[INM@RLM]

One of the other questions asked in post #52 was "What are the errors in the table on page 97?"

Well, this table purports to be a listing of commanders and bases for the Zerstörer units that in "early July" 1940 were "based in northern France for the opening atacks on Britain".

First, the errors amongst the commanders, each accompanied by three page references from elsewhere in 'Zerstörer' where these commanders were linked accurately to their units:

Stab ZG 76 = Major Walter Grabmann (52, 62/4 & 107) - so not Hptm Erich Groth
II./ZG 76 = Hptm Erich Groth (76, 136 & 158) - so not Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Dickoré
the missing III./ZG 76 (96,136 & 158) = Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Dickoré

Turning to the bases of early July, the only Zerstörer units incontrovertibly based in France in that period were these:

Stab/ZG 76 at Laval (first Channel combat mission flown ??)
III./ZG 76 also at Laval (first Channel combat mission flown 11th July), arriving at Laval from Trier-Euren
V.(Z)/ZG 1 at Alençon-Nord (first Channel combat mission flown 9th July), arriving at Alençon from Sainte-Marie-Cevigny in Belgium, via Le Mans (27-29 June). Operated under command of Stab/ZG 76.
The above three units were all part of Luftflotte 3 with its Zerstörer Kanalkampf force based in Brittany and commanded by v. Richthofen, GOC VIII.Fliegerkorps (evidenced in a FK Erfahrungsbericht) concentrating on the bottleneck formed by the Cotention Peninsula.
So this table is not correct in showing Stab ZG 76 as part of Luftflote 2 with its two subordinate Gruppen in Luftflotte 3.


III./ZG 26 at St.Omer-Arques, aka St.Omer-Fort-Rouge - see Roba's history of III./ZG 26 (so not at Barley as tabled). First Channel combat mission flown 9th July. This was an entirely new airfield just set up by the Germans.
This Gruppe was part of Luftflotte 2 with its Kanalkampf force based in the Pas-de-Calais under command of Fink, OC KG 2, temporarily appointed Kanalkampfführer); concentrating on the bottleneck formed by the Straits of Dover

As to the other Bf 110 units mentioned here:
First, Erpr.Gr. 210 was not even formed until 1st July (p.110), and that was at Köln-Ostheim in Germany. The Gruppe only arrived at Denain on 10th July (again p.110). (First Channel combat mission flown 13th July)
The rest of the Zerstörer all arrived much later:
II./ZG 76 is not mentioned as being at Le Mans in Brittany until 31st July. (First Channel combat mission flown 12th August)
Stab & I./ZG 26 were first based in France at St.Omer-Clairmarais (so not at Lille and Yvrench as tabled), but this was another completely new airfield just developed by the Germans and was not available until August. (First Channel combat mission flown 8th August)
II./ZG 26 (First Channel combat mission flown 18th August?)
Stab I. & II./ZG 2 also did not arrive in the Paris area until end-July/early-August, II./ZG 2 apparently transferring there from Böblingen. (First Channel combat missions flown 8th August)
So looking at the first half of August dates each of these other units first flew their initial BoB combat missions the greater likelihood is that during early July all were re-equipping at airfields within Germany. Detailed research is needed here.

One other comment in passing regarding a base: 'Zerstörer' p.65 has III./ZG 26 suffering low-level attacks at Rouen-Boos during 19th and 20th May. Rouen is near the mouth of the river Seine, and the German lines at this point were on the northern bank of the river Somme, some hundred kilometres to the north east. To have at this date based a Zerstörer Gruppe this far behind the French front would have been quite a logistical feat. One wonders where these attacks actually took place.