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

[Larry Hickey]

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