The offensive began on 16 December 1944. The Luftwaffe succeeded in challenging Allied air superiority for the first time since 1943 on 17 December. The achievement lay not in shooting down more aircraft than they lost, but forcing the US fighter-bombers, P-47s and P-38s, to engage in aerial combat before dropping their ordnance on German ground forces, thereby relieving the pressure on the army and Waffen SS. Göring, held in disgrace by Hitler, was once again permitted to attend daily military conferences; he was even invited to tea with Hitler for a week, until 23 December. The price to German fighter pilots, however, was high on 17 December; 55 killed and missing, 24 wounded. The fuel crisis in Germany compounded the Luftwaffe's problems, and on 23 December Göring ordered all non-essential transport to be immobilised to save fuel. JG 26, unlike many other "jagdgeschwader" retained a sizeable cadre of experienced pilots and enjoyed higher morale more than some other units. In the Battle of St. Vith, P-38s of the 428th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, began strafing German motor columns, destroying seven trucks. I. "Gruppe" engaged the P-38s, which had claimed seven German fighters around Trier and attacked trains in the Bitburg area. Four US fighters were downed at no cost—the four Fw 190s the Americans claimed were probably from JG 2, as JG 26 reported no losses. On 23 December JG 2 contributed to the strong Luftwaffe effort to maintain aerial cover for German ground forces on this day; though air superiority was not achieved, the Luftwaffe was still contesting it by nightfall. I. "Gruppe" committed 23 Fw 190s to cover Army Group B; the "gruppe" fought its way through American aircraft flying over its airfield before engaging B-26 Marauders. Five German fighters were lost in combat with P-47s and two B-26s were claimed destroyed.