Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 7./ZG26 (3U+AR) Ernst Matthes Cherbourg, France Sep 1940

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C-2, of the Staffelkapitänof 7./ZG26, Oblt. Ernst Matthes. Matthes Franz Santel Bordfunker.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C 7./ZG26 (3U+JR) North Africa 1941-42

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C of 7./ZG26 North Africa.

Messerschmitt Bf 110 E 7./ZG26, Mediterranean, 1941/42

Aircraft of 7./ZG 26 operating over the Mediterranean and northern Africa predominantly served as escorts for transport aircraft that served the supply routes for the Afrika Korps, as well as in attacks on ground and sea targets. For facilitating these operations, the aircraft carried underwing drop tanks as well as extra oil tanks under the fuselage. These features were not particularly frequent, and were most common on aircraft of 7. and 8./ZG 26. This aircraft, serving in the Mediterranean, carried the 9. Staffel emblem, the penguin with an umbrella on a white background, as well as a white fuselage band. The spinners were tipped in white.

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Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+DR) abandoned airframe North Africa
Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+ER) left derelict in North Africa
Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+GR) during Battle of Britain France 1940

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+HR) Battle of Britain 1940 01

Photo 01: 3U+HR of 7./ZG26 moves out for another escort mission during the Battle of Britain. Note the two tone upper surface camouflage on the top of the fuselage, and the yellow lower section on the starboard rudder.

Photo 01: Derelict 3U+ER of 7./ZG26 in the desert. Note that the individual aircraft letter 'E' is black outline only on the white theatre band. The spinner tip is in the Staffel colour of white.

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-5 7./ZG26 (3U+FR) WNr 2233 flown by Alfred Wehmeyer Derna, North Africa 1942

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstorer 7./ZG26 (3U+FR) France Sep. 1940 01

A Bf110C heavy fighter of Zerstorergeschwader 26 'Horst Wessel'. Just visible on the nose of this machine, coded 3U+FR of 7./ZG26, is the original ladybird emblem of III.Gruppe. Later, the 7.Staffel created its own emblem consisting of a double chevron, upon which was superimposed a penguin holding an umbrella. On 27 September, ZG26 lost six aircraft during an attack on the Parnell aero-engine factory at Yate, near Bristol.

Messerschmitt Bf 110D3 Zerstorer 7.ZG26 3U+FR WNr 3188 sd by fighters nr Tobruk 14th Feb 1941 IWM CM745

Photo: Messerschmitt Bf 110 of ZG26, shot down by RAF fighters during fighting for Tobruk, 1941. Possibly Bf 110D WNr 3188 3U+FR of 7/ZG 26 which was shot down 14 February 1941, and the first Luftwaffe aircraft lost in North Africa.

Source: IWM CM 745 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208744

Messerschmitt Bf 110C 7./ZG26 (3U+JR) pilot Ernst Matthes Cherbourg, France Sep 1940 01

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C-2, of the Staffelkapitänof 7./ZG26, Oblt. Ernst Matthes. Matthes belly landed this aircraft back at Cherbourg on 25 September 1940 on one engine following combat with a Spitfire over England.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C 7./ZG26 (3U+JR) North Africa 1941-42

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C of 7./ZG26 North Africa.

Messerschmitt Bf 110G Zerstorer 7./ZG26 (3U+KR) 01

Photo 01: This Bf 110G-2 of 7./ZG26, coded 3U+KR carries a white rear fuselage band and two mortar tubes under each wing. The underside of the starboard wingtip appears to be painted in yellow, with the individual aircraft letter, 'K' Painted on it.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+LR) during Battle of Britain France 1940
Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+MR) MTO 1941-42

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C of 7./ZG26 North Africa.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E2/Trop Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+OR) North Africa 1942

Messerschmitt Bf 110 E-2/Trop Zerstörer 7./ZG 26 (3U+OR) Libya 1942

For service over Africa, Bf 110 Es were equipped with dust filters and larger oil coolers under the engine cowls. They also carried 300 lit rs or 900 lit rs fuel tanks under the wings, but the under-fuselage oil tanks were no longer carried. For operations over the desert, the aircraft were overpainted with a sand color on all upper surfaces. The only markings carried were composed of the national insignia, fuselage codes, white fuselage band, and white-tipped spinners. From December, 1941 to July, 1943, the CO of III./ZG 26 was Hptm. Georg Christl, previous CO of 7./ZG 26. He gained seven victories over the Mediterranean, and received the Knight's Cross in August, 1942. He was among the most technically gifted of Luftwaffe officers. His last year of the war was spent with the experimental unit JG 10.

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Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 7./ZG26 (3U+ZR) 01

Photo 01: 3U+ZR of 7./ZG26 carrying the same upper surface camouflage as 3U+XS. However it is not possible to determine whether this Bf 110 also carried a 30 mm cannon under the fuselage.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+AS) crash landing 01

Photo 01: 3U+AS of 8./ZG26. Early style upper surface camouflage is carried. The spinner tip is in red, and on the forward fuselage the Staffel emblem of a sad fox can just be seen.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C  3U+AS of 8./ZG 76 summer 1940. The aircraft is finished in RLM 70/71 on the upper surfaces and RLM 65 on undersides. Black, white-outlined code letter 'A' was repeated in black on lower wing surface. Spinner tips are in the Staffel color of red. The red fox the emblem of 8. Staffel was painted on either side of the forward fuselage. Code letters are unusually wide-spaced. A four-digit illegible Werk Nummer can be seen just ahead of tailplanes.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+BS) Barce Libya 1942 01

Photo 01: Bf 110E, 3U+BS of 8./ZG26 fitted with a fuselage bomb rack and under wing fuel tanks. The broad white band of the African theatre, and white tactical marking on the rear of the fuselage can be seen. Barce was an ancient Greek colony and later Roman, Byzantine, city in North Africa. It occupied the coastal area of what is modern day Libya. As a Greek city it was part of the Cyrenaican Pentapolis along with the city of Cyrene itself

Messerschmitt Bf 110D Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+CS) 00

Profile 00: Messerschmitt Bf 110, 3U+CS, of 8./ZG26 The extended rear fuselage, but lack of an air inlet on the nose, identifies this Bf 110, 3U+CS of 8./ZG26, as a 'D' variant. The fuselage sides appear to carry an even spray of the upper surface camouflage rather than any mottle.

Messerschmitt Bf 110D Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+CS) 01

Photo 01: Bf 110D, 3U+CS of 8./ZG26 carries the later Staffel emblem of a black cat against a background of two red chevrons. The 'N' on the engine cowling denotes the fitment of the DB601N engine.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C 8./ZG26 (3U+DS) pilot Fritz Schupp belly-landed England Sep 27 1940 01

Photo 01: Also brought down on 27 September, 3U+DS W.Nr 3290 carries three victory bars on its fin. The fuselage side has a very light mottle applied. The crew of Uffz. Fritz Schupp, pilot, and Bordfunker, Gefr. Karl Nechwatel, survived the landing at Kimmeridge.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+DS)

Photo 01: Bf 110E, 3U+DS, 8./ZG26 in what appears to be a single overall upper surface camouflage colour. The individual aircraft letter '0' is in the Staffel colour of red, a reversion to the pre- and early-war colour used. It has no outline to it, having the white theatre band as a background. The spinner tip is in red also, and the port fin displays several victory bars.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+DS) flown by Alfred Wehmeyer 1942 01

Photo 01: Alfred Wehmeyer and fellow pilots of 8./ZG26 North Africa. Alfred Wehmeyer shot down a total of 38 enemy aircraft.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+ES)

Messerschmitt Bf 110E/Trop Zerstorer 8./ZG26 (3U+GS) abandoned, Derna airbase Libya 1942

Photo 01: Bf 110C Zerstorer 8./ZG26 (3U+GS) abandoned North Africa 1942
Profile 01: Messerschmitt Bf 110E Trop, 8./ ZG 26, Derna airbase, Libya, 1942 The wreck of this 8./ZG 26 aircraft was found by the Allies on one of the North African airfields. Note the red individual letter on the fuselage and the red spinner tips - the marking of the 8th Staffel´s aircraft. The camouflage scheme consists of desert colours - RLM 79 Sandgelb and RLM 78 Hellblau. The white stripe on the tail identifies the aircraft flown in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO).

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Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+HS)
Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+KS)
Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+MS)

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstorer 8./ZG26 (3U+NS) over western desert 01

Photo 01: Bf 110E Zerstorer 8./ZG26 (3U+NS) over western desert during an escort mission.

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+SS)
Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+US)

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+XS) Derna Libya 1942

Profile 00: Messerschmitt Bf 110C-6, 3U+XS, of ZG26 3U+XS of 8./ZG26 was one of three Bf 110C-6s issued to ZG26 that saw service in the African Theatre. The enlarged radiator intake indicates that the aircraft has been fitted with tropical equipment, and an armoured windscreen had been fitted. Note that the Bordfunker's central rear canopy has been removed.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+XS) 01-02

Photo's 01-02: Two views of Bf 110E-6 3U+XS of 8./ZG 26 in the desert. 3U+XS was one of three Bf 110E-6s originally on charge with Erpr. Gr. 210 that went through repair facilities and were re-issued to ZG26. The top surface camouflage is a single base colour with a tight 'scribble' pattern applied over it. Regarding the use of the C-6 by ZG26 in the desert, an RAF Intelligence report stated the following:'.. .After a low level attack on 15.11.41 on the aerodrome at Giarabub by Me-110s, a 30 mm armour-piercing shell was found in the I.F.F. set of a Blenheim IV damaged on the ground...'

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Zerstörer 8./ZG26 (3U+ZS)

9 Staffel III. Gruppe Zertstorergeschwader 26- 9./ZG2

Messerschmitt Bf 110G Zerstorer 9./ZG26 (3U+AT) Oblt. Paul Bley and Bordfunker Uffz. Heinemann

Photo's 01-02: Two views of Bf 110G-2, 3U+AT, of the Staffelkapitan of 9./ZG26, Oblt. Bley and Bordfunker Uffz. Heinemann. Note that the fuselage cross does not have any black outline to it. The fuselage band is white, and the individual aircraft letter is yellow with no outline. Supplementary fuel tanks are carried, and a single ring in the Staffel colour of yellow is carried on the spinner. Note that in the photograph on the left there are two Me-210s in the formation.

Messerschmitt Bf 110G Zerstorer 9./ZG26 (3U+AT) pilot Bley 03

Photo 03: These Bf 110G-2s of 9./ZG26 have supplementary fuel tanks under the wings, and the nearest aircraft carries a special chute believed to carry spent shells away from the propeller blades

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 5./ZG26, coded 3U+AT and flown by Oberleutnant Rossiwall, St Trond Belgium in May 1940

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+ET)

Profile 00: Messerschmitt Bf 110C of 9./ZG26 3U+ET has the solid two-tone camouflage that was prevalent in the early months of 1940. The individual aircraft letter and the spinner tips are in the Staffel colour of yellow. The 9.Staffel emblem of a cockerel is carried on the nose. Note the relatively wide spacing of the letters and number of the fuselage code.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+ET) crash landing 01-04

Photo's 01-04: Four views of Bf 110C, 3U+ET which has come to rest on the sloping incline of a field. The emblem of 9.Staffel can be clearly seen on the nose, and the individual aircraft letter, 'E', and the spinner tips are in the Staffel colour of yellow.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+FT) MTO 1941

Messerschmitt Bf 110C Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+HT) France 1940

Photo 01: Bf 110 of 9th Staffel III/ZG 26, Battle of France 1940.

Messerschmitt Bf 110C 9./ZG26 (3U+JT) pilot Bernhard Demmig shot down near Corfe Castle Oct 7 1940

Photo 01: 3U+JT, a Bf 110C-4, shot down on 7 October near Corfe Castle. The pilot, Gefr. Bernhard Demmig, survived the crash; his Bordfunker, Ogefr. Josef Bachmann was killed.

Messerschmitt Bf 11C Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+KT) under going routine maintanence Krefeld 1940

Book Reference: Jet & Prop Foto-Archiv Band 8

Messerschmitt Bf 110D Zerstörer 9./ZG26 (3U+MT) Sicily 1943

Messerschmitt Bf 110F 9./ZG26 (3U+NT) Sicily 1942

Book Reference: Jet & Prop Foto-Archiv Band 4

Messerschmitt Bf 110F 9./ZG26 (3U+ZT) Mediterranean 1942

Photo 01: 3U+JR, a Bf 110C of 7./ZG26 North Africa.