Tuesday, 26 May 1942 the long months of stalemate were at last over, and the morning saw the start of Rommel's offensive against the Gazala-Bir Hacheim line, marking the start of some six weeks of confused, exhausting, violent and costly fighting, which was to include one of the most disastrous retreats for the British Commonwealth throughout the war. This debacle was later dubbed by the British as "The Disasters on the Gabala line".

Up to 15 June, 20 days into the Axis offensive the I./JG 27 had filed claims fora total of no less than 60 British aircraft for an own loss off six damaged and one total loss due to all causes. The most successful pilot during this period was Oblt. Hans-Joachim Marsieille who increased his tally from 64 to 87, a total of 22 abschusse, more than a third of the Gruppes total.

On this day, 15 June at 1832 12 Bf 109s of I./JG 27 escorted a reconnaissance Bf 110 over the Gambut-Acroma area, engaging a dozen British fighters identified as Curtiss types, north of El Alamein. Between 1901-1906 Oblt. Marseille claimed four shot down, Lt. Werner Schroer adding two more, thereby reaching ten abshusse.

Although no details have been found to identify their Curtiss opponents on this occasion, JG 27 reported that the whole combat was observed by all the 3. Staffel pilots who were able to confirm their leader's victories 88-91. The only British losses registered this day was in fact all Hurricanes, one damaged by an Italian MC 202 fighter, one Hurricane damaged by FLAK and the third was blown up in a force landing in an minefield.

Werner Schroer had joined I./JG 27 already in August of 1940. His name however would always be associated with the air war over North Africa. Here he would score his first victory and would eventually be the second most successful German fighter ace in the theater after Hans-Joachim Marseille.

However it was not util Lt. Schroer was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 27 that he would emerge as one of the top-scorers. After a slow start he steadily compiled a tally of kills he then achieved three victories on 3 July and again on 13 July 1942. His best day came while fighting over El Alamein on 15 September 1942, when he claimed a total of six RAF fighters, the last, a Spitfire, was recorded as his 48th confirmed victory.

On 20 October he received the Ritterkreuz. On 4 November he intercepted USAAF B-24 bombers raiding the Libyan port of Benghazi and managed to down one of them for his 60th. On 16 November he would add his last while flying over Libya, a P-40 shot down south of Tecis. With his 61 victories in North Africa, Oblt. Werner Schroer followed III./JG 27 to Greece and to the Island of Rhodes.

When the war ended Major Werner Schroer had been transferred to JG 3 as Kommodore flying his last missions in the East ended the war with a total of 114 confirmed victories, including 112 against the RAF and USAAF in 197 combat missions. Note the glossy appearance of the black paint of the fuselage cross. The letter A behind the chevron denote a Adjutant aircraft, a posting hold by Lt. Schroer at this time.

This profile was made by me on this Saturday, yesterday and would probably be included in Profile Book No 18.