ZG 2 Bf 110 Battle of Britain Claims

[Peter Cook]

I am looking for a source that lists claims by pilots of ZG 2 during the Battle of Britain. While Tony Wood's OKL claims listings includes BOB claims by other Bf 110 units there is not a single claim for ZG2. Some claims are listed in Mathews and Foreman's Luftwaffe Aces, Biographies and Victory Claims, but only for four 'aces' – these are repeated in Parry's BOB Combat Archive. I know that the unit did make significant claims as on 11 August the Luftflotte 3 Einzelmeldung reported : "St./Z.G.2., 1 Hurricane, 1 Spitfire; I./Z.G.2. 7 Hurricane, 4 Spitfire; II./Z.G.2 2 Hurricane, 2 Spitfires". I have checked several BF 110 reference books, but they only list losses, not claims. Any ideas?

[Chris Goss]

ZG claims are hit and miss and normally incomplete and from what I remember, ZG 2 was worse than most

[Nick Beale]

John Vasco and Peter Cornwell's book "Zerstörer" may help. It's devoted to Bf 110 units in 1940.

An ULTRA message from July 1940: "A pilot belonging to ZG 2 landed at Caen at 1345/18 and stated that his a/c had shot down a barrage balloon at Southampton."

[Peter Cook]

Thanks Chris and Nick, I have Zerstörer, but no ZG 2 claims listed.

[Chris Goss]

Peter and John did not go into that much detail in the book

[robert]

I can add that 3 out of 4 claims made by II./ZG2 were reported by pilots of 6./ZG2. As to the I./ZG2: two claims by 2./ZG2, three by 1./ZG2, two by stab I./ZG2, four by 3./ZG2.

Regards

Robert

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Only one Gruppe each from ZG26 and ZG76 had earlier typed-out pre daily claims mikrofilm data to survive. Then with ZG2 only seven claims survive on the daily mikrofilms before it ceased to be.

However I do have definite proof for two claims only, these come from the flugbuch of the BF Heinz Oppers who records two claims for his pilot Josef Neuhaus:-

10th June 1940 I-6B
4th July 1940 Caribou

Both whilst flying for 5./ZG2.

What is really needed are photos of abschüßetafel of this Geschwader.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Peter Cook]

Thanks for your replies Robert and Johannes, I have another question for Robert, what is the source that lists the Staffel number for the claims? The Luftflotte 3 Einzelmeldung only lists them by Gruppe.

Peter

[robert]

Hi Peter,

EOE research.

Robert

[focusfocus]

What is a caribou and I6-B??