on a fighter escort mission for bombers from Kampfgruppe 88 and reconnaissance aircraft from Aufklärungsgruppe 88. Near Aranjuez, the flight encountered five bombers heading for Ávila. In this encounter, Pingel was credited with the destruction of a Tupolev SB-2 bomber. Four days later, he was credited with the destruction of another SB-2 bomber and an escorting Polikarpov I-16 fighter. On 16 July near Fuenlabrada, Pingel shot down another I-16 fighter. Pingel was credited with his sixth and last aerial victory in Spain on 22 August during the Battle of Santander, claiming yet another I-16. He was later awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords () on 14 April 1939 for his service in the Spanish Civil War. Following his return from Spain, Pingel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2.(leichte Jäger) Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 334 (JG 334–334th Fighter Wing) on 1 October 1938. This squadron was part of I. Gruppe of JG 334 under the command of Major Hans-Hugo Witt. This unit was renamed on 1 November and was then referred to as 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 133 (JG 133–133rd Fighter Wing). On 1 April 1939, it was again renamed, becoming the 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53–53rd Fighter Wing). In early 1939, the Gruppe started replacing the Bf 109 D-1 with the newer Bf 109 E-1 and E-3 variant, completing the change by March. During the following months, the pilots trained aerial gunnery at Wangerooge Airfield. At the time of the German mobilization on 26 August, the Gruppe was based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. World War II World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Still based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, I. Gruppe patrolled western German border between Trier and Saarbrücken during the "Phoney War". Pingel claimed his first aerial victory of World War II on 10 September when he shot down a French ANF Les Mureaux 113 near Ensdorf. On 30 September he was credited with the destruction of a Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairey Battle west of Saarbrücken. The Battle belonged to No. 150 Squadron of the Advanced Air Striking Force on a mission to Saarbrücken. At the end of October, the Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Kirchberg to make room at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim for the newly created III. Gruppe of JG 53. On 5 June, German forces launched Fall Rot (Case Red), the second phase of the conquest