Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26) "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II.
Formed on 1 May 1939, ZG 26 was initially armed with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine interceptor due to production shortfalls with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer-class aircraft. The wing served on the dormant Western Front during the Phoney War stage in 1939 and 1940. During this phase ZG 26 was equipped with the Bf 110. It formed part of Luftflotte 2 and fought in the Battle of the Netherlands, Battle of Belgium and Battle of France in May and June 1940. The wing continued to operate in the Battle of Britain, albeit in a much reduced role owing to losses.
In 1941 ZG 26 served again with success in the German invasion of Yugoslavia and Battle of Greece and then Battle of Crete in April and May. From June 1941, the bulk of ZG 26 fought on the Eastern Front from Operation Barbarossa which began the war on the Soviet Union. ZG 26 supported Army Group Centre and Army Group North. A group of ZG 26 flew and served in the Battle of the Mediterranean and North African Campaign from January 1941 through to May 1943.
From mid-1943, ZG 26 served and fought against the US Eighth Air Force and Fifteenth Air Force in the Defence of the Reich campaign with moderate success until US long-range fighters made further operations too costly. ZG 26 was disbanded in September 1944 and re-designated a Bf 109-unit, Jagdgeschwader 6.
Formation Zerstörergeschwader 26 was formed in 1939 from the Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". The Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe was located in Dortmund, II. Gruppe in Werl and III. Gruppe in Lippstadt. ZG 26 was formally named on 1 May 1939, from ZG 142.
World War II In 1939 the production of Bf 110s precluded the equipment of Zerstörer wings with the type. The heavy fighter was intended as a long-range fighter escort, air superiority and anti-bomber aircraft weapon. The Zerstörergeschwader adopted the Messerschmitt Bf 109D, single-engine interceptor until the Bf 110 became available. The ZG 26's III gruppe was give temporary Jagdgruppe (fighter group) designations. In the case of III./ZG 26 it was renamed JGr 126. This formally ended during the Phoney War when III./ZG 26 exchanged the Bf 109 for the Bf 110 and reverted to its original identity. On 31 August 1939, Stab. I., and II./ZG 26 were under the command of Luftgau XI at Hannover. Luftgau VI, headquartered at Werl, controlled III./ZG 26.
On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht began the Invasion of Poland beginning World War II in Europe. ZG 26, based in northern and western Germany served in the air defence role during the Phoney War phases of the war. The wing defended the German North Sea coast from incursions by RAF Bomber Command. On 29 September 1939, a No. 144 Squadron RAF Handley-Page Hampden was shot down by Günther Specht. Four were claimed by ZG 26 pilots. The future German ace lost an eye on 3 December in combat with a No. 38 Squadron RAF Wellington.
On 6 December ZG 26 incurred one of its first casualties when a Bf 110 from 2./ZG 26 collided with an Avro Anson from No. 209 Squadron RAF 70 miles north of Texel. I./ZG 26 transferred to Stab./ZG 26 from the control of JG 1 on 11 December bring existing groups under the direct control of the command, Stab, staffel (Squadron). On 14 December 1939, 12 Vickers Wellington bombers on an anti-shipping patrol were spotted. Four Bf 110s from 2./ZG 26 at Jever, with support from II./JG 77 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, intercepted and shot down five British bombers. Air Officer Commanding No. 3 Group RAF, Jackie Baldwin, likened the mission to the charge of the light brigade.
Elements of the wing fought at the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first named air battle of the war. ZG 26 was unable to intercept. A flight of Bf 110s from ZG 76, led by Hauptmann Wolfgang Falck, claimed four bombers. Falck's fighter was hit and badly damaged. The battle ended daylight sorties by Bomber Command over Germany until late 1944. The defeat forced the British to revise their policy to night bombing, and has been regarded as among the most influential air engagements of the war. Bomber Command's shift to night operations led to calls for the expansion of the night fighter force. ZG 26 donated 10 staffel to the formation of IV(Nacht)/JG 2 in December 1939.
On 15 December 1939, I./ZG 26 was based at Lippstadt, under the command of Fliegerkorps I. III./ZG 26 was subordinated to Luftgau XI and Bönninghardt. Stab. and II./ZG 26 remained at Dortmund and Werl respectively under the command of Fliegerkorps IV. Thereafter, the assignment of Stab./ZG 26 is unknown. The units does not appear on the air corps' order of battle on 10 May. On 10 May 1940 II./ZG 26 had moved to Kaarst-Neuss, under the command of Fliegerkorps I. By 5 June 1940 it had been assigned to Fliegerdivision 9. I./ZG 26 was deleted from I Fliegerkorps' order of battle by the 10 May, and its location is not known. The Stab/ZG 26 had all three Bf 110s operational. I./ZG 26 could field only 11 of the 34 Bf 110s it had, while III./ZG 26 reported 30 of 37 aircraft combat ready. II./ZG 26 reported 25 of 35 Bf 110s operational.
Western Europe On 10 May 1940 Fall Gelb, the Wehrmacht's offensive in Western Europe began beginning the Battle of the Netherlands, Battle of Belgium and Battle of France. ZG 26 was ordered to support the invasion of the Netherlands and Army Group B. With support from JG 26, it could not prevent the Dutch Air Force from downing 11 German bombers on the opening day; one of them was the commanding officer of Kampfgeschwader 4, who became a prisoner of war for several days. The Dutch fighters accounted for 21 German aircraft in total, and flew 87 of the 150 sorties logged on the day. In the battles they lost 25 of their own against JG 26 and ZG 26. The Dutch were reduced to 70 aircraft by the following morning but continued to harass the German air operations and claimed a further 13 German aircraft over the next four days. Battles were fought simultaneously over Belgium. The counter-air operations were successful and Joachim-Friedrich Huth's pilots, with support from JG 26, claimed the majority of the 82 Allied aircraft claimed by Luftflotte 2 over the 11–13 May 1940. Belgian aerial resistance was broken on the first day of operations. A total of 83 Belgian machines–mostly trainers were destroyed. The AéMI flew only 146 sorties in the first six days. Between 16 May and 28 May, the AéMI flew just 77 operations.
The long-range Bf 110s were used in the fighter escort role in the afternoon of 11 May. I./ZG 26 sent 15 of its aircraft to escort 30 Dornier Do 17 bombers from III./KG 76 on a bombing raid to Reims. No. 1 Squadron RAF intercepted them and claimed no fewer than nine Bf 110s. Witnesses on the ground claimed they saw six Bf 110s fall, and later ten wrecks were allegedly found on the ground. In reality, I./ZG 26 reported two losses. Two 1./ZG 26 pilots were captured but neither of the gunners survived. I./ZG 26 was known to have engaged No. 73 Squadron RAF near Poilcourt, for one of the Hawker Hurricanes was reported lost in an action involving it. On 14 May 1940, known as the "day of the fighters", I./ZG 26, 2 staffel reported the loss of two aircraft and crews, both of whom were killed. The group formed part of a bomber escort mission against Laon. The formation overflew Berry-au-Bac airfield at 15,000 feet prompting the resident 1 Squadron to scramble and engage. The action cost the British squadron two pilots killed. III./ZG 26 formed part of the escort for an attack on convoys near Namur. No. 73 Squadron RAF lost one pilot attacking the Bf 110s, while the group engaged Amiot 143 bombers from GB 1/34 or GB II/34 (Groupe de Bombardement ) and accounted for one destroyed. All the remaining bombers were damaged beyond repair. II./ZG 26 supported the defence of the captured bridges at Sedan. Along with III./JG 2, I./JG 53, they shot down seven bombers from 28 sent by 2 Group RAF, and drawn from 21, 107 and 110 Squadrons. ZG 26 is credited with four of the Hurricanes lost that day according to RAF Advanced Air Striking Force casualty lists; three against 1 Squadron and another against 73 Squadron.
On 15 May ZG 26 and 73 Squadron met in combat again. III./ZG 26 escorted 40 DO 17s of I. and II./KG 3 on a mission over Allied air bases. 73 Squadron intercepted and in the ensuing dogfights, the RAF pilots claimed four Bf 110s for the loss of two Hurricanes. The German pilots filed claims for nine "Moranes" [mistakenly identifying the Hurricanes as French fighters] for the loss of two Bf 110s destroyed and two badly damaged in crash-landings, confirming British claims. Only two Hurricanes were shot down with both pilots surviving. One of the German losses came from 7./ZG 26, one from 8./ZG 26, and two from 9./ZG 26. 5./ZG 26 intercepted a Westland Lysander, 13 Squadron, escorted by Hurricanes from No. 85 Squadron RAF. The German fighters succeeded in attacking from above and shot down three Hurricanes seriously burning one pilot. 5./ZG 26 was left with only three serviceable Bf 110s.
85 Squadron encountered ZG 26 three days later, when six of their Hurricanes, including a section [A Flight] from No. 242 Squadron RAF, and three more from No. 87 Squadron RAF patrolled the Le Cateau quadrant. All three Canadian pilots from 242 A flight and two 85 Squadron pilots were shot down. The battle cost I./ZG 26 three aircraft; one from 2./ZG 26 and two from 3./ZG 26. 85 Squadron suffered one pilot killed, another wounded. One of the Canadians was captured, the others wounded. Later in the day, between Douai and Valenciennes, A flight from No. 111 Squadron RAF and B Flight from No. 253 Squadron RAF encountered nine Bf 110s from I./ZG 26, escorting Heinkel He 111s belonging to I. and II./KG 54, and II./ZG 26, escorting Do 17s from II./KG 76. The Hurricanes shot down one and damaged one of the Dorniers, all from 4./KG 76 while 1./ZG 26 lost one Bf 110 and two others severely damaged protecting them. Two 5./ZG 26 Messerschmitts escorting a Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft failed to protect it from an attack by No. 17 Squadron RAF. The British claimed one of the Bf 110s and reported the other fled upon seeing them. In the afternoon I./ZG 26 and II./JG 26 strafed Vitry airfield as No. 56 Squadron RAF took off to intercept I./KG 54 which bombed the Amiens – Glisy Aerodrome, the main supply base for replacement Hurricanes for the RAF in France. The Bf 110s shot down two killing both pilots including 18-year old Pilot Officer Dillon. One of the group was caught and shot down by No. 3 Squadron RAF Hurricane pilots claimed 32 Bf 110s on this date but only 16 were reported destroyed by the Germans.
On 19 May large air battles occurred over Lille as encircled Allied forces held out. ZG 26 continued in the escort role as the German army reached the English Channel the following morning, cutting off British, Belgian and French forces from the rest of France. A composite force of 111 and 253 Squadron left RAF Hawkinge to patrol Cambrai. After encountering an unidentified Do 17 formation they ran into II./ZG 26 Bf 110s escorting 60 kg 54 He 111 bombers. I. and II./JG 3 were present as the dogfight started. Five Hurricanes were shot down in the fight with Bf 110s and Bf 109s and one damaged by the bombers. It is believed four fell to Bf 109s and three pilots killed. A single 111 Squadron was credited to ZG 26; 111's Squadron Leader John Marlow Thompson survived. Later in the day, KG 54 were operating in the Cambrai sector again covered by I./JG 27 and I./ZG 26. A composite force of 145 and 601 Squadrons intercepted. The latter lost one Hurricane to each German wing and a further damaged by ZG 26. III./ZG 26 flew as fighter escort for KG 3 as it operated against rail and road traffic west of the Seine and Aisne.