Unternehmen Cerberus
On 12 February, Mayer participated in Operation Donnerkeil, flying on two combat missions with II. "Gruppe", without claiming an aerial victory. The objective of this operation was to give the German battleships and and the heavy cruiser fighter protection in the breakout from Brest to Germany. The Channel Dash operation (11–13 February 1942) by the "Kriegsmarine" was codenamed Operation Cerberus by the Germans. In support of this, the Luftwaffe, formulated an air superiority plan dubbed Operation Donnerkeil for the protection of the three German capital ships.