Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" in 1944

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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.