Zerstörergeschwader 76
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''Zerstörergeschwader 76'' (ZG 76) was a '' Zerstörer'' (
heavy fighter A heavy fighter is an historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engine ...
; lit. "destroyer") ''
geschwader This is a list of words, terms, concepts, and slogans that have been or are used by the German military. Ranks and translations of nicknames for vehicles are included. Also included are some general terms from the German language found frequently ...
'' (
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
) of the German ''
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
'' during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The wing operated the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
in the early phases of World War II, then the
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
for the duration of the war. Created in 1939 based on the ''Zerstörer'' concept advocated by
Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, the wing was only partially equipped with the Bf 110. Some units were designated ''Jagdgruppe'' 76 and flew the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
during the
Phoney War The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
. Those elements (''gruppen'', or groups) that operated the Bf 110 fought in the
Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
in September 1939 which began
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Thereafter, ZG 76 fought in the Battle of the German Bight in December 1939 which encouraged
RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...
to switch to night bombing. In April 1940 it supported the German invasion of Denmark and fought in the Norwegian Campaign. From May to October 1940 ZG 76 served in the
Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (; ), formed part of the larger Battle of France, an Military offensive, offensive campaign by Nazi Germany, Germany during ...
,
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
and
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
. Elements of the wing fought in the
German invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Fü ...
,
Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...
and
Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...
. The majority of the ''gruppen'' were disbanded in late 1941 after serving in the early stages of the
Defence of the Reich The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied Strategic bombing ...
by defending the German-occupied Low Countries. In 1943 ZG 76 was reformed. The
Oberkommando der Luftwaffe The (; abbreviated OKL) was the high command of the air force () of Nazi Germany. History The was organized in a large and diverse structure led by Reich minister and supreme commander of the Air force () Hermann Göring. Through the Mini ...
felt the heavy fighters could be successful against the unescorted
United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
bombers. The introduction of long-range US fighter escorts in 1944 resulted in heavy casualties and operations were scaled down until the final disbandment of ZG 76 in September 1944. The remaining pilots were transferred to the Bf 109 wing Jagdgeschwader 76.


Formation

''Zerstörergeschwader'' 76 was formed on 1 May 1939 from ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 144. I. ''Gruppe'' and II. ''Gruppe'' formed without a '' Geschwaderstab''. The II. ''Gruppe'' was initially equipped with the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
and was known as ''Jagdgruppe'' 176, while it retained its heavy fighter identity officially, then re-equipped with the
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
over the winter, 1939/40. The organisation and equipment of the ''Zerstörergeschwader'' units was typical at this time. ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 26 (ZG 26—26th Destroyer Wing) was operated and organised in a similar fashion. The ''Geschwaderstab'' was created on 15 April 1940 in
Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
-Wahn. The III. ''Gruppe'' was raised on 26 June 1940 in
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
-Euren with the Messerschmitt Bf 110.


World War II


Invasion of Poland and Phoney War

On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht invaded Poland beginning World War II in Europe. ZG 76 operated with one ''gruppe'' during the campaign. I./ZG 76 was based at Gablingen under the command of 6. ''Fliegerdivision'' (6th Air Division). Approximately 100 Bf 110s were combat ready for action in Poland indicating a shortfall in production. A ratio of one ''rotte''
light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...
per ''kampfstaffel'' omber squadronhad to suffice.
Alexander Löhr Alexander Löhr (20 May 1885 – 26 February 1947) was an Austrian Air Force (1927–1938), Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the Anschluss, annexation of Austria, he was a Luftwaffe commander. Löhr served in the Luftwaff ...
, commanding
Luftflotte 4 ''Luftflotte'' 4For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 4) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 18 March 1939, from Luftwaffenkomm ...
, regarded the destruction of the
Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...
of such importance he ordered Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's air command to attack airfields near
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. I./ZG 76 was ordered to provide fighter escort for bombers from I. and III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Kampfgeschwader'' 4 (KG 4—4th Bomber Wing) and I. and III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Kampfgeschwader'' 77 (KG 77—77th Bomber Wing). The attacks on these airfields involved 150
sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warf ...
s. KG 4 dropped 200 tons of bombs on 1 September. The group claimed 19 Polish fighters destroyed. Future German fighter pilots Wolfgang Falcke, Helmut Lent and Gordon Gollob made claims in aerial combat. I./ZG 76 provided effective protection to ''Kampfgeschwader'' 27 (KG 27—27th Bomber Wing) on its long-range bombing missions. Other heavy fighter units claimed victories as well; I.(Z) ''Gruppe'' of ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing) claimed wildly optimistic total of 34 Polish fighters shot down, while ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) claimed 78 in the air and 50 on the ground. The true losses of Colonel Stefan Pawlikowski's Pursuit Brigade were 10 fighters destroyed and 24 "unserviceable" resumably meaning damaged 62 percent of its strength. Total German losses across Poland was 25 aircraft. The Polish loss percentage increased to 72 percent by the 5 September. On 2 September I./ZG 76, led by Lent, claimed 11 aircraft at
Dęblin Dęblin is a town at the Confluence (geography), confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which together have over 100,000 inhabitan ...
, while KG 4 dropped 180 tonnes of bombs in 13 ''staffeln''-sized operations. The aircraft destroyed were not frontline aircraft, but were from training units. Later in the day the ''gruppe'' was credited with nine Łódź Army fighters, attached to protect the Polish army on the approaches to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. Only three were actually lost. The survivors, however, lost five to Bf 109s to JGr 102. The Pursuit Brigade was transferred to an unspecified sector giving Luftwaffe bombers a free hand. The cost of the air battle to ZG 76 was three Bf 110s. On 3 September the ''Zerstörergruppen'' escorted bombers attacking the PZL P.11 factory in Warsaw. They claimed three of the 40 defending fighters losing one. From 4 September Polish aerial resistance had been reduced, and consequently were ordered to conduct a larger number of
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
operations. I./ZG 76 was temporarily transferred to Ulrich Grauert's 1. ''Fliegerdivision'' and fought in the Battle of Iłża from 9 September. After the Polish capitulation following the
Soviet Invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Second Polish Republic, Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Polan ...
on 17 September 1939, ZG 76 reorganised in the
Phoney War The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
period. II. and III./ZG 76 finally were able to convert from the Bf 109 to Bf 110 and shed their ''Jadggruppe'' designations. ZG 76 flew protection patrols (
Defence of the Reich The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied Strategic bombing ...
) over the German
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
coast in late 1939. Elements of it took part in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight on 18 December 1939 and the wing claimed five
Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of t ...
bombers shot down. RAF losses were 12 bombers destroyed, three damaged and 57 men killed, though German claims were far higher.


Norwegian campaign

On 9 April 1940, German forces began
Operation Weserübung Operation Weserübung ( , , 9 April – 10 June 1940) was the invasion of Denmark and Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. In the early morning of 9 April 1940 (, "Weser Day"), Ge ...
, an invasion of
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
and
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. X Fliegerkorps was allocated to the operation, which was conducted in cooperation with the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
and the
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
. The air corps was commanded by ''
Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...
'' Hans Ferdinand Geisler. Only I./ZG 76 from the wing participated based at airstrips near Westerland. 3. ''Staffel'' of ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing) was attached to it. The immediate objective was to secure airfields in northern Denmark to secure the air space and communications links to the Norwegian capital
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
from
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
intervention. The German invasion of Denmark was carried out in the space of 24 hours. 1./ZG 76 assisted in the seizure of
Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...
airport on the northern Danish coast granting air superiority over the
Skagerrak The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea. The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...
. Signallers, ground crews, clerks and essential equipment was flown in by
Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. First introduced during 1930 as a civilian airliner, it was adapted int ...
s from KGzbV 1. II./KGzbV 1 flew to
Oslo Airport, Fornebu Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the primary international airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at ...
to land soldiers and
Fallschirmjäger The () were the airborne forces branch of the Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They were commanded by Kurt Student, the Luftwaffe's second-in-comman ...
battalions. Lent and 1./ZG 76 gave air cover. The ''staffel'' claimed one
Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) () is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees (officers, enlisted ...
Gloster Gladiator The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. Developed privat ...
in combat and two on the ground in exchange for one Ju 52. Commander Hansen and Helmut Lent maintained over claiming an
RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of ...
probing Oslo fjord. The ''Haerens Flygevåpen'' possessed only 24 combat aircraft (13 serviceable) and five Tiger Moth trainers. Most flew north to continue the fight against the invaders. Six aircraft, including four
Curtiss P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
s, were destroyed by ZG 76. The landing at
Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...
was successful, but 3./KG 4 and 3./ZG 76 failed to prevent eight Caproni Ca.135 bombers escaping north. From Stavanger Airport, Sola, on 12 April, Hauptmann Günther Reinecke's I./ZG 76 claimed five Wellingtons on this date but the Luftwaffe could not stop the destruction of 12 aircraft and the damage to 31 others at
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
and Stavanger-Sola to 2 May. ZG 76 carried out strafing missions countering the Åndalsnes landings and Namsos campaign. ''Kampfgeschwader'' 26 (KG 26—26th Bomber Wing) and ''Kampfgeschwader'' 1 (KG 1—1st Bomber Wing) destroyed the ammunition dumps and razed the wharves. HMS ''Glorious'' flew in Gladiator squadrons to
Lesjaskogsvatnet Lesjaskogsvatnet () is a lake in Lesja Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The lake lies in the upper Gudbrandsdalen valley, between the villages of Lesjaskog (on the west end) and Lesjaverk (on the east end). The European route E136 high ...
on 24 April. In response, LG 1, escorted by Bf 110s from ZG 76 and sometimes the ''Zerstörergruppe'' (Z) of ''Kampfgeschwader'' 30 (KG 30—30th Bomber Wing), destroyed the airfield in eight hours, eliminating 19 fighters. The survivors flew to the airstrip at Setnesmoen, which was destroyed in further attacks while the last five Norwegian combat aircraft and five Moths flew north. Further south, I./ZG 76 was less successful. On 12 April it accounted for two No. 149 Squadron Wellingtons and
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Nolan, No. 38 Squadron. All crews were killed. Nolan was probably shot down by the future night fighter ace Helmut Woltersdorf. On 30 April
RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...
struck at Stavanger. ZG 76 lost their commanding officer, Hauptmann Günther Reinecke killed in action with British bombers, along with other flying aces ''
Leutnant () is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...
'' Helmut Fahlbusch and ''
Oberfeldwebel (; OFw or OF) is the fourth highest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. History The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old ...
'' Georg Fleischmann. Reinecke was replaced by Hauptmann Werner Restermeyer. The ''gruppe'' claimed four bombers between 20:40 and 21:00 in the last minutes of daylight preventing the action from being classified as
night fighter A night fighter (later known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor post-Second World War) is a largely historical term for a fighter aircraft, fighter or interceptor aircraft adapted or designed for effective use at night, during pe ...
interceptions. ZG 76 fought in the
Battles of Narvik The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War. Th ...
to counter the threat from RAF fighter units operating from Bardufoss Airport. The aerial battles were complicated for ZG 76 by the introduction of the Bf 110D-0 "
dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: 'badger dog'), also known as the wiener dog or sausage dog, badger dog, doxen and doxie, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, with varie ...
" belly which provided the aircraft with a 30-minute increase in endurance but at the cost of further reductions in maneuverability in an already unmanuverable aircraft in combat nimble single-seat fighters. The wing supported I./ StG 1 and its bombing offensive against Bodø, which damaged much of the town. Among the final known air combats over Norway during the campaign involved Lent. Flight Lieutenant Caesar Hull was shot down by Lent on 27 May and on the 2 June No. 263 Squadron, aircraft serial number N5893 piloted by
Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...
J.L. Wilkie were downed. I./ZG 76 remained in Norway with ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) for air defence after the campaign. On 9 July 1940 they two units shot down seven from 12 Blenheim bombers (from No. 12 Squadron) sent to bomb Stavanger. The Luftwaffe considered a glider-borne assault on the Allied-held airfield at Bardufoss but it had only nine gliders available. Further operations were precluded by the Allied withdrawal in view of the worsening situation in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The cost of the campaign to the Luftwaffe was 260 aircraft, including 86 transports. 1,130 aircrew became casualties, including 341 killed, and 448 missing. They destroyed 93 of the 169 British aircraft lost including 43 in air combat, 24 by Luftwaffe-controlled anti-aircraft units. The most successful unit was ZG 76 which was credited with 16 enemy aircraft followed by JG 77 with 13.


Western Europe

Stab and II./ZG 76 was assigned to the Fliegerkorps I under the command of ''
Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...
'' Grauert near
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
-Wahn. On 10 May 1940 the German offensive opened with Fall Gelb, the
Battle of the Netherlands The German invasion of the Netherlands (), otherwise known as the Battle of the Netherlands (), was a military campaign, part of Battle of France, Case Yellow (), the Nazi German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Neth ...
and
Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (; ), formed part of the larger Battle of France, an Military offensive, offensive campaign by Nazi Germany, Germany during ...
as a prelude to the larger
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. During the first day of operations the heavy fighter wings flew 2,000 sorties with the Bf 109-equipped units. ZG 76 supported the southern flank of
Army Group B Army Group B () was the name of four distinct German Army Group, army group commands that saw action during World War II. The first Army Group B was created on 12 October 1939 (from the former Army Group North) and fought in the Battle of France ...
and the northern flank of
Army Group A Army Group A () was the name of three distinct army groups of the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'', the ground forces of the ''Wehrmacht'', during World War II. The first Army Group A, previously known as "Army Group South", was active from Oct ...
during the
Panzer Division A Panzer division was one of the Division (military)#Armored division, armored (tank) divisions in the German Army (1935–1945), army of Nazi Germany during World War II. Panzer divisions were the key element of German success in the Blitzkrieg, ...
s dash to the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
following the breakthrough at Sedan from 14 May. With JG 2, JG 53 and JG 77 the wing protected the bridges over the Meuse at Sedan. The French and
RAF Advanced Air Striking Force The RAF Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) comprised the light bombers of 1 Group RAF Bomber Command, which took part in the Battle of France during the Second World War. Before hostilities began, it had been agreed between the United Kingdom ...
(AASF) air attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. On 15 May it is known to have fought in combat with No. 87 Squadron over Montcornet—the site of a major battle two days later—II./ZG 76 reporting two losses. A No. 87 Squadron pilot was reported killed in this encounter. Later in the day, a known success was reported in combat with No. 3 Squadron which attempted to engage Dornier Do 17s of 8./KG 76. Two pilots are believed to have been lost to II./ZG 76. One was killed, the other captured. On 18 May, II./ZG 76 flew as escorts to III./KG 76 as the group made repeated bombing raids. Over Vitry airfield, a large
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...
broke out when all available
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
units were scrambled to intercept. No. 79, No. 607, No. 615 and No. 151 Squadron were involved. Over
Merville, Nord Merville (; West Flemish: ''Mergem'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region of northern France. The town lies 13 kilometres north of B ...
and
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
one 4 and one 6./ZG 76 crew were killed.
Geschwaderkommodore ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain ...
Walter Grabmann, who flew with Stab./ZG 76 that evening was shot down and became a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. His gunner, Feldwebel Richard Krone was
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
. According to records, one Hurricane from B Flight, No. 111 Squadron, that arrived on the scene was shot down by a ZG 76 Bf 110. a No. 56 Squadron Hurricane pilot from B Flight, Flight Lieutenant S Soden was killed in action with II./ZG 76. On 21 May, ZG 76 was in combat supporting German forces in the Battle of Arras. In combat with No. 229 and No. 253 Squadrons intercepting bombers from III./KG 1, the ZG 76 Bf 110s managed to down two Hurricanes; one pilot was killed while Squadron Leader Elliot was captured. One of the 9./KG 1 bombers was shot down. On 23 May, according to Fighter Command records, four fighters were lost in action with Bf 110 units killing one pilot, wounding another while two were wounded. II./ZG 76 fought over the Dunkirk beaches during the
Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk () was fought around the French Third Republic, French port of Dunkirk, Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies of World War II, Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle ...
. On 26 May the ''gruppe'' made a single claim against an unknown aircraft type and squadron. According to
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
records, two Hurricane pilots were shot down by Bf 110s this day—the pilot from No. 17 Squadron was killed and the other from No. 605 Squadron returned to his unit. Neither ZG 1, ZG 2 or ZG 26 filed any claims on 26 May. Dunkirk was a severe test for Fighter Command which had been designed as a defensive force. Fighter leaders were often forced to operate outside of British-based radar range, and thus RAF controllers in England were unable to assist in coordinating the squadrons. The Germans could dictate the terms of the battle; the when, where and height of the engagement, often in superior numbers. On 27 May four fighters were reported lost in combat with Bf 110s (two credited to Bf 110s and
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...
bombers) by Fighter Command. The command staffel and II./ZG 76 continued operations with Fliegerkorps I for the duration of
Fall Rot ''Fall Rot'' (Case Red) was the plan for a German military operation after the success of (Case Yellow), the Battle of France, an invasion of the Benelux countries and northern France. The Allied armies had been defeated and pushed back in t ...
. Fliegerkorps I operated in the
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
and
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
sectors in a bid to stop further evacuations. The air corps failed, and Operation Aerial succeeded. Hans-Joachim Jabs surmised his experience with ZG 76 over Europe in the Bf 110 as follows; "I flew a 110 from 10 May 1940 over France, Belgium and during the Battle of Britain. In the Me 110 we were superior to the French and Belgians, whether Morane or Curtis. But we were inferior to the Spitfire, and Hurricane as well." By the end of May 1940 Jabs had claimed six aircraft.


Battle of Britain

In August 1940 the Stabschwarme, II. and III. ''Gruppe'' based at Laval. Hitler decided that air superiority of England was required if any invasion, codenamed
Operation Sea Lion Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (), was Nazi Germany's code name for their planned invasion of the United Kingdom. It was to have taken place during the Battle of Britain, nine months after the start of the Second World ...
proceeded. The Luftwaffe began probing attacks by day and night over England.
Luftflotte 2 __NOTOC__ ''Luftflotte'' 2For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 2) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 1 February 1939 in Braunsc ...
and
Luftflotte 3 ''Luftflotte'' 3For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 3) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 1 February 1939 from ''Luftwaffeng ...
began bombing attacks on British convoys in the English Channel in the hopes of blocking the sea lanes to shipping and drawing out RAF Fighter Command and depleting its strength and a prelude to attacking airfields and aircraft factories. The Luftwaffe referred to this period as the
Kanalkampf The (Channel Battle) was the German term for air operations by the against the Royal Air Force (RAF) over the English Channel in July 1940, beginning the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. By 25 June, the Allies of World War II, A ...
. On 10 July the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
opened with attacks on Channel convoy ''Bread''. Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen ordered ''Fliegerkorps VIII'' to prepared for further operations at first light.
Hugo Sperrle Hugo Wilhelm Sperrle (7 February 1885 – 2 April 1953) was a Nazi Germany, German military aviator in World War I and a ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field marshal, Field Marshal) in the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. Sperrle joined the German ...
, commanding ''Luftflotte'' 3, ordered more ''Stuka'' attack. ZG 76 from Fliegerkorps I was tasked with performing fighter escort duties for Ju 87s of III/ StG 2. No. 87, No. 238 and No. 601 Squadron intercepted and ZG 76 lost four crews protecting the ''Stukas'' over the
Isle of Portland The Isle of Portland is a tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. The southern tip, Portland Bill, lies south of the resort of Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A barrier ...
. The Ju 87s lost one from the two ''staffeln'' committed to the attack. Only one No. 601 Squadron fighter was lost, to British
anti-aircraft fire Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...
. On 12 August, ZG 76 joined with ZG 2 to field 120 Bf 110s ordered to protect 100+ Ju 88s from ''Kampfgeschwader'' 51 (KG 51—51st Bomber Wing), supported by 25 Bf 109s from I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). Convoys ''Agent'' and ''Booty'' were under-attack at sea, but the formation passed these and was picked up by Poling radar station south of
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
. Fighter Command responded with large forces. 48 Hurricanes and 10 Spitfires were ordered from RAF Middle Wallop,
Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
,
RAF Tangmere Royal Air Force Tangmere or more simply RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain. It was one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The Seco ...
and RAF Warmwell to intercept. The fighters orbited to attract RAF fighters while the Ju 88s turned to attack
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. The attack destroyed many installations including
Portsmouth Harbour railway station Portsmouth Harbour railway station serves the city of Portsmouth, in Hampshire, England. It is situated in Portsmouth Harbour, between the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre and the Historic Dockyard. It is an important transport terminal, with a ...
, three small vessels and oil storage tanks. ''Geschwaderkommodore'' Dr Johann-Volkmar Fisser was killed despite the escort. The RAF controllers fed their pilots piecemeal into the battle and the German fighters, denied a worthwhile target to justify breaking from their position, remained high above the battle and did not surrender it until the Ju 88s were in danger of decimation. Ten Ju 88s were shot down. ZG 2 lost three Bf 110s and four damaged while ZG 76 reported on loss and two damaged. ZG 76 were engaged by No. 609 Squadron. On 13 August Operation Eagle Attack began with
Adlertag ''Adlertag'' ("Eagle Day") was the first day of ''Unternehmen Adlerangriff'' ("Operation Eagle Attack"), an air operation by Nazi Germany's ''Luftwaffe'' (German air force) intended to destroy the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The operation c ...
. The official go-ahead was given at 14:00. 52 Ju 87s from StG 1 and StG 2 who were to strike at RAF Warmwell and Yeovil. II., and III./JG 53 and III./ZG 76 flew escort for the Ju 87s. Virtually all of No. 10 Group RAF scrambled to intercept. One ''staffel'' from II./StG 2 was badly hit by No. 609 Squadron; six out of nine Ju 87s were shot down. StG 1 and 2 gave up on their original targets owing to clouds. Both headed for Portland. ''Erprobungsgruppe'' 210 was sent further east for an operation to attack targets near
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...
. They took off at 15:15 and were escorted by ZG 76. They found unbroken cloud over Essex. No. 56 Squadron intercepted, and ''Erprobungsgruppe'' 210 dropped their bombs over
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
. ZG 76 reported two losses during the mission; apparently elements of the ''gruppe'' spotted and attacked RAF Manston and lost two crews to ground fire. On 15 August
Luftflotte 5 Luftflotte 5 (Air Fleet 5) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 12 April 1940 in Hamburg for the invasion of Norway. It transferred to Oslo, Norway on 24 April 1940 and was the organization respo ...
joined the battle as the Luftwaffe attacked Fighter Command from the south, east and north. I./ZG 76 was still based in Norway and provided escort for Heinkel He 111s from I. and III./KG 26. The bombers headed for
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
but were intercepted by No. 605, No. 72, No. 69 and No. 41 Squadrons. Heinkel He 115 floatplanes from and 1 and 3 /506 flew toward Montrose but a three degree error by the leading He 111s caused the German formation to fly a parallel track which proved disastrous. No. 13 Group RAF were able to concentrate against the intruders. Eight He 111s from KG 26 were shot down. Seven I./ZG 26 Bf 110s were shot down protecting them. ''Gruppenkommandeur'' Hauptmann Restemeyer was killed in action. Stab, II. and III./ZG 76 lost 12 Bf 110s between them in the southeast flying escort for elements of LG 1 against RAF Worthy Down. ''Gruppenkommandeur'' Hauptmann Dickore, III./ZG 26 was killed—two group commanders were lost this day. The day's operations cost the Luftwaffe heavy losses which prompted the crews to refer to the 15 August as "Black Thursday." Dickore was replaced by Rolf Kaldrack. ZG 76 was back in action the following day. Heavy raids were made against airfields in southern England, though German intelligence failings often mistook RAF Bomber Command, RAF Coastal Command and
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
bases for fighter fields. The day's operations cost ZG 76 four crews and one damaged, from the Stab/ZG 76 in combat with No. 609 and No. 19 Squadron. The casualties were sustained when 100 aircraft from StG 2, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 2 (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) followed by 12 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 54 (KG 54—54th Bomber Wing) Ju 88s escorted by III./ZG 76 struck at Tangmere and other airfields. ZG 76 did not participate in the battles of the 18 August—known as The Hardest Day—it reported no casualties on this date. ZG 26 made up the burden of Bf 110 operations and suffered heavy losses. 13 Bf 110s were recorded as destroyed and 6 damaged. Among their casualties were two
Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries. The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – p ...
. Little activity was recorded over the following days, the only casualty being a II./ZG 76 machine in a taxiing accident at
Jersey Airport Jersey Airport is an international airport located in the parish of Saint Peter, west northwest of Saint Helier in Jersey, in the Channel Islands. History Foundation and early years Air service to Jersey before 1937 consisted of biplane airl ...
; the ''gruppe'' retained a ''staffel'' there on 24 August during the
German occupation of the Channel Islands The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are British Crown dependencies in the ...
in 1940. According to German loss reports from the quartermaster general Hans-Georg von Seidel, ZG 2, V./LG 1 and ZG 76 were active on 25 August. ZG 76 reported the loss of one crew, their fate is unknown. ZG 2 reported the loss of four Bf 110s and three damaged. V./LG 1 suffered two losses and two damaged. ZG 76 reported no losses on 26 August; ZG 76 reported one severely damaged and ZG 26 lost three over
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
. ZG 76's last major operation of the month occurred on 30 August. Two of its aircraft were lost and one damaged. While escorting Do 17s in the vicinity of RAF Manston, No. 85 and No. 111 Squadron intercepted the German formation by chance after initialling being vectored to investigate an unknown formation—which transpired to be Blenheims from No. 25 Squadron RAF. The action attracted No. 54 Squadron led by
Alan Christopher Deere Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere, (12 December 1917 – 21 September 1995) was a New Zealand fighter ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was also known for several near-death experiences over the course o ...
the scene and they damaged two of the bombers. The battle reached a climax in September 1940. On 1 September, ZG 76 were flying combat operations and reported one damaged but their opponents are unknown. On 2 September ''Kampfgeschwader'' 3 (KG 3—3rd Bomber Wing) Dornier bombers were operating off Deal when No. 72 Squadron engaged; Bf 110s were reported to be present among the German escorts and the fight developed over
Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...
. ZG 76 were known to operational for the wing reported one destroyed and two damaged in air combat. ZG 2 and ZG 26 were also active reporting heavier losses—four each. The burden of operations on 3 September fell to ZG 2 and ZG 26 which reported the loss of seven and two severely damaged in total. ZG 76 claimed its 500th air victory on this date, becoming the first Luftwaffe unit to do so. Grabmann had claimed 13 aerial victories in the war so far; two on this date. The following day, 6./ZG 76 of III. ''Gruppe'' were involved in a
strategic bombing Strategic bombing is a systematically organized and executed military attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy' ...
operation. The OKL issued orders on 1 September to bomb British fighter factories. The ''staffel'' flew as escort for Erprobungsgruppe 210 fighter-bombers towards
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, crossing the coast at
Littlehampton Littlehampton is a town, seaside resort and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the English Channel on the eastern bank of the mouth of the River Arun. It is south south-west of London, west of Brighton and ...
with the objective of attacking the
Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
factory. A simultaneous operation by 70 Do 17s and 200 Bf 109s began attacks against Canterbury,
Faversham Faversham () is a market town in Kent, England, from Sittingbourne, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great ...
,
Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'', and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The ea ...
, Redhill and Eastchurch. The formation of 20 bomb-carrying Bf 110s and their ZG76 escort were spotted by the Royal Observer Corps near
Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...
at . No. 253 Squadron from Kenley was ordered to intercept. However the Erprobungsgruppe 210 fighter-bombers reached the target unmolested, but overflew the Hawker factory, and hit the
Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
works destroying the machine shops and assembly sheds for the Vickers Wellington bomber. The area was devastated and took four days to clear the rubble. 700 factory workers became casualties; 88 were killed. The specific target, the Hawker assembly plant escaped untouched and the fighter-bombers escaped without loss. However, their escort from ZG76 were bounced by the 253 squadron Hurricanes as they fled south. Several were shot down over West Clandon, West Horsley and Netley Heath on the North Downs above Shere. Only one crew member, a rear gunner, managed to bail out, and he was treated for his wounds by the doctor in Ripley, Surrey. Other Bf 110 units suffered losses in the day's fighting. LG 1 lost four and one damaged, ZG 2 suffered damage to one aircraft. Zerstörer pilots and crew were, by 5 September at least, aware of their precarious position in the skies over England and their aircraft were at a disadvantage against modern single-engine fighters. On 15 September 1940 the Luftwaffe sent nearly 1,000 aircraft against
Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
. This date became known as the Battle of Britain Day. The Luftwaffe's attacks were repulsed with high losses though London and the
Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salinit ...
docks were severely damaged. LG 1 were the only wing to report losses to its Bf 110 units. Over the next two days the only recorded activity of ZG 76 was the loss of one aircraft in an accident on 17 September On 24 September ''Erprobungsgruppe'' 210 bombed the Woolston factory at Southampton on the water front. 98 people were killed and 40 wounded when the shelter was hit, but little damage occurred to the factory. ZG 76 flew as escort. The bomb-carrying Bf 110s lost one and although ZG 76 avoided losses, four suffered damage to anti-aircraft fire; two of the damaged fell into the Channel. One of the crews was rescued by a Heinkel He 59. Three days later seven Bf 110s from LG 1 and ZG 76 were lost on similar operations over England in the morning. In the afternoon ZG 76 flew missions in the
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
area. ZG 76 lost one on this date, with another severely damaged in action with No. 17 Squadron. On 5 October ZG 76 escorted the unit to RAF West Malling. Engaged by the famed No. 303 Squadron, ZG 76 suffered no losses but their charges lost two and two damaged. Among the dead was acting group commander of ''Erprobungsgruppe'' 210, Werner Weimann. The Bf 110, according to one analyst, has been underestimated in the Battle of Britain historiography. The statistics show Bf 110 pilots' claim-to-loss ratio was more favourable than other fighters of the battle; but German claims were usually exaggerated. German airmen claimed 3,085 British aircraft destroyed during the battle; actual RAF losses were 915. The Battle of Britain was expensive for the Zerstörer wings. The Luftwaffe began the battle with 237 serviceable Bf 110s. They lost 223 in the waging of it, with many units fighting to near extinction.


Post-Battle of Britain, Balkans, Mediterranean and Iraq

ZG 76 lingered on the Channel and in
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
until late 1940. Stab/ZG 76 became ''Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen'' under Grabmann until approximately June 1941, when appears to have been disbanded. I./ZG 76, under the command of ''Hauptmann'' Heinrich Graf von Stillfried und Rattonitz, was disbanded on 7 September 1940, during the Battle of Britain in Norway and re designated II. ''Gruppe'' of ''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing). II./ZG 76 was withdrawn to the German-occupied Netherlands,
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, then to
Jever Jever () is the capital of the district of Friesland (district), Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer, Jever Pilsener, which is produced there. The city is also a popular holiday res ...
to protect the Heliogland Bight from 1 January 1941 and renamed III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 3 (NJG 3—3rd Night Fighter Wing). In each case the pilots were retrained as night fighter pilots from 11 November 1941. It was the only ''gruppe'' to participate in the Balkans Campaign in April and May 1941. II./ZG 76 was attached to the Stab of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) and Zerst.E-Gruppe, the latter based at Wesermünde Geest. The latter group moved to Aalborg in Denmark. III./ZG 76 moved to Bergen, Norway while Stab/ZG 76 remained in Stavanger. III./ZG 76 was exiled to Norway in October 1940 under the command of Rolf Kaldrack and disbanded on 24 April 1941 to become II/ SKG 210. It began reformation in 1943 but this was never completed and personnel were sent to the reformed I./ZG 76 in 1944. ZG 76 was not recorded on Luftflotte 4's order of battle for the
German invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Fü ...
or the
Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...
on 5 April 1941. II./ZG 76 moved to Argos where one of its aircraft was damaged in a surprise attack by No. 252 Squadron on 14 May, during the build-up to the
Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...
. II./ZG 76 was allocated to Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII. On 22 May, two days into the battle, ZG 76 reported its first two losses in action over Suda Bay. A further crew was lost when the group attacked Motor Launch ''ML1011''. The vessel was holed and one crewman killed. During the Crete operation a single ''staffel'', 4./ZG 76, flew to
Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
,
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, to fight the
Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allies of World War II, Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq, then ruled by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état with assista ...
, but the venture was a failure. Among the crews that travelled was Martin Drewes who became a successful night fighter pilot. The aircraft wore
Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF; ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for t ...
insignia. The campaign in Crete ended in a
pyrrhic victory A Pyrrhic victory ( ) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. The phrase originates from a quote from ...
for the Germans because of the paratrooper and aircraft losses.


Defence of the Reich

In mid-1943 the Zerstörer wings experienced a brief revival. The Defence of the Reich (''Reichsverteidigung''—RLV) was now a priority theatre, despite the defeats on the Eastern Front and in
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
. The RLM in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
decided there was merit in reforming the Bf 110 units for the firepower of the type was suitable for destroying
heavy bombers Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the largest ...
over Germany. The OKL foresaw their use while the Luftwaffe still retained a measure of control over German skies and in southern European theatres in the naval escort and close air support role. Scattered Zerstörer units were recalled from
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
and Mediterranean for be reformed into wings. ZG 76 was ordered to reform in southern Germany from training and reconnaissance units. The wing was permitted two ''gruppen'' of Bf 110Gs. The wing was partially equipped with Messerschmitt Me 410s and aircrew drawn from I./ NJG 101. The reformed unit was assigned to the 5. ''Jagddivision''. ZG 76 was still in southern Germany through the winter, 1943/44. 6./ZG 76 were photographed in formation over the German Alps with drop tanks, a double 20mm cannon pod under the fuselage and armed with
Werfer-Granate 21 The ''Werfer-Granate 21'' rocket launcher, also known as the BR 21 (the "BR" standing for ''Bordrakete'') in official Luftwaffe manuals, was a weapon used by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and was the first on-board rocket placed into ...
. All ''gruppen'' of ZG 76 had the Werfer-Granate 21 installed to break up American bomber formations. Theodor Rossiwall was given command of ZG 76. Initially formed with Bf 110s but converted to the Me 410 in full by April 1944. I./ZG 76 reformed at
Ansbach Ansbach ( , ; ) is a city in the Germany, German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk, administrative region of Mittelfranken, Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränk ...
, II./ZG 76 at Wertheim under ''Major'' Herbert Kaminski. ''Hauptmann'' Johannes Kiel was to command III./ZG 76 from Oettingen in Bayern, but a shortage of aircraft forced the abandonment of this and the remnants were subsumed into I./ZG 76. Though faster than the Bf 110, the Me 410 was not liked by its crews. It was more difficult to bail out of, and was not as agile as the Bf 110. Some crews felt the Bf 110 could sustain much more combat damage than the Me 410. On 4 October 1943 the US
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
attacked targets in
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. Some 130
B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
bombers were dispatched by the 1st Bombardment Division while 168 from the 3rd Bomb Division operated against targets in the
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
and the Saint-Dizier airbase, which had been made operational and housed II. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). 14 B-17s were ultimately lost. II./ZG 76 engaged the
bomber stream The bomber stream was a saturation attack tactic developed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command to overwhelm the nighttime German aerial defences of the Kammhuber Line during World War II. The Kammhuber Line consisted of three layer ...
alone and claimed four. They then ran into the US 56th Fighter Group, without any escorting
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
s or Bf 109s near
Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...
. The resulting dogfight was characterised by Caldwell and Richard R. Muller as a "slaughter." Nine Bf 110s and 11 men were killed with seven wounded. The dead included both group commanders. The introduction of long-range American fighter escorts in February 1944, signalled an increase in losses for the Zerstörergeschwader. On 16 March 1944, 26 of 43 Bf 110s sent by ZG 76 into battle were shot down; a devastating loss rate. By August 1944, the German front in Normandy was on the verge of collapse at Falaise. The battles in Normandy had left the German fighter forces spread thinly; the resulting attrition having taken a toll of fighter units. II./ZG 76 was reforming and recuperating alone at
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. Stab and I./ZG 76 were still operational but had to be used with extreme caution. They were based in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
under the command of the 8. ''Jagddivision'' with II./ZG 1. Only I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 302 (JG 302—302nd Fighter Wing) was assigned to the division with single-engine fighters. II./ZG 26 remained isolated in
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
. In the south ZG 76 formed the defences against the US
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
. On 16 June 1944 the Americans attacked Vienna and
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
. I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing), I./JG 302, II./ZG 1 and I./ZG 76 flew interceptions. 20
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
bombers were claimed along with one
Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
and two
North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
s. American losses totalled nine B-24s, two B-17s, seven P-38s and one P-51s. The majority of the P-38s fell to Hungarian-flown Bf 109s. US fighter pilot claimed 40; at least 16 Axis fighters were shot down. On 20 June, the Eighth Air Force sent 1,378 bombers to targets in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
and
Hannover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
. The only interception attempted by ZG 76 was against the 492nd Bombardment Group as the Germans flew north from Prague. They were hit by P-51s before they reached the bombers and lost three Me 410s and their crews. An attack by 667 bombers of the US Fifteenth against Vienna unfolded on the 26 June 1944. I./ZG 76 claimed three B-24s but lost eight Bf 110s. On 27 June the Fifteenth attacked
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
. Over
Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the larges ...
, II./ZG 1 and I./ZG 76 took advantage of cloud cover to shoot down four B-24s from the 460th Bombardment Group. On 2 July the Americans struck at the city again. I./ZG 76 committed 20 Me 410s. I./ZG 76 reported to have found a gap in the escort and claimed 13 bombers for one Me 410. Only four bombers failed to return, however.


Disbandment

ZG 76 was disbanded and its personnel went to the reformation of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 76 (JG 76—76th Fighter Wing), equipped with the Bf 109 single-engine fighter.


Commanding officers

* Generalmajor Walter Grabmann, 15 April 1940 – 31 July 1941 * Oberstleutnant Theodor Rossiwall, August 1943 – 24 January 1944 * Oberstleutnant Robert Kowalewski, 25 January – 24 July 1944


References


Citations


Bibliography

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Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zerstorergeschwader 76 Luftwaffe Wings Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945