After the I./JG 3 was renamed II./JG 1 on 15 January 1942 the Stafelkapitän of 2./JG 3 Oblt. Max Buchholz took over the 5./JG 1. Close to a month later on 12 February, when taking part in the Operation Donnerkeil, the protection of the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, Buchholz would score his 28th and last abschuss of the war, a RAF Bleinheim.

During the period from February to May 1942 the II./JG 1 saw rather limited action, mostly flying practice flights. However the winter and spring weather resulted in no less than 16 damaged fighters and eight total losses including the four lost in air combat, with five pilot killed and another two MIA. During the same period the pilots in the Gruppe filed claims for a total of 17 RAF aircraft.

In May 1942 the II./JG 1 started to exchanging their Bf 109 F-4/Z with the Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-2/A-3 when 28 machines was accepted. However the unit would not be fully reequipped with the "Würger" until September 1942. Buchholz´s "Black 5" shown the typical spotted RLM 02/74/75 fuselage camouflage of an AGO produced Fw 190 A.

In total Max Bucholz was credited with 28 victories, although other sources indicate his score could be 30. Of those he scored 18 victories over the Eastern Front. From 1943 to the end of the war, Max Bucholz was to hold staff positions with the training units I./JG 106 and I./JG 102.