On 22 July 1942, the "Geschwaderkommodore" of "Jagdgeschwader" 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing), "Major" Herbert Ihlefeld, was severely injured in a flight accident and had to surrender command during his convalescence. At the time, all three Gruppen of JG 77 were lent out to other units, and Gollob had time to spare, so temporarily took over command of JG 52 as acting "Geschwaderkommodore". On this or one of the following days, he departed and flew to the "Geschwaderstab" of JG 52. On 28 June 1942, the "Wehrmacht" had initiated "Fall Blau" (Case Blue), the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia. The objective was to secure the oil fields of Baku as well as an advance in the direction of Stalingrad along the Volga River, to cover the flanks of the advance towards Baku. Tasked with aerial support of this offensive was "Luftflotte" 4 to which JG 52 was subordinated. By the time Gollob joined the "Geschwader" in late July 1942, the offensive had been renamed Operation Braunschweig and JG 52 was located at Rostov-on-Don. Gollob claimed his first victory with the "Stab" of JG 52 on 26 July 1942, a I-16 and his 108th in total. The next day, he shot down two I-153 biplane fighters. He claimed the first aerial victory of August 1942, his last month of combat operations, on 4 August over a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter aircraft. He was then credited with four victories on 6 August, two Il-2, one Yak-1 and one R-5 took his score to 115 aerial victories. He claimed one Yak-1 on each of the next two days. On 14 August, he was credited with two LaGG-3 and one Douglas A-20 Havoc, referred to as a Boston. For the last time in his combat career, Gollob achieved "ace-in-a-day" for the sixth time on 16 August 1941. That day he claimed two LaGG-3, two I-16 and one Il-2. His success as a fighter pilot continued, as he shot down two LaGG-3 on 17 August, three I-16 on 18 August, and two Il-2 and an I-153 on 19 August, taking his overall total to 133 aerial victories.