Not impressed with the performance or maneuverability of the aircraft, Zemke spent much time developing tactics utilizing the Thunderbolt's tremendous dive capability that would make it a successful platform in the European Theater.

Zemke made progress by stressing flight discipline and teamwork, often implementing ideas of even the lowest ranking man.

His success had what might have been a negative impact on his unit; he was relieved of command to go to Washington, D.C., as part of a team led by Brigadier General Curtis E. LeMay to brief Pentagon superiors and Congress.

According to Eighth Air Force historian Roger A. Freeman, Zemke harbored misgivings about Schilling's youth and impulsiveness at this early stage of the war.

This accommodated Schilling, who adamantly opposed the transfer and who was flying a second combat tour in order to remain with the 56th, and he became its group commander.

After realizing that escaping in the confusion was impossible due to the surroundings, Zemke returned to the car to pull two young German girls from the line of fire as the fighters made another pass.

Conditions were deplorable: insufficient food, inadequate clothing and medical attention, a lack of military discipline among some POWs, and indifferent or hostile German officials.

Gradually he developed working relations with the German camp commandant and staff and achieved some improvements in living conditions.

Toward the end of the war, Zemke suspected the Germans might try to kill the POWs rather than allow them to be liberated by the advancing Soviet armies.

Zemke and his staff negotiated an arrangement for the Germans to depart quietly at night, bearing only small arms, and turn the camp over to the Allied POW wing.

To avoid conflict between POWs and guards who had been particularly brutal, Zemke's staff kept the arrangement secret until the morning after the German departure.

Ultimately, in Operation Revival, Zemke arranged for the POWs to be flown to American-held territory by USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress bombers shortly after VE day.

He attended Air War College in 1953 and upon graduation was assigned as Chief of Plans within the Directorate of Operations at the Pentagon.

Next, he commanded the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing from August to October 1955, and the 40th Air Division, both at Turner AFB, Georgia.

In March 1957 he received command of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Turner and oversaw its relocation to Laughlin AFB, Texas, where it operated the top secret Lockheed U-2.

[6] Zemke's decorations include: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Air Corps) Hubert Zemke, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 11 February 1944, in the European Theater of Operations.

On that date, Colonel Zemke attacked a German airdrome, flying into the face of persistent, heavy and accurate defensive fire.