 Several days before Christmas, the senior officers of JG 2 met near their bases in the Taunus.The "Geschwaderkommodore" briefed his group commanders that they were to attack the airfield at Sint-Truiden, home to the 48th Fighter Group and 404th Fighter Group.Hauptmann Franz Hrdlicka, and the other group commanders, rushed the briefing though Major Walter Matoni's II.