ZG76 command officers - help needed

[Evgeny Velichko]

Hallo gentlmen.

Last missing info for ZG76 part of my lists:

1./ZG76, 19.12.1943, Oblt. Walter Schweizer - how he died?

6./ZG 76, who was StaKa after Hptm. Heinz Nacke was Appointed StaKa Erprobungsstaffel 210 on 12.04.1941 and before 20.06.1941 when Oblt.Hans-Joachim Jabs came back from 1.(Eins) Erg.Gr./ZG76?

7./ZG 76, who was StaKa after Oblt. Kriegel was wounded on 16.04.1941? Oblt. Poka v.Pokafalva??? Who flew 2N+AR, (in attach)?

9./ZG 76, who was StaKa after Oblt. Urban Schlaffer was shot down on 16.08.1940 and before Oblt. Tonne was appt StaKa on 05.09.1940?

Thank You in advance, friend.

[Matti Salonen]

1943-12-19, 1./ZG 76, Bf 110G-2, 120077, Fl.Pl. Neuburg, Absturz bei Landung infolge Feindbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Olt Schweizer, Walter, +
Bordfunker Uffz Pehle, Hans, +

Matti

[Kapper]

Evgeny,

I have in my notes that Ltn. Herbert Florenz was StaffelFuhrer/Kapitan? of 9/ZG76 when he went MIA 04.09.40 - Sorry but I didn't record the source where I got this, but it seems to fit.

Regards,

Craig...

[Evgeny Velichko]

04.09.1940 Bf110C-1 2837 Stab III./ZG76 2N+DP 100 Oblt Helmut Florenz (Gr.Adj.) M Gefr Rudi Hebert M S/d by RAF fighers over Shoreham Church Farm, Washington

[Kapper]

Evgeny

It took me a while but I found the source I was referring to.

It was in Vasco's/Cornell's book "Zerstorer" - See attached loss table.

In the text (page 129) for 16 August 1940 it states "Back at Lennion, Kaldrack assessed the situation in the Gruppe. Moving Oberlutnant Walter Schiller from the Stabschwarm to take over as caretaker Staffelkapitan of 7th Staffel, and appointing Leutnant Helmut Florenz, the Gruppe NO, as Staffelkapitan of 9th Staffel, left the Stabschwarm sadly depleted. Now, with the loss of Machfelder, only Leutnant Dieter Nulle, the Gruppenadjutant, remained of Dickore's old team. III./ZG76 were long on experience but suddenly short of officers."

I suggest that in light of the attachment, they meant that Florenz was also a caretaker Staffelkapitan (i.e. Staffelfuhrer) until someone suitable was appointed.

Furthermore, the Code on the aircraft supports that Lorenz was flying a 9 Staffel aircraft on the day of his loss. "2N+DP" is a 9 staffel aircraft. This is a bit confusing because the code "P" is usually reserved for the 6th Staffel of a Geschwader, however III./ZG76 was formed from II./ZG1 in July and still carried the II./ZG1 codes (2N+) not the ZG76 codes (M8+) of that period (9./ZG76 should have been M8+?T at that time). If he was flying a Stab aircraft it would have been 2N+?C for Stab II./ZG1 (though it should have been M8+?D). Therefore 6./ZG1 is 9./ZG76 thus Florenz was lost in a 9th Staffel aircraft. This doesn't rule out that he may have been flying a borrowed aircraft but in consideration of the text, it is likely that he was Staffelfuhrer and Gruppe Nachrichtensoffizier at the same time.

Losses in combat can lead to such measures.

Regards,

Craig...