With air support from the Ju 87s of "Sturzkampfgeschwader 77", List's Army Group A recaptured Rostov, the "gate to the Caucasus", on 23 July 1942 relatively easily. The "Luftwaffe" had air superiority in the early phase of the operation, which was of great help to the ground forces. With the Don crossing secured and Sixth Army's advance flagging on the Volga front, Hitler transferred the Fourth Panzer Army to Army Group B and sent it back to the Volga. The redeployment used enormous amounts of fuel to transfer the army by air and road.