Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" in 1944

[Reiner]

Hi

Rare Visit to Königsberg / Neumark. This photo was taken between 20/08/44 and 07/09/44. It was owned by a former pilot in the IV. / NJG5. In the background a Me410 from Z.G.26.

Rene

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by hucks216

From Day Fighters In Defence Of The Reich by Donald Caldwell...

The 2nd BD crossed Schleswig-Holstein, flew up the Baltic Sea and turned back to bomb Pölitz. The Jagddivision 1 Gefechtsverband, now comprising I/ZG-26 & II/ZG-26, escorted by III/JG-300, was directed north and found the B-24's in a strung out formation, escorted by only one P-51 group.
The Bf-109 escort Gruppe attacked the Mustangs, at high cost to itself, and allowed the Me-410s to attack the Liberators repeatedly before the relief group of P-51s arrived to punish the Zerstörer, 12 of which were shot down or crash-landed back at their Königsberg-Neumark base. Thirteen B-24s went down immediately or broke formation to head for sanctuary in Sweden. The 2nd BD lost a total of 34 B-24s on the mission. The JD-1 Verband claimed 38; 27 of these claims were confirmed on the most successful mision ever flown by the Me-410s.

The 'first' group of Mustangs that I. and II./ZG 26 plus JG 300 109s confronted was the 355th FG which was credited with five Me 410s plus eight Bf 109s. They chased the ZG 26 Me 410s and JG 300 109s south east where they were caught by the 4th FG (2nd Mustang Group) heading for target escort at Stettin.

[drgondog]

I devote five pages of the battle near Rugen Island on June 20th in my book "Our Might Always- History of the 355th FG"

The 355th also hurt ZG 26 on May 13 in the general Landsburg area, getting six more.

There were no bases useful to LuftFlotte Reich out of Mustang range.

[Brian R]

Originally Posted by Peter Kassak

I can strongly recommend the article from LiF about the II. Gruppe ZG 26...with maps of operations from Konigsberg and area.

Peter - Can you tell me which issue of LiF?

Thanks!
Brian

[Brian R]

Originally Posted by drgondog

I devote five pages of the battle near Rugen Island on June 20th in my book "Our Might Always- History of the 355th FG"

The 355th also hurt ZG 26 on May 13 in the general Landsburg area, getting six more.

There were no bases useful to LuftFlotte Reich out of Mustang range.

Thanks, James. This is really helpful. I will check out the book...

Brian

[John Manrho]

During my research for I./JG 6 I found quite some details on I./ZG 1 and I./ZG 26 and I have the next locations for I./ZG 1 - I./ZG 26;

07.08.1943-14.09.1943 Wunstorf.
14.09.1943-29.11.1943 Bad Lippspringe (on 13.10.43 renamed I./ZG 26).
29.11.1943-10.12.1943 Grove/DK.
10.12.1943-09.03.1944 Völkenrode.
09.03.1944-17.05.1944 Fassberg (Transition to Me 410).
17.05.1944-08.08.1944 Königsberg-Neumark.
08.08.1944-14.10.1944 Prowehren/Ostpreussen
14.10.1944-17.12.1944 Perleberg (renamed I./JG 6).

It is LiF No. 17 with the article on II./ZG 26 with their 5 cm canon.

Cheers,

John

[Brian R]

So, I am finalizing a small write-up for a document group I have related to this unit - hence the original post - and I just want to see if anyone has a reference to him. His name was Robert Reinmuth - he served with 5./ZG26 after it was designated from 8./ZG1. I'm guessing he was a Bordfunker rather than a pilot but don't really know.

Regardless, I have been able to put together a nice story thanks to you guys here on this forum and especially the LiF article on II. Gruppe. I will post a link soon.