In May 1942, the Soviet élite fighter regiment 6 GIAP of the Black Sea Fleet belonged to the daily adversaries of II./JG 77 in the Crimean skies. The Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 77, Oberleutnant Heinrich Setz, was one of the most able fighter pilots on the German side during this conflict. 27-years-old Setz had served with II./JG 77 since the summer of 1940. After 45 victories he was awarded with the Knight's Cross on December 31, 1941. Following the German seizure of Sevastopol in early July 1942, II./JG 77 was dispatched to the Voronezh sector. Here they were encountered with mainly inexperienced Soviet pilots of the new 1st Fighter Aviation Army, and were able to achieve dramatic successes. Setz claimed 27 victories in a three-week period including his 100th on July 24, 1942. In February 1943, Setz was transferred to France to assume command of I./JG 27. He was killed in combat over Abbéville on March 13, 1943, after acieving his three last victories against RAF Spitfires. His total victory score was 138, achieved on 274 combat missions.

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