Soviet airbase at Abganerovo before reverting to breaking up Soviet lines of resistance. II./ZG 1 lost five aircraft in combat on 16 December 1942. On 26 December ZG 1 and KG 3 attempted to check Soviet advances in the Novaya Kalitva area but accounted strong resistance from Soviet fighters. The 814 IAP claimed five German aircraft shot down on this date. In January 1943, I. and II./ZG 1, with the 13(Pz)/JG 51 and II/SG 1 formed the backbone of the defence at Tatsinskaya and Morozovsk and against the 1st Guards Army at Millerovo and 3rd Guards Army at Morozovsk. Though they were successful in delaying the advances, they did not prevent the encirclement of the German 3rd Mountain Division north of Millerovo. I. and II./ZG 1 made efforts to support the defence of air transport bases at Novocherkassk and Zverevo, thereby keeping open the bottleneck through to Rostov. On 21 January 1943, operations of this kind cost ZG 1 six crews. A lst effort was made by I./ZG 1, with support from Stab/JG 3, to fly a long-range patrol over Stalingrad. They returned with two victory claims, but commanding officer Eduard Tratt narely survived a crash-landing. Operations were costly. Proportionately, ZG 1's casualties were comparable to the German 6th army in the Battle of Stalingrad. At the end of the year, the two groups could muster a handful of aircraft between them but were still forced into battle. Erhard Milch personally ordered the Six Bf 109s and five Bf 110s left to conduct patrols over the city regardless of the protests of JG 3's commanding officer, coordinating fighter operations near Stlaingrad, that the Bf 110 element was not up to the task. The missions went ahead, with but experienced the expected losses. On 31 January 1943, most of ZG 1 personnel were ordered out of the Soviet Union. II./ZG 1 was sent to the Mediterranean; III./ZG 1 had been in the theatre and North Africa since the previous autumn. I./ZG 1 remained on the front to serve on the central sector from May 1943. On 5 July Stab and I./ZG 1 had 44 Bf 110s, 37 combat ready, to serve in the Battle of Kursk. An independent anti-tank staffel, Pz.Jg.St/ZG 1 operated 12 Bf 110s equipped with BK 3,7 cannon with little success. Mediterranean, African Front and Bay of Biscay III./ZG 1 was sent from the Soviet Union to Crete