The next step was to send communications troops everywhere to issue orders and gather all the troops distributed in every corner of Stalingrad for unified command.
This step is relatively easy to do, because these are the army after all, and they can garrison wherever they are ordered to.
The third step is to organize workers.
In major enterprises in the city, armed teams composed of workers and staff were established.
These teams are all issued weapons and equipment in accordance with military standards and assigned instructors for basic training and unified command.
In addition, these teams must continue to produce and maintain equipment during the battle.
The fourth step is to issue an order not to retreat to the east bank or the island under any circumstances. (Note: Due to the slow speed of the Volga River, several larger islands have been formed by quicksand deposits in the middle of the river).
The most important thing is to popularize the tactics Shulka mentioned to the entire army.
But the 82nd Infantry Regiment is currently fighting the enemy on the front line. We can't withdraw the 82nd Infantry Regiment to form an instructor group to train other troops... Even if Shulka is willing, there is no condition or time to implement it.
Krylov thought of a way. He selected several staff officers from the army group and led some veterans to form an observation company, with a total of seventy people.
This observation company followed Shulka into the position. They learned the tactics of the 82nd Infantry Regiment through on-site observation, questioning, recording, etc., and then integrated the tactics into a unified set of theories and printed them in a book. Members of the observation group
Use these booklets as instructors to guide the troops in combat.
Leading this team was a major staff officer named Akimovich.
He is a very sunny and handsome young man, and he has no airs like a major... In other words, he has no airs when facing Shulka.
"It's a great honor, Comrade Shulka!" Major Akimovich shook Shulka's hand and said as soon as they met: "I am very lucky to lead the observation company to learn from you! This is our fate, you said
Really? There are at least hundreds of majors in our team, but they chose me to come! What a coincidence, they may know that I have always admired you..."
Later Shulka learned that it was Major Akimovich who desperately requested to lead the observation company.
The reason why he uses "desperately" is because Golikov believes that Akimovich is a staff officer, and he does not have much practical experience and is not suitable to lead the observation company directly to such a dangerous front line.
However, Akimovich applied again and again, wrote letters of guarantee, made up his mind, and analyzed the necessity for staff members to join the observation company. Golikov had no choice but to agree after repeated hard work.
Of course, part of the reason for this is that what Akimovich said makes sense.
"I admit that the observation company needs more experienced combatants!" Akimovich said: "But if we want to compile these tactics into a book and distribute them to other troops, then just combatants are not enough, because we
They need to be sorted out systematically. But they... they don't even know a few of them!"
"Comrade Major!"
Schur was about to salute but was stopped by Akimovich.
"Comrade Shulka!" Akimovich said: "My current identity is the commander of the observation company, and you are the one we learn from. In order to be more efficient, I think we should not use the ordinary superior and subordinate methods.
The relationship should be the relationship between the instructor and the students, that is, I should salute you!"
As he spoke, Akimovich actually saluted Shulka and said: "Comrade instructor, student Akimovich is waiting for orders!"
What he said did make some sense, and given the urgency of the war situation, Shulka acquiesced.
Saying goodbye to Golikov and others, Shulka ordered each member of the observation company to carry a box of ammunition on their backs and entered the sewer.
It was dark at this time, and you couldn't see your fingers in the sewer.
Akimovich turned on the flashlight naturally.
"Lesson one!" Shulka said: "Don't turn on a flashlight when walking in the sewer!"
"Why?" Akimovich asked doubtfully: "How can we see the way forward if we don't turn on the flashlight!"
"Do you need to see the way forward?" Shulka asked back: "Are you going to accidentally step down and fall into a pit, or fall into a ditch on the side of the road?"
Then Akimovich understood.
The pipeline is closed and there are basically no pits, so there is not much difference between moving forward with your eyes closed and turning on the flashlight.
If anything, it's that you feel safer when you have light to see.
"But Captain!" Someone asked from behind: "If there is an intersection or a turn, how will we know?"
"You'll know when you hit it head-on!" Shulka replied.
Akimovich and the others couldn't help but look at each other.
Seeing that they were reluctant to turn off the lights, Shulka raised his head and said: "These pipes will have an outlet at regular intervals. As you know, they are for workers to maintain or clean."
.Although these exits have covers, they are usually not tight, and they are often in disrepair and there are gaps. If there are Germans above, they see light under the manhole cover...you know what this means!"
Of course they knew what this meant. The Germans would open the manhole covers and throw grenades down, and some even brave enough to crawl into the sewers to search.
In the same way, you should try not to make any noise when walking in the sewer.
So everyone turned off their flashlights one after another and moved forward in the dark.
However, this is not easy for the untrained observation company, because it requires them to have a tacit understanding of staying at a distance from each other and everyone boldly strides forward, or sometimes whispers instructions to tell the rear that it is time to turn.
Otherwise, as now, the members often bump into each other and become confused, and the progress is very slow.
"It seems we shouldn't be in a hurry to let them carry ammunition!" Major Mikhailovich said.
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "I overestimated them a little!"
"No, Comrade Shulka!" Akimovich's voice sounded from behind: "We can do it..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard an "ouch" sound. Apparently someone had bumped into him.
"Now I realize how useful these two months of training are!" Mikhailovich said: "We were originally a group of troops who could be said to not know how to fight, but now looking at those veterans... I suddenly found that we have already
More than them! Is this an illusion?"
"No, this is not an illusion!" Shulka replied: "But this is only in Stalingrad!"
"That's enough, isn't it?" Major Mikhailovich laughed.