II./StG 2 were dispatched to Tripoli. The two gruppen were the only offensive assets the Germans had in North Africa in February 1941. The German airmen were mostly from northern Germany and were unused to the harsh desert conditions. The first Stuka actions took place around the 14 February and resulted in the first losses. Operation Sonnenblume developed into a full-scale offensive which recovered Libya, with the exception of Tobruk. Enneccerus led his group on a carpet bombing attack in an attempt to support the capture of the besieged port. On 3 April Enneccerus lost three to six Ju 87s to the Desert Air Force in the Benghazi area. on 14 April, II./StG 2 and III./StG 1 lost four men between them over Tobruk; the port's defending fighter, from No. 73 Squadron RAF, claimed three Ju 87s. Enneccerus maintained the pressure on shipping supplying the garrison while repulsing attempts to relieve the port over land. In May the group attacked the carrier Formidable without success. The carrier was damaged by the group, but not fatally. Enneccerus was personally credited with a hit via a 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb. It hit the forward flight deck, then destroyed the 4.5 inch (11.43 cm) turret and blew out the starboard side of the ship below the fo'c'sle. One of her escorts, Nubian was heavily damaged in the same attack. In the Admiralty "Report of Proceedings", 26 May 1941, her captain, commander G. H Stokes reported after the action that some Stukas attacked from low-level. By 15 July the group was based at Derna. It fought over Bardia and Sollum during the British offensive Operation Battleaxe. That day it lost as many as five Ju 87s as Axis forces fell back into Libya and Tobruk was relieved. No losses were reported between 15 July and 30 October 1941. Subsequently, it is difficult to track the unit's movements and activities. Enneccerus' group was active in resisting Operation Crusader. First gruppe fought in the First Battle of Bir Gubi and Second Battle of Bir el Gubi. On 13 January 1942 II./StG 2 was renamed III./StG 3 at San Pancrazio. II./StG 2 was reformed in East Prussia, and sent to the Soviet Union. Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete In October 1940 the Greco-Italian War began with the invasion of Greece by the Italian Empire. The invasion failed, and the Greek Army pushed out their enemy into Italian