ps ▁prepared ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁the ▁off ensive , ▁Luft wa ffe ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 0 9 ▁f igh ters ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁intercept ing ▁T ac . R ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁Cas ual ties ▁rose ▁rapidly ▁until ▁H Q ▁Des ert ▁Air ▁Force ▁ordered ▁a ▁f ighter ▁esc ort ▁for ▁all ▁T ac . R s . ▁ ▁This ▁reduced ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁losses ; ▁and ▁it ▁continued ▁until ▁the ▁A xis ▁break through ▁at ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁Bir ▁H ake im ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁when ▁f ighter ▁squad rons ▁were ▁given ▁other ▁prior ities . ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ' s ▁advance ▁landing ▁ground ▁at ▁El ▁A dem ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁German ▁P anz ers ▁at ▁d usk ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁their ▁off ensive . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁fell ▁back ▁on ▁S idi ▁Az iz , ▁from ▁there ▁to ▁Tob ru k , ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁El ▁Al ame in . ▁The ▁rapid ▁retre at ▁played ▁hav oc ▁with ▁communic ations ▁and ▁supplies , ▁which ▁dr ast ically ▁cur ta iled ▁the ▁squad ron ' s ▁oper ational ▁effect iveness . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁the ▁squad ron ▁was ▁operating ▁once ▁again ▁from ▁Burg - el - A rab ▁during ▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁El ▁Al ame in , ▁as ▁the ▁German ▁off ensive ▁slow ed ▁and ▁stopped ; ▁the ▁crisis ▁having ▁passed , ▁it ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁for ▁rest ▁and ▁re - equ