 On October 4, 1943, Zemke scored his fifth kill, making him an ace.During that entire month, "Zemke's Wolfpack", (as the 56th had begun to call itself), claimed 39 German aircraft shot down for the loss of only one of their own, including 34 in a 10-day period of intensive bomber escort operations between October 4 and October 14.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.