Zerstörergeschwader 26

Geschwaderkommodore:

• Ob Kurt Bertram von Döring, 1.5.39 - 14.12.39
• ObLt Joachim-Friedrich Huth, 14.12.39 - 1.11.40
• Ob Johann Schalk, 1.11.40 - 29.9.41
• ObLt Karl Boehm-Tettelbach, 10.43 - 6.44
• ObLt Johann Kogler, 6.44 - 7.44

Stab:

Formed 1.5.39 in Dortmund from Stab/JG142. On 29.9.41 redesignated Stab/NJG3.

Reformed 13.10.43 in Wunstorf. In 7.44 redesignated Stab/JG6.

Bases:

1.5.39 - 8.39	Dortmund		Bf 110
8.39 - 5.1.40	Varel		Bf 110
5.1.40 - 3.40	Crailsheim		Bf 110
3.40 - 5.40	Dortmund		Bf 110
5.40 - 6.40	Boos-Rouen		Bf 110
6.40 - 11.40	Lille		Bf 110
11.40 - 28.3.41	Memmingen		Bf 110
28.3.41 - 4.41	Szeged		Bf 110
4.41 - 5.41	Larissa		Bf 110
5.41 - 5.41	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
5.41 - 6.41	Argos		Bf 110
6.41 - 28.6.41	Suwalki		Bf 110
28.6.41 - 26.7.41	Vilnius and ?		Bf 110
26.7.41 - 8.8.41	Pleskau		Bf 110
8.8.41 - 25.9.41	Sarudinye		Bf 110
25.9.41 - 29.9.41	Stade		Bf 110
13.10.43 - 22.3.44	Wunstorf		Bf 110
22.3.44 - 31.7.44	Königsberg-Devau		Bf 110, Me 410

I. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Hptm Karl Kaschka, 1.5.39 - (?)4.40
• Hptm Wilhelm Makrocki, 4.40 - 5.41
• Hptm Herbert Kaminski, 5.41 -
• Hptm Wilhelm Spies, ? - 27.1.42

Formed 1.5.39 in Dortmund from I./JG142. Disbanded 4.42, and was absorbed by ZG1 and ZG2.

Reformed 13.10.43 in Bad Lippspringe from I./ZG1. In 7.44 redesignated I./JG6.

Bases:

1.5.39 - 8.39	Dortmund		Bf 109D
8.39 - 10.39	Varel		Bf 109D, Bf 110
10.39 - 11.12.39	Jever		Bf 110
11.12.39 - 5.1.40	?		Bf 110
5.1.40 - 11.3.40	Crailsheim		Bf 110
11.3.40 - 9.5.40	Langendiebach		Bf 110
9.5.40 - 18.5.40	Niedermendig		Bf 110
18.5.40 - 6.40	Boos-Rouen		Bf 110
6.40 - 11.40	Yvrench/St. Omer		Bf 110
11.40 - 28.3.41	Memmingen		Bf 110
28.3.41 - 4.41	Szeged		Bf 110
4.41 - 5.41	Larissa		Bf 110
5.41 - 5.41	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
5.41 - 6.41	Argos		Bf 110
6.41 - 28.6.41	Suwalki		Bf 110
28.6.41 - 14.7.41	Vilnius		Bf 110
14.7.41 - 8.8.41	Pleskau		Bf 110
8.8.41 - 28.9.41	Sarudinye		Bf 110
28.9.41 - 18.10.41	Smolensk		Bf 110
18.10.41 - 3.42	Kitzingen		Bf 110
13.10.43 - 12.43	Bad Lippspringe		Bf 110
12.43 - 1.4.44	Völkenrode		Bf 110
1.4.44 - 29.4.44	Fassberg		Me 410
29.4.44 - 17.5.44	Gabbert		Me 410
17.5.44 - 8.44	Königsberg-Devau		Me 410

II. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Maj Friedrich Vollbracht, 1.5.39 - 4.40
• Hptm Ralph von Rettberg, 4.40 - 4.42(?)
• ?

Formed 1.5.39 in Werl from II./JG142. Disbanded 4.42, and was absorbed by ZG1 and ZG2.

Reformed 13.10.43 in Hildesheim from III./ZG1. In 7.44 redesignated II./JG6.

Bases:

1.5.39 - 5.1.40	Werl		Bf 109D, Bf 110
5.1.40 - 9.5.40	Gelnhausen		Bf 110
9.5.40 - 18.5.40	Kaarst/Neuss		Bf 110
18.5.40 - 20.5.40	Asch		Bf 110
20.5.40 - 6.40	St. Trond		Bf 110
6.40 - 11.40	Crecy-en-Ponthieu		Bf 110
11.40 - 18.2.41	Memmingen		Bf 110
18.2.41 - 3.41	Popesti		Bf 110
3.41 - 4.41	Krainici		Bf 110
4.41 - 5.41	Larissa		Bf 110
5.41 - 5.41	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
5.41 - 6.41	Argos		Bf 110
6.41 - 28.6.41	Suwalki		Bf 110
28.6.41 - 7.41	Vilnius-Süd		Bf 110
7.41 - 15.7.41	Sloboda		Bf 110
15.7.41 - 8.8.41	Pleskau		Bf 110
8.8.41 - 12.9.41	Sarudinye		Bf 110
12.9.41 - 1.10.41	Pärnu	Fl.Fü. Ostsee	Bf 110
1.10.41 - 18.10.41	Smolensk		Bf 110
18.10.41 - 3.42	Dugino		Bf 110
10.43 - 2.44	Hildesheim		Me 410
2.44 - 24.3.44	Pfaffenhofen*		Me 410
24.3.44 - 8.44	Königsberg-Devau		Me 410

* 6./ZG26 remained at Pfaffenhofen until 10.4.44.

III. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Hptm Johann Schalk, 1.5.39 - 1.9.40
• Maj Karl Kaschka, 1.9.40 - 4.12.41
• Hptm Thomas Steinberger, 4.12.41 - 24.12.41
• Hptm Georg Christl, 24.12.41 - 1943

Formed 1.5.39 in Lippstadt from III./JG142. Known as JGr. 126 between 8.39 and 1.2.40. In 5.44 some crews were used to form Erprobungskommando 262 (8. and 9./ZG26), but some crews apparently remained, because both staffeln are still in the strength lists until 26.9.44, were the remanants were absorbed by III./JG6.

7./ZG26 remained intact, but was absorbed by JG76 on 26.9.44.

Bases:

1.5.39 - 8.39	Lippstadt		Bf 109D
8.39 - 5.1.40	Neumünster		Bf 109D
5.1.40 - 9.5.40	Lippstadt		Bf 109D, Bf 110
9.5.40 - 18.5.40	Krefeld		Bf 110
18.5.40 - 6.40	Rouen-Boos		Bf 110
6.40 - 12.40	Barley-Arques		Bf 110
11.40 - 12.40	Neubiberg		Bf 110
12.40 - 14.12.40	Treviso		Bf 110
14.12.40 - 1.41	Palermo		Bf 110
1.41 - 24.5.42	Trapani*		Bf 110
24.5.42 - 30.6.42	Derna		Bf 110
30.6.42 - 5.8.42	Fuka**		Bf 110
5.8.42 - 11.42	Kastelli**		Bf 110
11.42 - 6.43	Trapani		Bf 110
6.43 - 31.7.43	Ciampino/Rome		Bf 110
31.7.43 - 10.43	Plantlünne		Bf 110
10.43 - 22.3.44	Wunstorf		Bf 110
22.3.44 - 11.5.44	Königsberg-Devau		Me 410
11.5.44 - 23.5.44	Leipheim***		Me 410
23.5.44 - 27.9.44	Lechfeld***		Me 410

* 7./ZG26 moved to Derna 12.41 (replacing 8./ZG26), 21.12.41 to Sirte, 2.42 to Derna

* 8./ZG26 moved to Bir Dufan on 13.2.41 (Fl.Fü. Afrika), 15.3 to Sirte, 30.3 to En Nofilia, 4.41 to Derna, 12.41 to Germany, 22.2.42 to Derna, 21.3.42 to Trapani

* 9./ZG26 at Derna, 6.41 to 6.41; and again 11.41 - 11.41, 11.41 to Malemes (Crete), 21.3.42 to Trapani

** 8./ZG26 at Derna, 8.42 - 11.42.

*** 7./ZG26 at Fels-am-Wagran (13.5.44 - 12.6.44) and at Seyring (12.6.44 - 20.7.44); 8./ZG26 remained at Leipheim until 27.9.44; 9./ZG26 was based at Schwäbisch-Hall (12.7.44 - 27.9.44).

10./ZG26:

Formed 4.42 in Derna(?). Disbanded 7.43, and was absorbed by 7./ZG26.

Bases:

4.42 - 8.42	Derna		Bf 110
8.42 - 9.42	Barce		Bf 110
9.42 - 11.42	Kastelli		Bf 110
11.42 - 6.43	Trapani		Bf 110, Ju 88C
6.43 - 7.43	Pratica de Mare		Bf 110, Ju 88C

11./ZG26:

Formed 6.43 in Eleusis. On 18.7.44 became part of the new IV./ZG26.

Bases:

6.43 - 8.44

Eleusis

Bf 110, Ju 88C

IV. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• ?

Formed 18.7.44 in Oerlandet (10. and 12./ZG26 only):

Stab IV./ZG26 formed 5.9.44 in Oerlandet from Stab/SAGr.125 (Bf 110G)
10./ZG26 in Herdla from 13(Z)./JG5 (Bf 110G)
11./ZG26 existed already, but did not arrive in Oerlandet until 8.44 (Ju 88C)
12./ZG26 in Gossen from Küstenfliegerstaffel Krim (Bf 110G).

Bases 25.12.44:

Stab IV./ZG26 and 10./ZG26 at Trondheim-Lade
10./ZG26 is not mentioned after 27.11.44, and might have been disbanded.
11./ZG26 at Gardermoen, now converting to Me 410A
12./ZG26 at Herdla

Disbanded 23.2.45, and became the new 7./JG5. Only 11./ZG26 remained until the end (based at Oerlandet, 2.45 - 5.45, with Me 410A).

Known bases:

Stab IV. Gruppe:

9.44 - 11.44	Oerlandet		Bf 110G
11.44 - 2.45	Trondheim-Lade		Bf 110G

10./ZG26:

7.44 - 9.44	Herdla		Bf 110G
9.44 - 10.44	Stavanger-Sola*		Bf 110G
10.44 - 11.44	Lister		Bf 110G
11.44 - 11.44	Trondheim-Lade		Bf 110G

* only half of 10./ZG26; the other half was based at Opstad (1st half of 9.44) and at Lister (2nd half of 9.44).

11./ZG26:

8.44 - 10.44	Oerlandet		Ju 88G
10.44 - 1.45	Gerdermoen		Ju 88G, Me 410A
1.45 - 5.45	Oerlandet		Me 410A

12./ZG26:

7.44 - 8.44	Gossen		Bf 110G
8.44 - 10.44	Oerlandet		Bf 110G
10.44 - 2.45	Herdla*		Bf 110G

* detachment at Stavanger-Sola, 2.45

Ergänzungsgruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• ?

Erg.Staffel was formed 10.40 in Langendiebach. In 3.41 became Erg. Gruppe/ZG26 (Stab new, Ausbildungsstaffel from Erg.Sta./ZG26, Einsatzstaffel new). Apparently also known as IV./ZG26 from 6.41.

In 9.41 disbanded, and became Ergänzungsgruppe/NJG1.

10.40 - 5.41	Langendiebach		Bf 110
5.41 - 8.41	Posen(?)		Bf 110
8.41 - 9.41	Wesermünde		Bf 110