We used to say, whenever the battle grew fierce and the two armies met, we would shield ourselves with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and none of us would be closer to the enemy than he was.
حدثنا أبو كامل حدثنا زهير حدثنا أبو إسحاق عن حارثة بن المضرب عن علي رضي الله عنه حدثنا يحيى بن آدم وأبو النضر قالا حدثنا زهير عن أبي إسحاق عن حارثة بن مضرب
كنا إذا احمر البأس ولقي القوم القوم اتقينا برسول الله ﷺ فما يكون منا أحد أدنى من القوم منه
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Its chain of transmission is sahih, and this is the fuller version of 1042. Regarding "the most fierce in battle," in Nihaya it says, meaning, when the fighting intensified, we would advance toward the enemy with him and make him our shield. It has also been said that he meant, when the fire of battle blazed and flared up, just as it is said of hostility between people, "their fire blazed," likening it to the redness of fire, for redness is often used to express intensity.In Faiq it says, and from this comes the expression "a red death," which is taken from the color of a predator, as though it were a beast of prey lunging at a person.