How did insignia for 5./KG76 during the WC/FC become the insignia for 9./KG76 during the BoB?
 

Hello,

Can anyone provide a good explanation as to how the insignia for 5./KG76 during the WC/FC, documented well in the many photos of F1+HN during late-May, 1940, become the insignia of 9./KG76 during the Battle of Britain, which is also amply documented with photos. The 9./KG76 insignia during the WC/FC was a shield with a Gallic rooster on its back under the Eiffel tower, with bombs falling on them. This was obviously highly appropriate for the WC/FC but not for the following Battle of Britain. I know that II./KG76 underwent a reorganization at the end of June, and part of it became III./StG77. Were it's Do17s and some of its personnel transferred to 9./KG76 and that unit took over the unit insignia for 5./KG76, while the previous 9./KG76 insignia was discontinued?

Who knows the answer to this?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: How did insignia for 5./KG76 during the WC/FC become the insignia for 9./KG76 during the BoB?
 

Hello,

Today I got a very detailed explanation from one of our German friends of what happened with the evolution of II./KG76 into part of 9./KG76, which explains the insignia change that I asked about above. Here is the gist of the email that I received:

9./KG 76 was disbanded effective 18 June 1940, the aircraft and crews were absorbed by the two other Staffeln of III./KG 76. At the same time the Do 17-equipped II./KG 76 was disbanded, the remaining crews were transferred to III. Gruppe (my source thinks that they formed the new 9. Staffel).

The new II./KG 76 was created from the renamed III./KG 28, that was already in the progress of exchanging its He111s for Ju 88s.

Finally the Ju 87-equipped II./KG 76 (there were indeed two groups under the same name during the first half of 1940) became III./StG 77.

I hope that this information will be useful for both the EoE a/c profile project and some of our markings and the insignia enthusiasts and experts. It does explain how the old 5./KG76 insignia used up through almost the end of the WC/FC, ended up being the new insignia for 9./KG76 during the BoB and probably later. Question solved.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: How did insignia for 5./KG76 during the WC/FC become the insignia for 9./KG76 during the BoB?
 

Well I have been puzzled by this for years and am very grateful for you passing this information on... and as you say mystery solved.