Zerstörergeschwader 76
Encyclopedia
Zerstörergeschwader 76 or ZG 76 (lit. destroyer wing) was a Luftwaffe
heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft
-wing
of World War II
.
Zerstörergeschwader 76 was formed on 1 May 1939 with the I. Gruppe and II. Gruppe without a Geschwaderstab
. The II. Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and was known as Jagdgruppe 176. The Geschwaderstab was created on 15 April 1940 in Köln
-Wahn. The III. Gruppe was raised on 26 June 1940 in Trier
-Euren.
On 1 September 1939 Germany attacked Poland although bad weather initially precluded a large scale deployment of ZG 76. I./ZG 76 engaged Polish fighters formations and made their first claims, although also suffered their first losses. Future 'ace' Leutnant Helmut Lent
participated in the attack on Poland, destroying several aircraft on the ground and a PZL P.11
fighter in the air on 2 September 1939 for his and (I./ZG 76) first victory. However, on 12 September, following the destruction of an aircraft on the ground he was attacked by another fighter and his starboard engine was hit and put out of action. This necessitated a forced-landing, fortunately behind his own lines, in which he received minor injuries.
On 29 September, I./ZG 76 was withdrawn to the Stuttgart
area to provide Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich
) against the Western Allied Air Forces. I./ZG 76 claimed 31 kills during the campaign, of which 19 were confirmed.
On 18 December 1939 the Royal Air Force
(RAF) sent a force of Vickers Wellington
s to raid Wilhelmshafen during the day. I./ZG 76 under Hptm. Gunther Reinecke, intercepted. Staffelkapitän
of 2./ZG 76, Wolfgang Falck
, and wingman Uffz. Heinz Fresia were the first to engage, claiming two Wellingtons each, though Falck's aircraft was hit by defending fire and he crash-landed on Wangerooge
. Others of I./ZG 76 intercepted at intervals, unit claims totalling 15 Wellingtons shot down. The RAF lost 12, with total Luftwaffe unconfirmed claims being 38.
prior to landings there by Junkers Ju 52
transports. Before reaching Oslo they were attacked by Norwegian Air Force Gloster Gladiators and lost two aircraft. Oblt. Gordon Gollob
led 3./ZG 76 to Stavanger-Sola airfield. Two Bf-110's collided and crashed into the sea with both crews killed. During April, I./ZG 76 encountered RAF bombers on several occasions and victories were claimed by Wolfgang Falck, Helmut Lent
and Helmut Woltersdorf
. On 30 April I./ZG 76's Gruppenkommandeur
Hptm. Gunther Reinecke was shot down following combat with a Bristol Blenheim
. The Gruppe lost two 'experten' when Lt. Helmut Fahlbusch and Ofw. Georg Fleischmann were killed against RAF bombers. The Staffelkapitän
of 1. Staffel, Werner Hansen, took over temporary command of the Gruppe until the new Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Werner Restermeyer was posted on 11 May. Lt. Helmut Lent
recorded four victories during the campaign in Norway and was promoted to Oberleutnant
on 1 July.
ZG 76 saw intensive action resulting in losses against Allied fighters. Major Walter Grabmann
, Geschwaderkommodore of ZG 76 was shot down on 18 May. He survived and re-joined the unit after a period of captivity. Oblt. Heinz Nacke
, Staffelkapitän of 6./ZG 76, gained his initial success on 12 May 1940, when he shot down a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
fighter. He added a further eight victories during the campaign.
, II./ZG 76, stationed in Northern France, flew escort for bomber units attacking Southern England. Losses however mounted quickly. On 11 July III./ZG 76 were over the Channel as escort to Ju-87s. The Bf 110s came under fierce attack by RAF fighters, and Lt. Friedrich-Wolfgang Graf von und zu Castell (7.Staffel) was killed while Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel, Oblt. Gerhard Kadow force-landed inland of the English coast; the most notable loss however was the nephew of Hermann Göring
, Oblt. Hans-Joachim Goring, crashed fatally near Portland. One other Bf 110 was lost.
On 15 August, II./ZG 76 were heavily involved in action over the Channel as escorts to the Ju 88s of Lehrgeschwader 1
. Under heavy attack from RAF squadrons and the unit lost 6 Bf-110’s, with another 2 written off in France. III./ZG 76 later flew escort to Ju-87s. While protecting their charges, III. gruppe lost 4 aircraft, including Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Dickore. His place was taken by Rolf Kaldrack
of 7.Staffel.
Further North, Luftflotte 5
made its initial entry into the Battle. Operating from Scandinavia, 34 Bf-110s of I./ZG 76 escorted 65 Heinkel He 111s of KG 26 raiding the North East coast airfields. Several RAF squadrons intercepted the raiders over the North Sea. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Werner Restermeyer and 6 others of I gruppe were shot down. The losses thus suffered resulted in I./ZG 76 taking no further direct part in the Battle and the unit was eventually recalled to Germany to be converted to a night fighter role.
On 30 August 1940 Oblt. Nacke claimed three Hawker Hurricane
s shot down, and was awarded the Ritterkreuz in November 1940 for 12 victories.
During the Battle, ZG 76 lost some 98 aircrew killed , missing or POW.
By October, most of the Bf 110 units had been withdrawn from France and some reformed as night fighter units. I. Gruppe remained at Stavanger
until 7 September 1940, when it was transferred to the night fighter arm and re-designated II./NJG 1 while II./ZG 76 was withdrawn to Jever
in September 1940 and III./ZG 76 went to Stavanger-Sola.
in early May 1941. The campaign lasted a mere ten days, with two RAF Gloster Gladiator
s claimed by future night fighter Experten Lt. Martin Drewes
. By 26 May no Bf 110s remained serviceable and all Luftwaffe personnel were evacuated.
On 26 June, 6./ZG 1 was redesignated 9./ZG 76 with the original 9./ZG 76 redesignated 6./SKG 210 on 24 April 1941.
II. Gruppe became the III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3
on 1 November 1941.
At the same time the Geschwaderstab became the Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen
and III. Gruppe was disbanded.
. The Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe were raised in Ansbach
, the II. Gruppe in Wertheim
and III. Gruppe in November in Öttingen. The formation of III. Gruppe was never completed, and in April 1944 the personnel were incorporated into I./ZG 76.
I. and III./ZG 76 were based in Austria, and II./ZG 76 based in France. Hpt. Herbert Kaminski ( 7 kills) was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 76 on 5 October 1943 and led the Gruppe until 9 August 1944 on Reichsverteidigung operations.
On 4 October 1943 I. and II./ZG 76 attacked a formation of USAAF heavy bombers on missions to Frankfurt
and Wiesbaden
. They were in turn intercepted by P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group over the Eifel mountains and 7 of the 40 Bf 110G-2s shot down. The Bf 110s against this formation destroyed 4 B-17s.
By spring 1944 I./ ZG 76 were based around Prague
, and operating a number of Bf 110G-2/R1 types with an under-slung 37 mm cannon.
On 16 March 1944 ZG 76 Bf-110G-2s claimed 18 B-17s shot down but lost 26 aircraft to Allied P-51s, 4 Staffel alone losing 10 of its 12-strong formation, including Staffelkaptain Oblt. Helmut Haugk ( 18 claims), who parchuted to safety.
On 9 April 1944 77 Bf 110s of ZG 76 intercepted a USAAF raid on Berlin. However, large formations of P-51 Mustangs attacked the defenders and the Bf 110 force lost a further 23 aircraft.
On 2 July 1944 I./ZG 76, together with I./ZG 1 and II./JG 27 claimed 45 aircraft destroyed over Budapest
, of which 34 were bombers. 8 were claimed by I./ZG 76 without loss. On 8 July I./ZG 76 lost eight Me 410s due to P-38's of the 82nd Fighter Group. Such losses curtailed further missions against the day bombers by October 1944.
II./ZG 76 were one of the last two of the day Zerstörergruppen operational and were stationed in Czechoslovakia
and then East Prussia
by August–October 1944. Although the unit was meant to convert to the FW-190 as II./JG 76, in reality the pilots were distributed among numerous existing fighter units by the end of 1944.
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
-wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
Stab (Luftwaffe designation)
During World War II, the suffix Stab was used in the German Luftwaffe to designate a headquarters unit. This applied to subordinate units in each Gruppe or Geschwader — the equivalent units to wings and groups in other air forces.These command units used the green colour of their aircraft...
. The II. Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and was known as Jagdgruppe 176. The Geschwaderstab was created on 15 April 1940 in Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
-Wahn. The III. Gruppe was raised on 26 June 1940 in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
-Euren.
On 1 September 1939 Germany attacked Poland although bad weather initially precluded a large scale deployment of ZG 76. I./ZG 76 engaged Polish fighters formations and made their first claims, although also suffered their first losses. Future 'ace' Leutnant Helmut Lent
Helmut Lent
Oberst Helmut Lent was a German night-fighter ace in World War II. Lent shot down 110 aircraft, 103 of them at night, far more than the minimum of five enemy aircraft required for the title of "ace".For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter...
participated in the attack on Poland, destroying several aircraft on the ground and a PZL P.11
PZL P.11
The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in the early 1930s by PZL in Warsaw. It was briefly considered to be the most advanced fighter aircraft design in the world...
fighter in the air on 2 September 1939 for his and (I./ZG 76) first victory. However, on 12 September, following the destruction of an aircraft on the ground he was attacked by another fighter and his starboard engine was hit and put out of action. This necessitated a forced-landing, fortunately behind his own lines, in which he received minor injuries.
On 29 September, I./ZG 76 was withdrawn to the Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
area to provide Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
) against the Western Allied Air Forces. I./ZG 76 claimed 31 kills during the campaign, of which 19 were confirmed.
On 18 December 1939 the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) sent a force of Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
s to raid Wilhelmshafen during the day. I./ZG 76 under Hptm. Gunther Reinecke, intercepted. Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of 2./ZG 76, Wolfgang Falck
Wolfgang Falck
Wolfgang Falck was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. He was one of the key organisers of the German night fighter defences.-Military career:...
, and wingman Uffz. Heinz Fresia were the first to engage, claiming two Wellingtons each, though Falck's aircraft was hit by defending fire and he crash-landed on Wangerooge
Wangerooge
Wangerooge is one of the 32 Frisian Islands in the North Sea located close to the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is also a municipality in the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony in Germany.Wangerooge is one of the East Frisian Islands...
. Others of I./ZG 76 intercepted at intervals, unit claims totalling 15 Wellingtons shot down. The RAF lost 12, with total Luftwaffe unconfirmed claims being 38.
Norway 1940
I./ZG 76 then supported the landings in Norway with 1. Staffel charged with gaining air superiority over OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
prior to landings there by Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
transports. Before reaching Oslo they were attacked by Norwegian Air Force Gloster Gladiators and lost two aircraft. Oblt. Gordon Gollob
Gordon Gollob
Gordon M. Gollob was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1945 during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
led 3./ZG 76 to Stavanger-Sola airfield. Two Bf-110's collided and crashed into the sea with both crews killed. During April, I./ZG 76 encountered RAF bombers on several occasions and victories were claimed by Wolfgang Falck, Helmut Lent
Helmut Lent
Oberst Helmut Lent was a German night-fighter ace in World War II. Lent shot down 110 aircraft, 103 of them at night, far more than the minimum of five enemy aircraft required for the title of "ace".For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter...
and Helmut Woltersdorf
Helmut Woltersdorf
Helmut Woltersdorf was a German Luftwaffe flying ace during World War II. Woltersdorf is credited with 24 victories, including 20 Royal Air Force bombers. Woltersdorf flew the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Dornier Do 215 night-fighter.For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World...
. On 30 April I./ZG 76's Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
Hptm. Gunther Reinecke was shot down following combat with a Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
. The Gruppe lost two 'experten' when Lt. Helmut Fahlbusch and Ofw. Georg Fleischmann were killed against RAF bombers. The Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of 1. Staffel, Werner Hansen, took over temporary command of the Gruppe until the new Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Werner Restermeyer was posted on 11 May. Lt. Helmut Lent
Helmut Lent
Oberst Helmut Lent was a German night-fighter ace in World War II. Lent shot down 110 aircraft, 103 of them at night, far more than the minimum of five enemy aircraft required for the title of "ace".For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter...
recorded four victories during the campaign in Norway and was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
on 1 July.
Battle Of France 1940
During the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
ZG 76 saw intensive action resulting in losses against Allied fighters. Major Walter Grabmann
Walter Grabmann
Walter Grabmann was a German World War II Luftwaffe Generalmajor. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, Geschwaderkommodore of ZG 76 was shot down on 18 May. He survived and re-joined the unit after a period of captivity. Oblt. Heinz Nacke
Heinz Nacke
Heinz Nacke was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, Staffelkapitän of 6./ZG 76, gained his initial success on 12 May 1940, when he shot down a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
The M.S.406 was a French Armée de l'Air fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II....
fighter. He added a further eight victories during the campaign.
Battle of Britain 1940
During the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, II./ZG 76, stationed in Northern France, flew escort for bomber units attacking Southern England. Losses however mounted quickly. On 11 July III./ZG 76 were over the Channel as escort to Ju-87s. The Bf 110s came under fierce attack by RAF fighters, and Lt. Friedrich-Wolfgang Graf von und zu Castell (7.Staffel) was killed while Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel, Oblt. Gerhard Kadow force-landed inland of the English coast; the most notable loss however was the nephew of Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
, Oblt. Hans-Joachim Goring, crashed fatally near Portland. One other Bf 110 was lost.
On 15 August, II./ZG 76 were heavily involved in action over the Channel as escorts to the Ju 88s of Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1 formerly Lehrgeschwader Greifswald was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber Gruppen. The unit was formed in July 1936...
. Under heavy attack from RAF squadrons and the unit lost 6 Bf-110’s, with another 2 written off in France. III./ZG 76 later flew escort to Ju-87s. While protecting their charges, III. gruppe lost 4 aircraft, including Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Dickore. His place was taken by Rolf Kaldrack
Rolf Kaldrack
Rolf Kaldrack was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
of 7.Staffel.
Further North, Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 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....
made its initial entry into the Battle. Operating from Scandinavia, 34 Bf-110s of I./ZG 76 escorted 65 Heinkel He 111s of KG 26 raiding the North East coast airfields. Several RAF squadrons intercepted the raiders over the North Sea. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Werner Restermeyer and 6 others of I gruppe were shot down. The losses thus suffered resulted in I./ZG 76 taking no further direct part in the Battle and the unit was eventually recalled to Germany to be converted to a night fighter role.
On 30 August 1940 Oblt. Nacke claimed three Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s shot down, and was awarded the Ritterkreuz in November 1940 for 12 victories.
During the Battle, ZG 76 lost some 98 aircrew killed , missing or POW.
By October, most of the Bf 110 units had been withdrawn from France and some reformed as night fighter units. I. Gruppe remained at Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
until 7 September 1940, when it was transferred to the night fighter arm and re-designated II./NJG 1 while II./ZG 76 was withdrawn to Jever
Jever
Jever is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer which is produced here, the city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted city status in 1536. Unofficially Jever is sometimes referred to as...
in September 1940 and III./ZG 76 went to Stavanger-Sola.
1941
The Anglo-Iraqi War saw the Luftwaffe commit 4./ZG 76 as part of a small air component covering the Iraqi Nationalist forces as part of Fliegerführer IrakFliegerführer Irak
Flyer Command Iraq was a unit of the German Air Force sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War...
in early May 1941. The campaign lasted a mere ten days, with two RAF Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
s claimed by future night fighter Experten Lt. Martin Drewes
Martin Drewes
Martin Drewes was a night fighter ace in the German Luftwaffe during World War II.For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces 52 victories49 confirmed by Luftwaffe and 3 process interrupted in war finish43 victories at night were scored most...
. By 26 May no Bf 110s remained serviceable and all Luftwaffe personnel were evacuated.
On 26 June, 6./ZG 1 was redesignated 9./ZG 76 with the original 9./ZG 76 redesignated 6./SKG 210 on 24 April 1941.
II. Gruppe became the III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3
Nachtjagdgeschwader 3
Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 was a Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 3 was formed on 29 September 1941 in Stade from Stab./ZG 26.-Kommodore:*Major Johann Schalk, 1 December 1941 – 1 August 1943...
on 1 November 1941.
At the same time the Geschwaderstab became the Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen
Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen
Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen was a formation of the German Luftwaffe based in Occupied Norway during World War II.It was named for the "Fighter Leader , Norway" and referred to the units under his command.-Service history:...
and III. Gruppe was disbanded.
1943-44
In the autumn of 1943 most day Zerstörergruppen were recalled from the Eastern Front and Mediterranean and formed into Reich defence units. The ZG 76 Geschwader was reformed again in August 1943 under the experienced Major Theodor RossiwallTheodor Rossiwall
Theodor Rossiwall was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Rossiwall claimed 19 aircraft shot down in over 400 missions...
. The Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe were raised in Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
, the II. Gruppe in Wertheim
Wertheim
Wertheim may refer to:* Wertheim vacuum cleaner, a brand of vacuum cleaner* Wertheim am Main, Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Wertheim , a chain of German department stores...
and III. Gruppe in November in Öttingen. The formation of III. Gruppe was never completed, and in April 1944 the personnel were incorporated into I./ZG 76.
I. and III./ZG 76 were based in Austria, and II./ZG 76 based in France. Hpt. Herbert Kaminski ( 7 kills) was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 76 on 5 October 1943 and led the Gruppe until 9 August 1944 on Reichsverteidigung operations.
On 4 October 1943 I. and II./ZG 76 attacked a formation of USAAF heavy bombers on missions to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
. They were in turn intercepted by P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group over the Eifel mountains and 7 of the 40 Bf 110G-2s shot down. The Bf 110s against this formation destroyed 4 B-17s.
By spring 1944 I./ ZG 76 were based around Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and operating a number of Bf 110G-2/R1 types with an under-slung 37 mm cannon.
On 16 March 1944 ZG 76 Bf-110G-2s claimed 18 B-17s shot down but lost 26 aircraft to Allied P-51s, 4 Staffel alone losing 10 of its 12-strong formation, including Staffelkaptain Oblt. Helmut Haugk ( 18 claims), who parchuted to safety.
On 9 April 1944 77 Bf 110s of ZG 76 intercepted a USAAF raid on Berlin. However, large formations of P-51 Mustangs attacked the defenders and the Bf 110 force lost a further 23 aircraft.
On 2 July 1944 I./ZG 76, together with I./ZG 1 and II./JG 27 claimed 45 aircraft destroyed over Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, of which 34 were bombers. 8 were claimed by I./ZG 76 without loss. On 8 July I./ZG 76 lost eight Me 410s due to P-38's of the 82nd Fighter Group. Such losses curtailed further missions against the day bombers by October 1944.
II./ZG 76 were one of the last two of the day Zerstörergruppen operational and were stationed in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and then East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
by August–October 1944. Although the unit was meant to convert to the FW-190 as II./JG 76, in reality the pilots were distributed among numerous existing fighter units by the end of 1944.
Kommodore
- Generalmajor Walter GrabmannWalter GrabmannWalter Grabmann was a German World War II Luftwaffe Generalmajor. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 15 April 1940 – 31 July 1941 - Oberstleutnant Theodor RossiwallTheodor RossiwallTheodor Rossiwall was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Rossiwall claimed 19 aircraft shot down in over 400 missions...
, August 1943 – 24 January 1944 - Oberstleutnant Robert Kowalewski, 25 January 1944 – 24 July 1944
I./ZG 76
- Hauptmann Günther Reinecke, 1 May 1939 – 30 April 1940
- Hauptmann Werner Hansen (acting), 30 April 1940 – 11 May 1940
- Hauptmann Werner Restemeyer, 11 May 1940 – 15 August 1940
- Hauptmann Graf von Stillfried und Rattonitz, August 1940 – 7 September 1940
II./ZG 76
- Hauptmann Walter Schmidt-Coste, 1 May 1939 – 31 December 1939
- Major Erich Groth, 1 January 1940 – 12 August 1941
- Major Heinz NackeHeinz NackeHeinz Nacke was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, 14 August 1941 – November 1941 - Hauptmann Max Oskar Gehring, August 1943 – 4 October 1943
- Major Herbert Kaminski, 5 October 1943 – 9 August 1944
III./ZG 76
- Hauptmann Friedrich-Karl Dickoré, 26 June 1940 – 15 August 1940
- Hauptmann Rolf KaldrackRolf KaldrackRolf Kaldrack was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
, 16 August 1940 – 24 April 1941 - Hauptmann Johannes KielJohannes KielJohannes Kiel was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Johannes Kiel was killed on 29 January 1944 over...
, 1 November 1943 – 29 January 1944
Ergänzungsgruppe
- Major Wilhelm Lessmann, May 1941 – July 1941
- Hauptmann Johann Kogler, July 1941 – September 1941