 The inadequacies of the Italians encouraged Jeschonnek to propose Kesselring be sent to the Mediterranean to support the siege of Malta and the North African Campaign.A consequence of this suggestion led to Göring ordering Kesselring and his entire air fleet, "Luftflotte" 2, to the theatre.The redeployment of Kesselring's air power from the Eastern Front in October 1941 irrevocably weakened the "Luftwaffe" in the Soviet Union.