On 14 April 1941,1. Bf109E/TROP arrived at Ain el Gazala Airrield in North Africa. While in transit to Sicily, where their aircraft had been tropicalized, JG 27 had briefiy carried out missions in the Balkans. Tropicalization involved fitting a dust filter over the super-charger air intake and provision being made for emergency desert survival equipment including a carbine.
