Zerstorergeschwader 26 'Horst Wessel'

Geschwaderkommodoren:

• Oberst Kurt Bertram von Döring, 1 May 1939 - 14 Dec 1939
• Obstlt Joachim-Friedrich Huth, 14 Dec 1939 - 1 Nov 1940
• Oberst Johann Schalk, 1 Nov 1940 - 29 Sep 1941
• Obstlt Karl Boehm-Tettelbach, Oct 1943 - Jun 1944
• Obstlt Johann Kogler, Jun 1944 - Jul 1944

Stab:

Formed 1 May 1939 in Dortmund from Stab/ZG142. On 29 Sep 1941 redesignated Stab/NJG3.

Reformed 13 Oct 1943 in Wunstorf. In Jul 1944 redesignated Stab/JG6.

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - Aug 1939	Dortmund		Bf 109D
Aug 1939 - Nov 1939	Varel		Bf 109D
Nov 1939 - 5 Jan 1940	Dortmund		Bf 109D, Bf 110
5 Jan 1940 - Mar 1940	Crailsheim		Bf 110
Mar 1940 - May 1940	Dortmund		Bf 110
May 1940 - Jun 1940	Boos-Rouen		Bf 110
Jun 1940 - Nov 1940	Lille		Bf 110
Nov 1940 - 28 Mar 1941	Memmingen		Bf 110
28 Mar 1941 - Apr 1941	Szeged		Bf 110
Apr 1941 - May 1941	Larissa		Bf 110
May 1941 - May 1941	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
May 1941 - Jun 1941	Argos		Bf 110
Jun 1941 - 28 Jun 1941	Suwalki		Bf 110
28 Jun 1941 - 26 Jul 1941	Vilnius and ?		Bf 110
26 Jul 1941 - 8 Aug 1941	Pleskau		Bf 110
8 Aug 1941 - 25 Sep 1941	Sarudinye		Bf 110
25 Sep 1941 - 29 Sep 1941	Stade		Bf 110
13 Oct 1943 - 22 Mar 1944	Wunstorf		Bf 110
22 Mar 1944 - 31 Jul 1944	Konigsberg-Devau		Bf 110, Me 410

I. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Hptm Karl Kaschka, 1 May 1939 - Jan 1940
• Hptm Wilhelm Makrocki, 27 Jan 1940 - 21 May 1941
• Hptm Herbert Kaminski, May 1941 - 1941
• Hptm Wilhelm Spies, ? - 27 Jan 1942

Formed 1 May 1939 in Dortmund from I./ZG142 with:

Stab I./ZG26 from Stab I./ZG142
1./ZG26 from 1./ZG142
2./ZG26 from 2./ZG142
3./ZG26 from 3./ZG142

Disbanded Apr 1942, and was absorbed by ZG1 and ZG2.

Reformed 13 Oct 1943 in Bad Lippspringe from I./ZG1 with:

Stab I./ZG26 from Stab I./ZG1
1./ZG26 from 1./ZG1
2./ZG26 from 2./ZG1
3./ZG26 from 3./ZG1

In Jul 1944 redesignated I./JG6 with:

Stab I./ZG26 became Stab I./JG6
1./ZG26 became 1./JG6
 

2./ZG26 became 2./JG6
 

3./ZG26 became 3./JG6

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - Aug 1939	Dortmund		Bf 109D
Aug 1939 - 5 Dec 1939	Varel		Bf 109D, Bf 110
5 Dec 1939 - 5 Jan 1940	Lippstadt		Bf 109D, Bf 110
5 Jan 1940 - 11 Mar 1940	Crailsheim		Bf 110
11 Mar 1940 - 9 May 1940	Langendiebach		Bf 110
9 May 1940 - 18 May 1940	Niedermendig		Bf 110
18 May 1940 - Jun 1940	Boos-Rouen		Bf 110
Jun 1940 - Nov 1940	Yvrench/St. Omer		Bf 110
Nov 1940 - 28 Mar 1941	Memmingen		Bf 110
28 Mar 1941 - Apr 1941	Szeged		Bf 110
Apr 1941 - May 1941	Larissa		Bf 110
May 1941 - May 1941	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
May 1941 - Jun 1941	Argos		Bf 110
Jun 1941 - 28 Jun 1941	Suwalki		Bf 110
28 Jun 1941 - 14 Jul 1941	Vilnius		Bf 110
14 Jul 1941 - 8 Aug 1941	Pleskau		Bf 110
8 Aug 1941 - 28 Sep 1941	Sarudinye		Bf 110
28 Sep 1941 - 18 Oct 1941	Smolensk		Bf 110
18 Oct 1941 - Mar 1942	Kitzingen		Bf 110
13 Oct 1943 - Dec 1943	Bad Lippspringe		Bf 110
Dec 1943 - 1 Apr 1944	Völkenrode		Bf 110
1 Apr 1944 - 29 Apr 1944	Fassberg		Me 410
29 Apr 1944 - 17 May 1944	Gabbert		Me 410
17 May 1944 - Aug 1944	Konigsberg-Devau		Me 410

II. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Maj Friedrich Vollbracht, 1 May 1939 - Apr 1940
• Hptm Ralph von Rettberg, Apr 1940 - Apr 1942
• Hptm Eduard Tratt, 11 Oct 1943 - 22 Feb 1944
• ? 

Formed 1 May 1939 in Werl from II./ZG142 with:

Stab II./ZG26 from Stab II./ZG142
4./ZG26 from 4./ZG142
5./ZG26 from 5./ZG142
6./ZG26 from 6./ZG142

Disbanded Apr 1942, and was absorbed by ZG1 and ZG2.

Reformed 11 Oct 1943 in Hildesheim from III./ZG1 with:

Stab II./ZG26 from Stab III./ZG1
4./ZG26 from 7./ZG1
5./ZG26 from 8./ZG1
6./ZG26 from 9./ZG1

In Jul 1944 redesignated II./JG6 with :

Stab II./ZG26 became Stab II./JG6
4./ZG26 became 5./JG6
 

5./ZG26 became 6./JG6
6./ZG26 became 7./JG6

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - 1 Oct 1939	Werl		Bf 109D
1 Oct 1939 - 30 Oct 1939	Störmede		Bf 109D, Bf 110
30 Oct 1939 - 3 Nov 1939	Wiesbaden-Erbenheim		Bf 109D, Bf 110
3 Nov 1939 - 7 Nov 1939	Gelnhausen		Bf 109D, Bf 110
7 Nov 1939 - 5 Jan 1940	Werl		Bf 109D, Bf 110
5 Jan 1940 - 9 May 1940	Gelnhausen		Bf 110
9 May 1940 - 18 May 1940	Kaarst/Neuss		Bf 110
18 May 1940 - 20 May 1940	Asch		Bf 110
20 May 1940 - Jun 1940	St. Trond		Bf 110
Jun 1940 - Nov 1940	Crecy-en-Ponthieu		Bf 110
Nov 1940 - 18 Feb 1941	Memmingen		Bf 110
18 Feb 1941 - Mar 1941	Popesti		Bf 110
Mar 1941 - Apr 1941	Krainici		Bf 110
Apr 1941 - May 1941	Larissa		Bf 110
May 1941 - May 1941	Athens-Tatoi		Bf 110
May 1941 - Jun 1941	Argos		Bf 110
Jun 1941 - 28 Jun 1941	Suwalki		Bf 110
28 Jun 1941 - Jul 1941	Vilnius-Süd		Bf 110
Jul 1941 - 15 Jul 1941	Sloboda		Bf 110
15 Jul 1941 - 8 Aug 1941	Pleskau		Bf 110
8 Aug 1941 - 12 Sep 1941	Sarudinye		Bf 110
12 Sep 1941 - 1 Oct 1941	Pärnu	Fl.Fu. Ostsee	Bf 110
1 Oct 1941 - 18 Oct 1941	Smolensk		Bf 110
18 Oct 1941 - Mar 1942	Dugino		Bf 110
Oct 1943 - Feb 1944	Hildesheim		Me 410
Feb 1944 - 24 Mar 1944	Pfaffenhofen*		Me 410
24 Mar 1944 - Aug 1944	Konigsberg-Devau		Me 410

* 6./ZG26 remained at Pfaffenhofen until 10 Apr 1944.

 

III. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Hptm Johannes Schalk, 1 May 1939 - 1 Sep 1940
• Maj Karl Kaschka, 1 Sep 1940 - 4 Dec 1941
• Hptm Thomas Steinberger, 4 Dec 1941 - 24 Dec 1941
• Hptm Georg Christl, 25 Dec 1941 - 12 Jul 1943
• Maj Fritz Schulze-Dickow, 12 Jul 1943 - 11 Feb 1944
• ?
• Hptm Werner Thierfelder, 2 Jun 1944 - 18 Jul 1944
• ?

Formed 1 May 1939 in Lippstadt from III./ZG142 with:

Stab III./ZG26 from Stab III./ZG142


7./ZG26 from 7./ZG142


8./ZG26 from 8./ZG142


9./ZG26 from 9./ZG142

Known as JGr. 126 between 25 Sep 1939 and 4 Feb 1940.

On 26 Sep 1944 redesignated Kommando Nowotny with :

Stab III./ZG26 became Stab/Kommando Nowotny
7./ZG26 was absorbed by JG76
8./ZG26 became 2./Kommando Nowotny
9./ZG26 became 1./Kommando Nowotny

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - Aug 1939	Lippstadt		Bf 109D
Aug 1939 - Nov 1939	Neumünster		Bf 109D
Nov 1939 - Dec 1939	Bönninghardt		Bf 109D
Dec 1939 - 5 Jan 1940	Krefeld		Bf 109D
5 Jan 1940 - 4 Feb 1940	Lippstadt		Bf 109D
4 Feb 1940 - Mar 1940	Dortmund		Bf 109D, Bf 110
Mar 1940 - 9 May 1940	Lippstadt		Bf 110
9 May 1940 - 18 May 1940	Krefeld		Bf 110
18 May 1940 - Jun 1940	Rouen-Boos		Bf 110
Jun 1940 - Dec 1940	Barley-Arques		Bf 110
Nov 1940 - Dec 1940	Neubiberg		Bf 110
Dec 1940 - 14 Dec 1940	Treviso		Bf 110
14 Dec 1940 - Jan 1941	Palermo		Bf 110
Jan 1941 - 24 May 1942	Trapani*		Bf 110
24 May 1942 - 30 Jun 1942	Derna		Bf 110
30 Jun 1942 - 5 Aug 1942	Fuka**		Bf 110
5 Aug 1942 - Nov 1942	Kastelli**		Bf 110
Nov 1942 - Jun 1943	Trapani		Bf 110
Jun 1943 - 31 Jul 1943	Ciampino/Rome		Bf 110
31 Jul 1943 - Oct 1943	Plantlünne		Bf 110
Oct 1943 - 22 Mar 1944	Wunstorf		Bf 110
22 Mar 1944 - 11 May 1944	Konigsberg-Devau		Me 410
11 May 1944 - 23 May 1944	Leipheim***		Me 410
23 May 1944 - 27 Sep 1944	Lechfeld***		Me 410

* 7./ZG26 moved to Derna Dec 1941 (replacing 8./ZG26), 21 Dec 1941 to Sirte, Feb 1942 to Derna

* 8./ZG26 moved to Bir Dufan on 13 Feb 1941 (Fl.Fu. Afrika), 1May 193 to Sirte, 30.3 to En Nofilia, Apr 1941 to Derna, Dec 1941 to Germany, 22 Feb 1942 to Derna, 21 Mar 1942 to Trapani

* 9./ZG26 at Derna, Jun 1941 to Jun 1941; and again Nov 1941 - Nov 1941, Nov 1941 to Malemes (Crete), 21 Mar 1942 to Trapani

** 8./ZG26 at Derna, Aug 1942 - Nov 1942.

*** 7./ZG26 at Fels-am-Wagran (13 May 1944 - 12 Jun 1944) and at Seyring (12 Jun 1944 - 20 Jul 1944); 8./ZG26 remained at Leipheim until 18 Aug 1944, and moved to Rechlin-Lärz; 9./ZG26 was based at Schwabisch-Hall (12 Jul 1944 - 20 Sep 1944), and Erfurt-Bindersleben (20 Sep 1944 - 26 Sep 1944)

10./ZG26:

Formed 5 Sep 1939 in Jever as 10.(Nacht)/ZG26 (Olt. Bernhard Mielke). On 5 Jan 1940 redesignated 10.(N)/JG26.

Reformed Apr 1942 in Derna(?). Disbanded Nov 1943, and became 7./ZG76

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
5 Sep 1939 - 16 Sep 1939	Jever		Ar 68F, Bf 109D
16 Sep 1939 - 3 Oct 1939	Wunstorf		Ar 68F, Bf 109D
3 Oct 1939 - 10 Dec 1939	Oldenburg		Ar 68F, Bf 109D
10 Dec 1939 - 5 Jan 1940	Jever		Ar 68F, Bf 109D
Apr 1942 - Aug 1942	Derna		Bf 110
Aug 1942 - Sep 1942	Barce		Bf 110
Sep 1942 - Nov 1942	Kastelli		Bf 110
Nov 1942 - Jun 1943	Trapani		Bf 110, Ju 88C
Jun 1943 - Aug 1943	Pratica de Mare		Bf 110, Ju 88C
Aug 1943 - Nov 1943	Germany		Bf 110, Ju 88C

11./ZG26:

Formed Jun 1943 in Eleusis. On 18 Jul 1944 became part of the new IV./ZG26.

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Jun 1943 - Aug 1944	Eleusis		Bf 110, Ju 88C

IV. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• ?

Formed 18 Jul 1944 in Oerlandet (10. and 12./ZG26 only):

Stab IV./ZG26 formed 5 Sep 1944 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 Aug 1944 (Ju 88C)
12./ZG26 in Gossen from Kustenfliegerstaffel Krim (Bf 110G)

Bases 25 Dec 1944:

Stab IV./ZG26 and 10./ZG26 at Trondheim-Lade
10./ZG26 is not mentioned after 27 Nov 1944, and might have been disbanded.
11./ZG26 at Gardermoen, now converting to Me 410A
12./ZG26 at Herdla

Disbanded 23 Feb 1945:

Stab IV./ZG26 became Stab II./JG5
10./ZG26 became 7./JG5
12./ZG26 was disbanded

Only 11./ZG26 remained until the end (based at Oerlandet, Feb 1945 - May 1945, with Me 410A).

Known bases:

Stab IV. Gruppe:

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Sep 1944 - Nov 1944	Oerlandet		Bf 110G
Nov 1944 - Feb 1945	Trondheim-Lade		Bf 110G

10./ZG26:

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Jul 1944 - Sep 1944	Herdla		Bf 110G
Sep 1944 - Oct 1944	Stavanger-Sola*		Bf 110G
Oct 1944 - Nov 1944	Lister		Bf 110G
Nov 1944 - Nov 1944	Trondheim-Lade		Bf 110G

* only half of 10./ZG26; the other half was based at Opstad (1st half of Sep 1944) and at Lister (2nd half of Sep 1944).

11./ZG26:

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Aug 1944 - Oct 1944	Oerlandet		Ju 88G
Oct 1944 - Jan 1945	Gerdermoen		Ju 88G, Me 410A
Jan 1945 - May 1945	Oerlandet		Me 410A

12./ZG26:

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Jul 1944 - Aug 1944	Gossen		Bf 110G
Aug 1944 - Oct 1944	Oerlandet		Bf 110G
Oct 1944 - Feb 1945	Herdla*		Bf 110G

* detachment at Stavanger-Sola, Feb 1945

Ergänzungsgruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Maj Siebelt Reents, 10 Apr 1941 - Oct 1941

Erg.Staffel/ZG26 was formed 28 Mar 1941 in Ingolstadt-Manching from Ergänzungszerstörerstaffel 1.

In Apr 1941 increased to Gruppe, now as IV./ZG26, with:

Stab new
10. (Einsatz)/ZG26 from Erg.Sta./ZG26


11. (Ausb.)/ZG26 new (Jul 1941)
12. (Ausb.)/ZG26 new (Jul 1941)

In Oct 1941 became Ergänzungsgruppe/NJG1 with:

Stab IV./ZG26 became Stab/Erg.Gruppe NJG1
10. and 11./ZG26 became 2./Erg.Gruppe NJG1
12./ZG26 became 3./Erg.Gruppe NJG1

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
28 Mar 1941 - 30 Mar 1941	Ingolstadt-Manching		Bf 110
30 Mar 1941 - 6 Jul 1941	Thorn		Bf 110
7 Jul 1941 - 23 Jul 1941	Düsseldorf-Lohausen		Bf 110
23 Jul 1941 - 27 Aug 1941	Neumünster		Bf 110
28 Aug 1941 - Oct 1941	Aalborg-Ost		Bf 110

* 10./ZG26 at Neumünster (Apr 1941 - 27 Jul 1941); 10., 11. and 12./ZG26 at Aalborg-Ost (Jul 1941 - Oct 1941) 

Erg.Staffel/ZG26:

Staffelkapitäne:

• Olt Werner Glomb, 6 Apr 1944 - 11 May 1944
• Olt Berhardt Paffrath, 12 May 1944 - 8 Jul 1944
• Olt Willi Radel, 9 Jul 1944 - 31 Aug 1944

Formed 6 Apr 1944 in Illesheim from 2./Ergänzungszerstörergruppe. On 1 Sep 1944 became 2./JGr.Nord.

Airfields and Air Base Locations

Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
6 Apr 1944 - Jul 1944	Illesheim		Bf 110, Me 410
Jul 1944 - Jul 1944	Brandis		Bf 110, Me 410
Jul 1944 - 31 Aug 1944	Sagan-Kupper		Bf 110, Me 410

• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, Stab/ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, I./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, II./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, III./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, IV./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, 10./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, 11./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, 12./ZG26
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, Erg.Sta./ZG26