another six months for III./StG 2 until withdrawn in May 1942. Recorded losses were six aircraft and one damaged. Eight men were reported missing, two killed and two wounded. The group was ordered to Markersdorf to rest and refit. It returned to the front to support the 1942 offensive towards Voronezh, before returning to Vyazma on 14 August 1942. II./StG 2 spent two months building its strength. At the time combat operations started on the Volkhov front in March 1942, it possessed only 12 aircraft, barely the size of a staffel. The group was in action over Novgorod and Leningrad, against the Baltic Fleet in April–the raids against shipping took place over the 24th to 27th of the month. I./StG 2 supported the relief of German forces trapped in the Demyansk pocket. On 12 February 1942 Gruppenkommandeur Dilly was shot down near Staraya Russa but returned to German lines. By 13 March it claimed 25 Ju 87s operational but lost two Staffelkapitän killed. Few losses were experienced to fighters because the Ju 87s were escorted by Bf 109s from JG 54. Stab./StG 2 remained at the front. It had on strength 9 Messerschmitt Bf 110s and one Henschel Hs 123. Three Bf 110s were lost from 31 January to 19 March 1942. The unit was still based at Vyazma on 22 March. The command was withdrawn to East Prussia in May 1942. I./StG 2 moved at Graz in Austria to Akhtyrka airfield north west of Kharkov in June 1942. StG 2 remained with Richthofen's air corps, though now it subordinated to Luftflotte 4. From 22 June it supported German forces in the Battle of Voronezh, which formed part of Operation Blue, the 1942 German summer offensive into the Soviet Caucasus. The group began operating the Ju 87D at this time; it moved to Tatsinskaya Airfield on 20 July, then to Oblivskaya along the Chir River as the German 6th army advanced to Stalingrad. By mid-August it was bombing dug in Soviet armour west of the city. II./StG 2 lost 5 and 6 staffel commanding officers killed and wounded in the initial battles. The group fought at the Battle of Kalach in August, which defeated strong Soviet tank formations counter-attacking the 6th army. The Regia Aeronautica 21º Gruppo provided fighter escort during July 1942 owing to the lack of Bf 109 units available because of the actions over Stalingrad. The arrangement