At the end of 1941 Bomber Command's future was in doubt after the shock of the Butt Report. 1942 became the command's watershed year. In February 1942, Air Marshall Arthur Harris became Air Officer Commanding Bomber Command. Harris became the driving force behind producing a powerful heavy bomber command to carry out his area bombing operations. The attacks on Lübeck in March and Cologne in May 1942 began the new phase in the Defence of the Reich campaign. At the start of the area offensives Stab/NJG 2, under the command of Hulshoff, II. "Gruppe" under Lent, and III. "Gruppe" under Bönsch, were based at Gilze Rijn. II./NJG 2, which travelled to Sicily, returned in September 1942 and was posted to Melsbroek. The only distraction to the attacks occurred in February 1942 when II./NJG 2 took part in Operation Donnerkeil to provide air cover for the Kriegsmarine's Operation Cerberus.