II. "Gruppen" was joined by I./KG 1 in the south under the command of Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's "Fliegerkorps" VIII. The first group returned to the East and began operations over the familiar Demyansk area. Its operational condition was better than the other "Gruppen" and it could employ 21 of the 33 Ju 88s available to it. On 7 October both groups began operations over Stalingrad and the northern Caucasus. It bombed Grozny on 10 October and Stalingrad on 16th before being removed to the Orsha on the central sector, and subordinated to "Fliegerdivision" 1 on 3 November. KG 1 responded to Richthofen's 14 October call for an all-out attack on the city. In 2,000 sorties the Germans dropped a total of 600 tons of bombs. 1 lost three Ju 88s. II./KG 1 was pushed deeper in the south as the Battle of the Caucasus reached a climax. It bombed Astrakhan on 18 October but was withdrawn to Orsha on the same day as I./KG 1. Consequently, KG 1 missed the final stages of the battle which ended in the destruction of Axis armies in Stalingrad. Nevertheless, II./KG 1 lost "Gruppenkommandeur" Heinz Laube killed in an accident on 8 December.