Dates of withdrawal of Zerstörer Gruppen from Eastern Front in 1942 1943

[Paul Thompson]

Gentlemen,

I have been compiling a summary of ZG movements, in order to determine when various Zerstörer units were withdrawn from the Eastern front and when they became operational elsewhere. The information that I have seen is vague and somewhat contradictory, so may I ask for comments from the experts?

The data that I have at the moment is summarised below:

I./ZG 26 – Withdrawn from the Eastern Front in October 1941, disbanded in Germany in April 1942.
II./ZG 26 – same as I./ZG 26

III./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in June (or possibly July?) 1942, operational in North Africa from November (or October?) 1942
I./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in June (or possibly August?) 1942, disbanded in August 1942
II./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in July 1942, operational in Germany from November (or October?) 1942 as I./NJG 5
III./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in July 1942, operational in Tunisia from November (or December?) 1942
II./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in March 1943, operational in Italy from April 1943
I./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in May (or April?) 1943, operational in Germany from June 1943

Regards,

Paul

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Paul -

This should fill in most of the unknowns and gaps:

I./ZG 26 – Withdrawn from the Eastern Front in October 1941, disbanded in Germany in April 1942.
- Ordered to transfer from Smolensk in Rußland Mitte to the Reich on 18 Oct 41 to rest and refit. At Kitzingen until it transferred to Jessau/East Prussia on 30 Dec 41 where it was disbanded a few days later and its assets used to form I./NJG 4. I./ZG 26 never returned to Russia. Re-established at Bad Lippspringe on 13 Oct 43 and operated over the Reich until it was renamed I./JG 6 at Prowehren on 4 Sep 44.

II./ZG 26 – same as I./ZG 26.
- Returned to the Reich from Dugino airfield in Rußland Mitte for a long overdue rest and refit. In early Apr 42 it was re-designated II./NJG 4 at Laupheim/S Germany. I./ZG 26 never returned to Russia. Re-established at Hildesheim on 13 Oct 43 and operated over the Reich until it was renamed II./JG 6 at Hildesheim on 4 Sep 44.

III./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in June (or possibly July?) 1942, operational in North Africa from November (or October?) 1942.
- Ordered to transfer from Taganrog/Rußland Süd to the Mediterranean theater on 15 Aug 42. Arrived at El Daba/Libya on 25 Aug 42 on transfer from South Russia. Operated in North Africa until 29 Oct 42 when it turned over all of its remaining assets to I./Schlachtgeschwader 2.

I./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in June (or possibly August?) 1942, disbanded in August 1942.
- Ordered to transfer from Barvenkovo/Rußland Süd to the Reich in mid-August 1942. At Wiener-Neustadt on 30 Sep 42. ZG 2 ordered disbanded on 3 Oct 42. I./ZG 2 renamed III./ZG 1 at Foggia/Italy on 29 Oct 42.

II./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in July 1942, operational in Germany from November (or October?) 1942 as I./NJG 5.
- At Kuteinikovo airfield/S Russia in mid-Aug 42 where it was ordered to turn over all remaining Bf 110s to elements of ZG 1 and transfer without aircraft to Wiener-Neustadt. Equipped with new Bf 110s at the Wiener-Neustadt Messerschmitt plant during Sep 42. Renamed I./NJG 5 on 3 Oct 42.

III./ZG 2 – Withdrawn in July 1942, operational in Tunisia from November (or December?) 1942.
- Ordered to transfer by train from Rußland Mitte without aircraft to Augsburg during the second half of July 1942 to begin conversion to the Fw 190. Conversion and work-up in Germany and France to early November 1942. Alerted 10 Nov 42 for immediate transfer to the Mediterranean theater via Comiso/Sicily (11-12 Nov) and then to Bizerte – Sidi Ahmed on 15 Nov 42. Renamed III./SKG 10 at Bizerte – Sidi Ahmed o/a 14 or 15 Dec 42.

II./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in March 1943, operational in Italy from April 1943.
- Transferred from Bryansk/Rußland Mitte to Brünn (Brno)/Czech. to rest and refit on 22 Mar 42. Moved from Brünn to Lechfeld/S Germany on 30 Apr 42. Transferred from Lechfeld to Belgorod II airfield/S Russia on 1 Jun 42 for operations under Luftflotte 4. Ordered to transfer from Poltava/S Russia to München-Neubiberg for a brief rest and refit on 23 Mar 43. Ordered from M-Neubiberg to Trapani/Sicily at the beginning of April with the transfer completed o/a 12 April. Remained in Italy to 1 Aug 43 and then moved to Kerlin-Bastard airfield near Lorient/W France.

I./ZG 1 – Withdrawn in May (or April?) 1943, operational in Germany from June 1943.
- Transferred from Ledna/Ost airfield near Orel in Rußland Mitte on 27 Jul 43 for reassignment to Luftwaffen-Befehlshaber Mitte for air defense operations over the Reich. Renamed I./ZG 26 at Bad Lippspringe on 13 Oct 43.

I can provide footnote sources for virtually all of these entries should you need them.

Hope this helps!

Larry

[John Manrho]

I./ZG 1 received the order to return to Germany on 30.7.1943 although it was already anticipated for a few days. On 7.8.1943 arrival in Wunstorf, transfer to Bad Lippspringe on 12.9.1943.

[Larry deZeng]

That's correct John. I left out some of the details after its departure from Russia because it was more than Paul T. was asking for. Actually, there were some taxiing accidents at Wittmundhafen on 27 and 31 July followed by a Bf 110 G-2 belly landing at Wunstorf on 2 August. So the Gruppe or elements of it may have gone to Wittmundhafen initially, then to Wunstorf a few days later.

L.

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by John Manrho

I./ZG 1 received the order to return to Germany on 30.7.1943 although it was already anticipated for a few days. On 7.8.1943 arrival in Wunstorf, transfer to Bad Lippspringe on 12.9.1943.

Thank you for your contribution concerning I./ZG 1, John. Since you mentioned that the order to return had been anticipated, may I ask whether you know the reasoning behind this move? The Orel salient was under heavy Soviet pressure by this time, yet it would appear that I./ZG 1 spent the next couple of months resting instead of contributing to the German defence either in the East or the West.

Regards,
Paul

[John Manrho]

The orders for ZG 26 to change into JG 6 are pretty clear;

Stab ZG 26 into Stab JG 6 on 13.10.1944 at Prowehren.
(I have not found evidence that contradicts that).

I./ZG 26 into I./JG 6 on 13.10.1944 at Prowehren.
(seems to be confirmed by data I collected from former members, but some had their soldbuch/wehrpass not changed until 18.10.44)

II./ZG 26 into II./JG 6 on 5.8.1944 at Königsberg/Neumark.
(some had their soldbuch/wehrpass changed on 4.8.1944, a day earlier).

John

[Larry deZeng]

Hi John,

I usually view command orders as having precedence over Soldbuch entries because the former deal with an entire unit at an operational level while the latter with an individual at personnel administrative level. There could have been a 5-week delay in entering the change in the individual Soldbücher that may be explained by numerous reasons, such as a possibly unknown telephone change issued by the General der Jagdflieger that postponed the 4 September date, the individual could have been sent on leave and did not rejoin the unit until October, etc. The possibilities are many. Those were chaotic times in late summer/early fall 1944 and few things went according to plan. I have no doubt that it took from 4 September to the first half of October to get the Gruppen fully outfitted, equipped, staffed and operational. But that doesn't render the General der Jagdflieger order worthless. No changes would have happened without this order being issued.

L.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

I./ZG 26 – Withdrawn from the Eastern Front in October 1941, disbanded in Germany in April 1942.
- Ordered to transfer from Smolensk in Rußland Mitte to the Reich on 18 Oct 41 to rest and refit. At Kitzingen until it transferred to Jessau/East Prussia on 30 Dec 41 where it was disbanded a few days later and its assets used to form I./NJG 4.

Larry

I./NJG4 used same VbKz (3U+_B, H, K, L) as I./ZG1, and fought hard during battle of Moskow along with II./ZG26 (minus 5./ZG26) from december 1941 to april 1942, based at Gugino a/f.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Many thanks to Larry for his detailed posting regarding the movements and redesignations of the various Zerstörergruppen. It is certainly very interesting and useful. However, I have also seen some reference that I./ZG 26 was redesignated I./JG 6 on 14 October 1944 and that II./ZG 26 was redesignated II./JG 6 on 5 August 1944. Can anyone please confirm the above or is this information in error and both units were indeed redesignated on 4 September 1944? Many thanks.

Horrido!

Leo

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks for your nice comments, Leo!

The official and effective date for the re-designation or renaming of I. u.II./ZG 26 is given in the source below as 4 September 1944. Jurleit bases this date on a General der Jagdflieger order that he cites on page 40 of his book.

Jurleit, Manfred. Strahljäger Me 262 im Einsatz: Alle Geschwader, Gruppen und Kommandos. Berlin: Transpress Verlagsgesellschaft, 1993. ISBN: 3-344-70778-7. Hb (card cover). 199p. Heavily illus. Tables. Appendices. Glossary. Source notes.

L.