I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Hello,

For those of us working on an accurate and complete victory claims list for ZG units for the 1939-40 period, one of our big problems has always been Stab, I. and II./ZG 26. Having acquired last August the Weiss collection that contained some information on this subject, I've been continuing to work on the missing ZG26 data with other researchers. I now feel like we have pretty close to a state-of-the art data base on the subject of ZG victory claims during 1939-1940. Not complete, but far advanced over anything published to date on the subject. Further work needs to be done, but at this point I thought that I'd share with the board readers what I believe to be accurate information on the top scorers for I. and II./ZG26 during 1940.

I./ZG26 (9 "aces"): 1) Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki Stab I. 9 vict. RK 6.10.40; 2) Oblt. Wilhelm Spies, 1 Staffel 9 vict. RK 14.6.41; 3) Lt. Walter Manhart 3 Staffel 7 vict No RK (see note below); 4) Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Kirchoff 3 Staffel 7 vict No RK; 5) Oblt. Günther Specht Stab I. 6 vict RK 8.4.44; 6) Oblt. Johannes Kogler 1 Staffel 5 vict No RK; 7) Lt. Werner Thierfelder, Stab I. 5 vict RK 10.10.41; 8) Oblt. Johannes Kiel 3 Staffel 5 vict RK 18.3.42; 9) Oblt. Edward Meyer 1 Staffel 5 vict RK 20.12.41.

II./ZG26 (6 "aces"): 1) Lt. Walter Manhart 6 Staffel 13 vict NO RK (see note below); 2) Oblt. Theodor Rossiwall 5 Staffel 7 vict RK 6.8.41; 3) Obfw. Karl Herzog 6 Staffel 6 vict. No RK; 4) Oblt. Walter Henken Stab II. 5 vict. No RK; 5) Obfw. Kurt Rochel 5 Staffel 5 vict No RK; 6) Oblt. Arthur Niebuhr 4 Staffel 5 vict No RK.

Notes. 1) Only one member of I. or II./ZG26 received the RK during 1940, Makrocki, the I. Gr. Kdr.
2) Manhart served in both 3 and 6 Staffels of ZG26 during 1940, so he appears on both lists.

This kind of data points out the huge disparity between the scores of the day fighters (Bf109s) and the Zerstörer units which struggled mightily during the BoB.

It should be noted that the victory list for III./ZG26 has long been available on a related website, so I'm not reiterating that information.

After considerable research on this subject, fair to good data now exists for the "difficult" ZG units in 1940, whose records were destroyed during the war, and for which no official victory lists are known. These units, which include 14.(Z)/LG1, II./ZG1, Stab, I.& II./ZG2, Stab, I. & II. ZG26, I./ZG52 and III./ZG76, have had to be reconstructed from other data, such as FB, personal diaries and records, aircraft scoreboards and other fragmentary sources. If anyone has information about any surviving victory data from these units, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. I hope that by publishing this info, it stimulates some people perhaps holding additional pieces of this puzzle, however small, to come forward and contribute.

Thanx,

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Hi Larry, could you provide that link?

Cheers
Boris

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Boris,

That is the Michael Holms website.

Regards,

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Hello Larry,

Could that be: www.ww2.dk/air/zerstorer/zg26.htm ?

Regards,

Bart

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Boris:

http://reibert.info/forum/attachment...5&d=1275366106

Here is Claimlist for III./ZG26, first 250 victories of Gruppe..
Starts on 12.5.40 (8 vic. on one day), ends on 25.10.42.

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Zhenya,

Send this attachment to my personal email address. All I get here is the cover page. The real problem with ZG26, of course, is not III Gruppe but Stab, I and II Gruppe.

Regards,

Larry

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Have you noticed this board, sold on eBay recently?
It is less readable, but may give a help in some cases...
see attachment...

Peter

Attachment 4543

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Hello Peter,

A most interesting board because it shows the transfer dates (though difficult to read) of some (later) wellknown NJG-pilots and Bordfunker, like Holler (whose Bordfunker became Robert Gotha, also listed)!

Following the other link, it shows only a cover page of the (much desired) longer list of the first 250 ZG 26 victories.

I do not researching the history of any ZG's, I rather patiently waiting for your book(s) to arrive. However, I always looking for small details about the careers of former ZG crews who later went to the I./NJG 1. Any ZG info that could be studied for that purpose is much welcomed.

All the best, Marcel Hogenhuis

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Hello Evgeny,

Is there any other interesting docs in Reibert site ??

Rémi

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

just came across this post - thanks Larry. Hope you don't mind, I've posted your list on my blog http://www.falkeeins.blogspot.com
A German author, Michael Ziefle, in his recent 'Bf110 - die Rehabilitierung eines Flugzeuges' tries to make the argument that these types of scores for the ZGs indicate that they could hold their own over England when they weren't tied to the bombers...Rossiwall makes the same point in 'Fliegerlegende' .

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Wonder if quality of a plane is not in the number engaged, Bf110 1/1 could hardly achieve anything good, 2/1 they got the hand, a bit the same for the P38

Rémi

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Remi: I have here some sctions of Bf110 vs MiGs and I-16's, when Bf110 resisted 1/1 or even 1/2 and got ~6-7 CONFIRMED claims with no losses.

Larry:

Where this a/c was shot down?

http://waralbum.ru/wp-content/upload...s8osc4.th.jpeg

3./ZG26, 3U+AL or more probably U8+AL. Ditched in good condition on the beach. Probably France 1940 or Greece 1941.

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Evgeny,

In the EOE DB for 30.8.40 this is:

"3./ZG26 Messerschmitt Bf110C-4 (3583). Damaged in combat with fighters and crash-landed at Cap Gris-Nez (near Wissant, France). Crew both unhurt. Aircraft U8+AL 100% write-off."

There are many photos around of this one. I suspect that this is the Sta Kap a/c, although there is no way to be sure that he was flying it that day. If anyone has any records that would indicate the crew of this plane that day, I'd really like to know this. This a/c carried no victory tabs on the fin or rudder.

Regards,

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

Peter Kassak,

Thanks for posting the info on the document listing the 3./ZG26 aircrew in 1940. I have a high resolution scan from this document, and the EOE Working Group has fully exploited it. Unfortunately, it does not provide any dates or totals for victory claims for any of the unit aircrewmen, but at least we now know who all the pilots/BF assigned to the Staffel were, how many sorties they flew while with the unit, and when they left 3./ZG26. It would be a great help if we could locate similar documents on the other missing Bf-110s unit records.

I continue to encourage anyone with more info on any of the pilots or units in my original post to add any hard info that they may have on Bf110 victories during the 1939-40 period.

Regards,

Re: I./ZG26 Victory List for 1940
 

FalkeEins,

No, I don't mind your posting this on your blog. Just please keep me informed if you get any additional info as a result of your posting it.

Thanx,