Soldbuch to OLtn. Rudolf Thomas, member of the 2./Zerstörergeschwader 1 as part of the I. Gruppe. Thomas was awarded with the Iron cross 1st and 2nd class, the fighter clasp in bronze, fighter clasp in silver for Stalingrad and the wound badge in black on 10.7.1942 for a wrist enjury during his destroyer training earlier. Thomas was hospitalised on 7.4.1943 with Soldbuch code "31e" for Arial combat!! He remained months in the hostpital reccovering and was first transfered and then released on 8.1.1944. He was completely reequipped with tropical uniform and gear and was sent to France. The Soldbuch was closed on 19.5.1944 and remains in very good condition. No photo was ever inside. 

In May 1942, the Squadron Staff and the I to III Gruppe moved back to the Soviet Union and were subordinated to the VIII Fliegerkorps of Luftflotte 4 in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. The entire squadron was at Belgorod Air Base.A total of 118 Messerschmitt Bf 110s in various variants were available at the end of May. After the start of the great summer offensive of Army Group South on 28 June 1942, it was deployed at the focal points of the advance of the 4th Panzer Army and the 6th Army. Especially in the battles in the Battle of Stalingrad, the squadron suffered heavy losses. On 2 September, for example, the squadron lost three Bf 110s in an air battle with Soviet Yak-1 fighters of the 220th Fighter Regiment. After the Red Army had encircled the German 6th Army from 19 November onwards in Operation Uranus, the latter was to be supplied by air. The Zerstörergeschwader 1 with the staff, the I and II Gruppe was given the task of escorting the slow and cumbersome transport aircraft. In total, the First Group lost 51 aircraft in total from August to December 1942, while the II Gruppe had to write off 63 aircraft. The number of fallen crews, however, was somewhat less high.

Very interesting Soldbuch to a ZG1 Oberleutnant who fought in Stalingrad with the Messerschmidt Bf110.