[3] Later, the Croat and a group of Croatian Home Guard and Hungarian Honvéd deserters are captured by a Gendarmerie unit led by Lieutenant Ali Tiffenbach.
Before the Croat could be executed by firing squad with the rest of the deserters, he is mistaken for Zugsführer Josef, the dead NCO whose identification tag he's carrying.
Later, Tiffenbach's unit is attacked and obliterated by a group of Circassian irregulars led by a Russian officer, Captain Seryoza.
The Croat hides the severely wounded Tiffenbach in a shack and switches their uniforms, believing the bandits would spare him if he is dressed like an officer.
Tiffenbach, now wearing Josef's uniform and identification tag, is later found by a woman named Pelagija, who takes him to her cabin in the woods.