 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pana 5 May 1942, Adolf Hitler akabudisa murairo wake Nhamba 41 uyo wakapfupikisa mirairo yake nokuda kwehondo yezhizha muSoviet Union uye yakaguma neCase Blue, chirongwa cheWehrmacht chokurwisa kwechirimo cha1942 kumaodzanyemba kweRussia. Mukugadzirira nhimbe iyi, II. Gruppe yakaendeswa kuEastern Front, ichisvika muPilsen ichibva kuSicily musi wa 27 Kubvumbi. Gruppe yakabva yaiswa pasi pehutungamiri hwa Hauptmann Kurt Brändle uye yakagadziriswazve mushandirapamwe wezhizha. Pashure pemavhiki matatu okuzorora, II. Gruppe, sorutivi rweVIII. Fliegerkorps, yakaiswa parutivi rworuboshwe rweArmy Group South uye yakarairwa kuti iende kunhandare yendege paChuguyev, zvikamu zvekutanga zvinosvika musi wa19 Chivabvu. Musi waJune 24, II. Gruppe yakatamira kuShchigry, nhandare yendege yepamberi yakatenderedza kumabvazuva kweKursk padyo nemitsetse yepamberi. Zuva iroro, Ettel akawana kukunda kwake kwokutanga maviri paakapfura pasi ndege mbiri dzokurwisa pasi dzeIlyushin Il-2 Shturmovik. 