... although MUCH less reliable than the guys on here Wiki does have this info for ZG.26
The II. Gruppe was re-equipped with the Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse. In October 1943, Hauptmann Eduard Tratt was appointed Gruppenkommandeur II./ZG 26. On 29 November, he shot down a USAAF B-17 as his 30th victory. ZG 26 meanwhile was soon in action against the bombers of the USAAF Eighth Air Force. ZG 26 claimed some 19 bombers downed on 8 October, while intercepting a raid against Münster on 10 October, II. and III. Gruppen suffered moderate losses but claimed 18 bombers in return. Four days later, ZG 26 took part in inflicting heavy losses on American bombers during the raid on Schweinfurt, claiming 10 victories.
ZG 26's conflict against the USAAF day bombers was infrequent, although on
29 November 1943 6 bombers of the 95th Bomb Group were downed over Bremen by a frontal Werfer-Granate 21 rocket attack by six Me 410's (9 were claimed) and on 16 March 1944 18 bombers were downed over Augsburg.
III./ZG 26 under Major Johann Kogler, was based in Wunstorf during early 1944, with Bf 110's armed with two 30mm and four 20mm cannon ( two in a ventral fuselage gun pod), and four underwing-mount Werfer-Granate 21 210mm rocket launchers, designed to break up the massed bomber formations from long range. ZG 26's Me 410s also gradually took on added weight with extra cannon and rockets, culminating in the fitting of a bomb-bay mount 50 mm Bordkanone BK 5 cannon ( with 21 rounds) on the Me 410A-1/U4 aircraft on duty.
Obviously there immediately seems to be an error as the unit is identified as 95th BG whereas you state your father was 96th BG so I don't claim this is what happened, but the information in Wiki has to come from"somewhere".
Does your father recall there being these rockets which brought him down, or cannon fire? OK, it was a busy time, but in Stalag and later the crew must have exchanged their recollections of what happened?
EDIT: I assume you know this?
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/6617
Edit entry 42-3546B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
Delivered Denver 28/7/43; Grand Island 10/8/43; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-A] Snetterton 29/8/43 RAMBLIN' WRECK; Missing in Action Bremen 29/11/43 with Tom Parks, Co-pilot: Earl Bason, Navigator: John Sweeney, Bombardier: Joe Leblanc, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Glen Richardson, Radio Operator: Blakley Seward, Ball turret gunner: George Gera, Waist gunner: Wesley Wright, Waist gunner: Frank Waizeneger,Tail gunner: Gordon Rodemark (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Eystrup, 28 miles SE of Bremen, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1393.
Was the aircraft name changed from Ramblin' Wreck to Wildfire?
There's also this:
http://www.8thafhs.com/get_mia_aircr...ate=1943-11-29
#42-30359 - B-17F Group Squadron Sq Code A/C Code 96BG 339BS MIA 1943-11-29 - MACR #: 1392
Notes 42-30359 Delivered: Cheyenne 21/5/43; Gore 1/6/43; Smoky Hill 2/6/43; Gr Isle 3/6/43; Dow Fd 25/6/43; Assigned: 339BS/96BG [QJ-D] Snetterton 27/6/43; MIA Bremen 29/11/43 Pilot: Linwood Langley, Co-Pilot: Berline Cipresso, Bombardier: Don Curtis, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Walt Reed, Radio Operator: Sam Amatulli, Ball Turret Gunner: Wilbert Provost, Waist Gunner: Anderson King, Waist Gunner: Edmund Swedo (8KIA); Navigator: Jesse Orrison, Tail Gunner: Gene Moran{still in tail wreckage} (2 POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed near Syke, 12 miles S of Bremen, Germany. MACR 1392.
Source B-17 Master Log - Dave Osbourne
#42-3546 - B-17F Group Squadron Sq Code A/C Code 96BG 339BS Name WILDFIRE MIA 1943-11-29 - MACR #: 1393
Notes 42-3546 Delivered: Denver 28/7/43; Grand Island 10/8/43; Assigned: 339BS/96BG [QJ-A] Snetterton 29/8/43 RAMBLIN' WRECK; MIA Bremen 29/11/43 Pilot: Tom Parks, Co-Pilot: Earl Bason, Navigator: John Sweeney, Bombardier: Joe Leblanc, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Glen Richardson, Radio Operator: Blakley Seward, Ball Turret Gunner: George Germany. , Waist Gunner: Wesley Wright, Waist Gunner: Frank Waizeneger, Tail Gunner: Gordon Rodemark (10 POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed Eystrup, 28 miles SE of Bremen, Ger; MACR 1393. WILDFIRE.
Source B-17 Master Log - Dave Osbourne
#42-37802 - B-17G Group Squadron Sq Code A/C Code 96BG MIA 1943-11-29 - MACR #: 1320
Notes 42-37802 Delivered: Denver 2/9/43; Gr Island 20/9/43; ass 338BS/96BG [BX- '] Snetterton 30/9/43; MIA Bremen 29/11/43 Pilot: Gordon Hendrickson, Co-Pilot: Stan Wells, Navigator: Joe Taylor, Bombardier: Jim Rose, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Bill Vargo, Radio Operator: Edwin Bowersox, Ball Turret Gunner: Lew DeVoe, Waist Gunner: Ferdy Monier, Waist Gunner: Jack Clackley, Tail Gunner: Garnet Wood (10 KIA); ditched North Sea, no trace of crew or aircraft; MACR 1320.
Source B-17 Master Log - Dave Osbourne
#42-37811 - B-17G Group Squadron Sq Code A/C Code 96BG MIA 1943-11-29 - MACR #: 1391
Notes 42-37811 Delivered: Long Beach 7/9/43; Gr Island 3/10/43; ass 338BS/96BG [BX- ] Snetterton 8/10/43; MIA Hamm 29/11/43 Pilot: Herb Meuli, Co-Pilot: Harlan Shoellhorn, Navigator: Jim Pavlik, Bombardier: Stan Gladstone, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Bill Norton, Radio Operator: Jim Bean, Ball Turret Gunner: Larry Rice, Waist Gunner: Ollie Simpson, Waist Gunner: Jesse Councilman, Tail Gunner: Tom Devine (10 KIA); no trace of ship or crew; MACR 1391.
Source B-17 Master Log - Dave Osbourne