Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76) was a Zerstörer (heavy fighter; lit. "destroyer") geschwader (wing) of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phases of World War II, then the Messerschmitt Bf 110 for the duration of the war.

Created in 1939 based on the Zerstörer concept advocated by Hermann Göring, 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 during the Phoney War. Those elements (gruppen, or groups) that operated the Bf 110 fought in the Invasion of Poland in September 1939 which began World War II. Thereafter, ZG 76 fought in the Battle of the German Bight in December 1939 which encouraged RAF Bomber Command 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, Battle of France and Battle of Britain. Elements of the wing fought in the German invasion of Yugoslavia, Battle of Greece and Battle of Crete. The majority of the gruppen were disbanded in late 1941 after serving in the early stages of the Defence of the Reich by defending the German-occupied Low Countries.

In 1943 ZG 76 was reformed. The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe felt the heavy fighters could be successful against the unescorted United States Army Air Force 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 and was known as Jagdgruppe 176, while it retained its heavy fighter identity officially, then re-equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 over the winter, 1939/40. The organisation and equipment of the Zerstörergeschwader units was typical at this time. Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG26—26th Destroyer Wing) was operated and organised in a similar fashion.

The Geschwaderstab was created on 15 April 1940 in Köln-Wahn. The III. Gruppe was raised on 26 June 1940 in Trier-Euren with the Messerschmitt Bf110.

World War II

Invasion of Poland and Phoney War

On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht invaded Poland beginning World War II in Europe. ZG76 operated with one gruppe during the campaign. I./ZG76 was based at Gablingen under the command of 6. Fliegerdivision (6th Air Division). Approximately 100 Bf110s were combat ready for action in Poland indicating a shortfall in production. A ratio of one rotte [flight] per kampfstaffel [bomber squadron] had to suffice.

Alexander Löhr, commanding Luftflotte 4, regarded the destruction of the Polish Air Force of such importance he ordered Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's air command to attack airfields near Kraków. I./ZG76 was ordered to provide fighter escort for bombers from I. and III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 4 (KG4—4th Bomber Wing) and I. and III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 77 (KG77—77th Bomber Wing). The attacks on these airfields involved 150 sorties. KG4 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./ZG76 provided effective protection to Kampfgeschwader 27 (KG27—27th Bomber Wing) on its long-range bombing missions.

Other heavy fighter units claimed victories as well; I.(Z) Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG1—1st Demonstration Wing) claimed wildly optimistic total of 34 Polish fighters shot down, while Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG2—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" [presumably 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.

A ZG 76 Bf 110C with "sharks mouth" nose paint

On 2 September I./ZG76, led by Lent, claimed 11 aircraft at Dęblin, while KG4 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. Only three were actually lost. The survivors, however, lost five to Bf109s to JGr102. The Pursuit Brigade was transferred to an unspecified sector giving Luftwaffe bombers a free hand. The cost of the air battle to ZG76 was three Bf110s.

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 operations. I./ZG76 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 on 17 September 1939, ZG76 reorganised in the Phoney War period. II. and III./ZG76 finally were able to convert from the Bf109 to Bf110 and shed their Jadggruppe designations. ZG76 flew protection patrols (Defence of the Reich) over the German North Sea 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 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, an invasion of Denmark and Norway. X Fliegerkorps was allocated to the operation, which was conducted in cooperation with the German Army and the Kriegsmarine. The air corps was commanded by Generalleutnant Hans Ferdinand Geisler. Only I./ZG76 from the wing participated based at airstrips near Westerland. 3. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG1—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 from Royal Navy intervention. The German invasion of Denmark was carried out in the space of 24 hours. 1./ZG76 assisted in the seizure of Aalborg airport on the northern Danish coast granting air superiority over the Skagerrak. Signallers, ground crews, clerks and essential equipment was flown in by Junkers Ju 52s from KGzbV 1. II./KGzbV 1 flew to Oslo Airport, Fornebu to land soldiers and Fallschirmjäger battalions. Lent and 1./ZG76 gave air cover. The staffel claimed one Royal Norwegian Air Force Gloster Gladiator 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 Short Sunderland probing Oslo fjord.

Norwegian Gladiator 427 downed by Lent on 9 April 1940

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 Hawks, were destroyed by ZG76. The landing at Stavanger was successful, but 3./KG4 and 3./ZG76 failed to prevent eight Caproni Ca.135 bombers escaping north. From Stavanger Airport, Sola, on 12 April, Hauptmann Günther Reinecke's I./ZG76 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 and Stavanger-Sola to 2 May. ZG76 carried out strafing missions countering the Åndalsnes landings and Namsos campaign. Kampfgeschwader 26 (KG26—26th Bomber Wing) and Kampfgeschwader 1 (KG1—1st Bomber Wing) destroyed the ammunition dumps and razed the wharves. HMS Glorious flew in Gladiator squadrons to Lesjaskogsvatnet on 24 April. In response, LG1, escorted by Bf110s from ZG76 and sometimes the Zerstörergruppe (Z) of Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG30—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.

Lent's Bf110C ran out of fuel during the Battle of Fornebu and was forced to land. A troop-carrying Ju52 flies over Lent's Bf110.

Further south, I./ZG76 was less successful. On 12 April it accounted for two No. 149 Squadron Wellingtons and Squadron Leader 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 struck at Stavanger. ZG76 lost their commanding officer, Hauptmann Günther Reinecke killed in action with British bombers, along with other flying aces Leutnant Helmut Fahlbusch and Oberfeldwebel 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 interceptions.

ZG76 fought in the Battles of Narvik to counter the threat from RAF fighter units operating from Bardufoss Airport. The aerial battles were complicated for ZG76 by the introduction of the Bf 110D-0 "dachshund" 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 J.L. Wilkie were downed. I./ZG76 remained in Norway with Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG77—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. 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 ZG76 which was credited with 16 enemy aircraft followed by JG77 with 13.

Western Europe

Stab and II./ZG76 was assigned to the Fliegerkorps I under the command of Generaloberst Grauert near Cologne-Wahn. On 10 May 1940 the German offensive opened with Fall Gelb, the Battle of the Netherlands and Battle of Belgium as a prelude to the larger Battle of France. During the first day of operations the heavy fighter wings flew 2,000 sorties with the Bf109-equipped units. ZG76 supported the southern flank of Army Group B and the northern flank of Army Group A during the Panzer Divisions dash to the English Channel 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 (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./ZG76 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 Do17s of 8./KG76. Two pilots are believed to have been lost to II./ZG76. One was killed, the other captured. On 18 May, II./ZG76 flew as escorts to III./KG76 as the group made repeated bombing raids. Over Vitry airfield, a large dogfight broke out when all available Hawker Hurricane units were scrambled to intercept. No. 79, No. 607, No. 615 and No. 151 Squadron were involved. Over Merville, Nord and Lille one 4 and one 6./ZG76 crew were killed. Geschwaderkommodore Walter Grabmann, who flew with Stab./ZG76 that evening was shot down and became a prisoner of war. His gunner, Feldwebel Richard Krone was killed in action. According to records, one Hurricane from B Flight, No. 111 Squadron, that arrived on the scene was shot down by a ZG76 Bf110. a No. 56 Squadron Hurricane pilot from B Flight, Flight Lieutenant S Soden was killed in action with II./ZG76.

Walter Grabmann, the first Geschwaderkommodore was shot down and captured on 18 May 1940

On 21 May, ZG76 was in combat supporting German forces in the Battle of Arras. In combat with No. 229 and No. 253 Squadrons intercepting bombers from III./KG1, the ZG76 Bf110s managed to down two Hurricanes; one pilot was killed while Squadron Leader Elliot was captured. One of the 9./KG1 bombers was shot down. On 23 May, according to Fighter Command records, four fighters were lost in action with Bf110 units killing one pilot, wounding another while two were wounded.

II./ZG76 fought over the Dunkirk beaches during the Battle of Dunkirk. On 26 May the gruppe made a single claim against an unknown aircraft type and squadron. According to RAF Fighter Command records, two Hurricane pilots were shot down by Bf110s this day—the pilot from No. 17 Squadron was killed and the other from No. 605 Squadron returned to his unit. Neither ZG1, ZG2 or ZG26 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 Bf110s (two credited to Bf110s and Junkers Ju 88 bombers) by Fighter Command.

The command staffel and II./ZG76 continued operations with Fliegerkorps I for the duration of Fall Rot. Fliegerkorps I operated in the Brittany and Normandy sectors in a bid to stop further evacuations. The air corps failed, and Operation Aerial succeeded.

Hans-Joachim Jabs surmised his experience with ZG76 over Europe in the Bf110 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 proceeded. The Luftwaffe began probing attacks by day and night over England. Luftflotte 2 and Luftflotte 3 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.

On 10 July the Battle of Britain opened with attacks on Channel convoy Bread. Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen ordered Fliegerkorps VIII to prepared for further operations at first light. Hugo Sperrle, commanding Luftflotte 3, ordered more Stuka attack. ZG76 from Fliegerkorps I was tasked with performing fighter escort duties for Ju87s of III/StG 2. No.87, No. 238 and No. 601 Squadron intercepted and ZG76 lost four crews protecting the Stukas over the Isle of Portland. The Ju87s lost one from the two staffeln committed to the attack. Only one No.601 Squadron fighter was lost, to British anti-aircraft fire. On 12 August, ZG76 joined with ZG2 to field 120 Bf110s ordered to protect 100+ Ju88s from Kampfgeschwader 51 (KG51—51st Bomber Wing), supported by 25 Bf109s from I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG53—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. Fighter Command responded with large forces. 48 Hurricanes and 10 Spitfires were ordered from RAF Middle Wallop, Exeter, RAF Tangmere and RAF Warmwell to intercept. The fighters orbited to attract RAF fighters while the Ju88s turned to attack Portsmouth. The attack destroyed many installations including Portsmouth Harbour railway station, 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 Ju88s were shot down. ZG2 lost three Bf110s and four damaged while ZG76 reported on loss and two damaged. ZG76 were engaged by No. 609 Squadron.

On 13 August Operation Eagle Attack began with Adlertag. The official go-ahead was given at 14:00. 52 Ju87s from StG1 and StG2 who were to strike at RAF Warmwell and Yeovil. II., and III./JG53 and III./ZG76 flew escort for the Ju87s. Virtually all of No. 10 Group RAF scrambled to intercept. One staffel from II./StG2 was badly hit by No.609 Squadron; six out of nine Ju87s 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. They took off at 15:15 and were escorted by ZG76. They found unbroken cloud over Essex. No.56 Squadron intercepted, and Erprobungsgruppe 210 dropped their bombs over Canterbury. ZG76 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 joined the battle as the Luftwaffe attacked Fighter Command from the south, east and north. I./ZG76 was still based in Norway and provided escort for Heinkel He111s from I. and III./KG26. The bombers headed for Newcastle 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 He111s caused the German formation to fly a parallel track which proved disastrous. No. 13 Group RAF were able to concentrate against the intruders. Eight He111s from KG26 were shot down. Seven I./ZG26 Bf110s were shot down protecting them. Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Restemeyer was killed in action. Stab, II. and III./ZG76 lost 12 Bf110s between them in the southeast flying escort for elements of LG1 against RAF Worthy Down. Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Dickore, III./ZG26 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.

ZG76 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 bases for fighter fields. The day's operations cost ZG76 four crews and one damaged, from the Stab/ZG76 in combat with No.609 and No. 19 Squadron. The casualties were sustained when 100 aircraft from StG2, Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG2—2nd Fighter Wing) followed by 12 Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG54—54th Bomber Wing) Ju88s escorted by III./ZG76 struck at Tangmere and other airfields. ZG76 did not participate in the battles of the 18 August—known as The Hardest Day—it reported no casualties on this date. ZG26 made up the burden of Bf110 operations and suffered heavy losses. 13 Bf110s were recorded as destroyed and 6 damaged. Among their casualties were two Staffelkapitän. Little activity was recorded over the following days, the only casualty being a II./ZG76 machine in a taxiing accident at Jersey Airport; the gruppe retained a staffel there on 24 August during the German occupation of the Channel Islands in 1940. According to German loss reports from the quartermaster general Hans-Georg von Seidel, ZG2, V./LG1 and ZG76 were active on 25 August. ZG76 reported the loss of one crew, their fate is unknown. ZG2 reported the loss of four Bf 110s and three damaged. V./LG1 suffered two losses and two damaged. ZG76 reported no losses on 26 August; ZG76 reported one severely damaged and ZG26 lost three over Chelmsford. ZG76's last major operation of the month occurred on 30 August. Two of its aircraft were lost and one damaged. While escorting Do17s 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 the scene and they damaged two of the bombers.

The battle reached a climax in September 1940. On 1 September, ZG76 were flying combat operations and reported one damaged but their opponents are unknown. On 2 September Kampfgeschwader 3 (KG3—3rd Bomber Wing) Dornier bombers were operating off Deal when No.72 Squadron engaged; Bf110s were reported to be present among the German escorts and the fight developed over Maidstone. ZG76 were known to operational for the wing reported one destroyed and two damaged in air combat. ZG2 and ZG26 were also active reporting heavier losses—four each. The burden of operations on 3 September fell to ZG2 and ZG26 which reported the loss of seven and two severely damaged in total. ZG76 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.

ZG 26 Bf 110 undergoing maintenance and re-arming, July 1940

The following day, 6./ZG76 of III. Gruppe were involved in a strategic bombing 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, crossing the coast at Littlehampton with the objective of attacking the Brooklands factory. A simultaneous operation by 70 Do17s and 200 Bf109s began attacks against Canterbury, Faversham, Reigate, Redhill and Eastchurch. The formation of 20 bomb-carrying Bf110s and their ZG76 escort were spotted by the Royal Observer Corps near Guildford at 6,000 feet (1,800 metres). 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 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 Bf110 units suffered losses in the day's fighting. LG1 lost four and one damaged, ZG2 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. 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 docks were severely damaged. LG1 were the only wing to report losses to its Bf 110 units. Over the next two days the only recorded activity of ZG76 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. ZG76 flew as escort. The bomb-carrying Bf 110s lost one and although ZG76 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 Bf110s from LG1 and ZG76 were lost on similar operations over England in the morning. In the afternoon ZG 76 flew missions in the Bristol area. ZG 76 lost one on this date, with another severely damaged in action with No.17 Squadron. On 5 October ZG76 escorted the unit to RAF West Malling. Engaged by the famed No. 303 Squadron, ZG76 suffered no losses but their charges lost two and two damaged. Among the dead was acting group commander of Erprobungsgruppe 210, Werner Weimann.

The Bf110, according to one analyst, has been underestimated in the Battle of Britain historiography. The statistics show Bf110 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 Bf110s. They lost 223 in the waging of it, with many units fighting to near extinction.

Post-Battle of Britain, Balkans, Mediterranean and Iraq

Bf 110 aircraft of ZG 76 at De Kooy airfield, Occupied Netherlands, in 1941.

ZG76 lingered on the Channel and in Scandinavia until late 1940. Stab/ZG76 became Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen under Grabmann until approximately June 1941, when appears to have been disbanded. I./ZG76, 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 (NJG1—1st Night Fighter Wing). II./ZG76 was withdrawn to the German-occupied Netherlands, Amsterdam, then to Jever to protect the Heliogland Bight from 1 January 1941 and renamed III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG3—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./ZG76 was attached to the Stab of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG1—1st Fighter Wing) and Zerst.E-Gruppe, the latter based at Wesermünde Geest. The latter group moved to Aalborg in Denmark. III./ZG76 moved to Bergen, Norway while Stab/ZG76 remained in Stavanger. III./ZG76 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./ZG76 in 1944.

ZG76 was not recorded on Luftflotte 4's order of battle for the German invasion of Yugoslavia or the Battle of Greece on 5 April 1941. II./ZG76 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. II./ZG76 was allocated to Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII. On 22 May, two days into the battle, ZG76 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./ZG76, flew to Mosul, Iraq, to fight the Anglo-Iraqi War, 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 insignia. The campaign in Crete ended in a pyrrhic victory 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. The RLM in Berlin decided there was merit in reforming the Bf 110 units for the firepower of the type was suitable for destroying heavy bombers 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 and Mediterranean for be reformed into wings. ZG76 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. ZG76 was still in southern Germany through the winter, 1943/44. 6./ZG76 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. All gruppen of ZG76 had the Werfer-Granate 21 installed to break up American bomber formations.

Theodor Rossiwall was given command of ZG76. Initially formed with Bf110s but converted to the Me410 in full by April 1944. I./ZG76 reformed at Ansbach, II./ZG76 at Wertheim under Major Herbert Kaminski. Hauptmann Johannes Kiel was to command III./ZG76 from Oettingen in Bayern, but a shortage of aircraft forced the abandonment of this and the remnants were subsumed into I./ZG76. Though faster than the Bf110, the Me410 was not liked by its crews. It was more difficult to bail out of, and was not as agile as the Bf110. Some crews felt the Bf 110 could sustain much more combat damage than the Me410.

Me 410, operated by ZG 76 from April 1944

On 4 October 1943 the US Eighth Air Force attacked targets in Frankfurt. Some 130 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were dispatched by the 1st Bombardment Division while 168 from the 3rd Bomb Division operated against targets in the Saarland and the Saint-Dizier airbase, which had been made operational and housed II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG27—27th Fighter Wing). 14 B-17s were ultimately lost. II./ZG76 engaged the bomber stream alone and claimed four. They then ran into the US 56th Fighter Group, without any escorting Focke-Wulf Fw 190s or Bf 109s near Düren. The resulting dogfight was characterised by Caldwell and Richard R. Muller as a "slaughter." Nine Bf110s 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 Bf110s sent by ZG76 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./ZG76 was reforming and recuperating alone at Prague. Stab and I./ZG76 were still operational but had to be used with extreme caution. They were based in Vienna under the command of the 8. Jagddivision with II./ZG1. Only I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 302 (JG302—302nd Fighter Wing) was assigned to the division with single-engine fighters. II./ZG26 remained isolated in East Prussia. In the south ZG76 formed the defences against the US Fifteenth Air Force. On 16 June 1944 the Americans attacked Vienna and Bratislava. I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG300—300th Fighter Wing), I./JG302, II./ZG1 and I./ZG76 flew interceptions. 20 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers were claimed along with one Lockheed P-38 Lightning and two North American P-51 Mustangs. 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 Bf109s. 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, Bremen and Hannover. The only interception attempted by ZG76 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 Me410s and their crews. An attack by 667 bombers of the US Fifteenth against Vienna unfolded on the 26 June 1944. I./ZG76 claimed three B-24s but lost eight Bf110s. On 27 June the Fifteenth attacked Budapest. Over Lake Balaton, II./ZG1 and I./ZG76 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./ZG76 committed 20 Me410s. I./ZG76 reported to have found a gap in the escort and claimed 13 bombers for one Me410. Only four bombers failed to return, however.

Disbandment

ZG 76 was disbanded and its personnel went to the reformation of Jagdgeschwader 76 (JG76—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

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading