In response to developments in February, later in the month and early in March RLV units pulled back from a forward-defence posture to reduce their vulnerability and enable them to concentrate over threatened targets. JG 1 was pulled out of the Netherlands to Germany, but was responsible for a patch of air space surrounding Rheine, Twente, München Gladbach. The policy of the Jagdwaffe turned to one of meeting US raids in maximum strength to an unofficial policy of personal survival. JG 1 was removed from "Jagddivision" 3 and sent to the 2nd. Oesau had only his "stabsschwarm" and two Fw 190 "gruppen" available. The status of III. "Gruppe" at this time is unknown and it appears to have been non-operational. On 6 March 1944 the Eighth hit Berlin. Oesau and Bär led the Stab, I. and II. "Gruppen" into action against the bomber stream. The RLV achieved its greatest single success against the US Eighth on this day; 69 bombers and 11 escorts were downed. However, 64 German fighters, including eight killed, 38 missing and 23 missing was the sum report at the end of the day. Nearly all of those reported missing initially were actually dead. JG 1 were accompanied by I./JG 11 and III./JG 54 they initially intercepted sixteen B-17s of 100th Bomb Group who were escorted by P-47s of the 78th Group. Ten B-17s went down in the first wave, and in several waves of attacks on the bombers from multiple directions most of the pilots ended up exhausting their ammunition, resulting in twenty bombers being shot down in the 25 minutes before the escorting P-47s arrived. A repeat operation on 8 March cost the Americans 37 bombers and 18 fighters, but the RLV lost 42 fighters, three killed, 26 missing and nine wounded.