command on the Mamayev post...... There were two occasional units on the Mamayev post: the 82nd Infantry Regiment and the 39th Guards Infantry Regiment.

Although the two armies already knew each other, they also took full control of the Mamayev Heights.

However, due to the inevitable separation of each under the two command systems, there are many troubles, especially in the dark night.

For example, the issue of task allocation, which section of the trench is in charge of which unit, who to report to if reinforcements are needed and supplies, whether to attack or retreat or hold on, etc.

All of these are all involved in the whole body, and if one is not done well, there will be problems such as two companies being deployed in the same section of trenches and the other section of trenches being empty.

This is not a big problem if it is in the German army, which has strong communication equipment and coordination capabilities, and they will first integrate the command system through communication equipment...... This may only take a few minutes.

Then, soon, the orders will be communicated from top to bottom through telephones, communicators, etc., and then there will be no doubt that the unified operation will be carried out.

But the situation in the Soviet troops, which had a serious shortage of communications equipment, was a big problem.

Shulka first had to find the commander of the 39th Guards Infantry Regiment, and he could only use even the most primitive method: roar!

Shulka ran backwards with a gun and braved the fire, and when he was lying in the crater, he picked up a few soldiers from the ground and asked loudly: "From the 39th regiment?" ”

"Yes, comrade!"

"Where's your commander?"

The answer he received made Shulka almost vomit blood.

"I don't know, comrade!" The soldier replied: "Our company commander died not long ago!" ”

Later Shulka learned that it was not only the company commander who died, but also their battalion commander...... The 39th Infantry Regiment deserves the title of "Guards Infantry", and they must charge bravely on the battlefield with officers and soldiers, and even officers and instructors take the lead in the charge.

As a result, there were heavy casualties among basic and even mid-level commanders.

Of course, commander casualties can be passed down to the commander in rank.

But this is easier said than done, in the field of shells, especially in the tense night battles, no one knows what rank the commander has died at this time, and of course they do not know who their commander is.

While Shulka was still trying, gunshots rang out nearby.

This was extremely unusual, as the artillery bombardment continued, and there should normally be no enemy charge at this time.

Sure enough, when Shure lay on the ground and raised his telescope to look at the oblique plane, he saw groups of three or five running towards the Mamayev post...... Looking at their formation, it is not a charge at all.

"Stop shooting!" Shulka shouted: "Stop shooting, they are their own people!" ”

It was Valery's troops, who had been delaying the Germans at the cemetery until they had received an order to retreat, abandoning their positions and retreating to Mamayev Hills.

Shulka's shouts were insignificant in the sound of the artillery, but luckily a significant part of the soldiers of the 82nd Infantry Regiment knew what was going on and spontaneously shouted.

Among them, of course, there are also snipers, including Vasily, who can also distinguish between friend and foe in terms of skill and formation, even if it is dark at this time.

So the gunfire soon stopped.

Valery and his party retreated to the line without danger and jumped into the trenches to avoid artillery.

After a while, the German artillery gradually stopped.

Shulka rested for a while until his hearing was normal, and then thought about continuing to search for friendly command.

At this time, Mikhailvich called Shulka from a few meters away and beckoned to Shulka.

So Shulka understood that Mikhailvich had found someone to talk to in the 39th Guards Infantry Regiment.

Running behind Major Mikhailvich along the almost invisible trenches and corpses along the way, a lieutenant was soon found in a crater and a radio station that was being urgently repaired.

"This is Lieutenant Lermontov!" Mikhailvich introduced: "He is the commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion! ”

"Hello, Comrade Lermontov!" Shulka said.

But Lermontov only looked at Shulka a little, and then ordered the soldiers beside him:

"Order them to build fortifications at once, not to retreat, not to let the enemy take a step forward!"

"Send a messenger to inform the regimental headquarters that we need supplies and reinforcements!"

"You also need a radio! Our radio station has been blown up! ”

……

"The most important thing we should do is to establish a unified command!" Shulka couldn't help but interrupt the words of the battalion commander.

From these orders issued by the battalion commander, it can be seen that he is not a qualified commander, and his idea is simply to defend, hold on, and reinforce...... Like what most Soviet commanders thought.

"I know what to do, Captain!" The lieutenant glanced at Shulka: "Yes, we should indeed establish a unified command!" ”

As he spoke, the lieutenant took out a map from his pocket, then pointed to the slope of the Mamayev Gang and said: "This part is your defense area, and the rear is ours, is the mission clear?" ”

"Wait!" Shulka looked at the "neither big nor small" lieutenant with incredible eyes: "Comrade lieutenant, I wonder if you can see that there is a major next to you?" Comrade Mikhailvich, he is our regimental commander! ”

"Of course!" The lieutenant replied: "Any questions?" ”

"You should listen to the command of Comrade Major, and not try to command us!"

The lieutenant couldn't help but laugh: "I don't have time to argue with you about this, Captain. But I think you should know one thing, we are the Guards Infantry Regiment, do you understand? Guards Infantry Regiment? And the 82nd Infantry Regiment ...... Do you think that the Guards should be under the command of a guard unit? ”

The lieutenant was polite to call the 82nd Infantry Regiment a guard unit, but in his heart, the 82nd Infantry Regiment was actually a punishment battalion, so of course there was no reason for the guards to listen to the command of the punishment battalion.