 Zemke's subordinates saw him as being stern but fair, and the 56th Fighter Group's proficiency with the P-47 and "dive, fire, and recover" tactics turned it into the leading air superiority group of VIII Fighter Command by August 1943.On May 8, 1943, Zemke was promoted to colonel.On June 13, 1943, while leading the 56th FG Zemke encountered and claimed two German Fw 190s flown by pilots of "Jagdgeschwader 54".