of which, Wessling claimed three Spitfire fighters shot down. On 15 July, the Gruppe had to abandon the airfield at Ramacca due to advancing Allied forces and retreated back to the airfield at Lecce in southern Italy. The next day, Daspelgruber was killed in action. In consequence, Wessling was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel of JG 3. That day, Wessling also claimed two B-24 bombers shot down. On 18 July, IV. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Leverano located approximately southwest of Lecce. That day, Wessling claimed a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft destroyed. On 21 July, the airfield at Leverano came under a carpet bombing attack, killing four men. Two day later, the airfield again came under attack, killing one pilot wounding six, two of whiom later succumbed to their injuries. The ground personnel lost 30 men killed, a further 31 were wounded with three of them succumbing to their injuries. Among those injured was Wessling who had to be replaced by Oberleutnant Alfred Humer as commander of 10. Staffel. Defense of the Reich and death On 10 February 1944, Leutnant Hermann Schmied, the commander of 11. Staffel of JG 3, was killed in action. Following his convalescence and return to active duty, Wessling replaced Schmied as Staffelkapitän of 11. Staffel later that month. At the time, IV. Gruppe was based at Venlo. The next day, the Gruppenkommandeur Beyer was also killed in action. The Gruppe was then temporarily led by Hauptmann Heinz Lang before the position was passed to Major Friedrich-Karl Müller on 26 February. Following the USAAF offensive dubbed "Big Week", the Gruppe moved to Salzwedel in central Germany now fighting in Defense of the Reich. At Salzwedel, the Gruppe was joined by Sturmstaffel 1, headed by Major Hans-Günter von Kornatzki. The Sturmstaffel was an experimental unit flying the so-called Sturmböcke (battering ram), up-gunned Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-7 and A-8 aircraft, as a means to combat the USAAF heavy bombers. The USAAF Eighth Air Force targeted Braunschweig and airfields at Münster and Osnabrück on 23 March. Units of JG 3 intercepted the USAAF bombers of the 1st Bombardment Division in the area north of Hamm in a frontal attack. During this engagement, Wessling was credited with shooting a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and a P-38 escort fighter. The USAAF bombers again bombed Braunschweig on 29 March. Defending against this attack, Wessling claimed a B-17