page_title: Kampfgeschwader 76
section_title: Italian front
hierarchical_section_title: Kampfgeschwader 76 / World War II / Italian front
caption_attribution_description: A German bomb explodes among the invasion shipping off Anzio on 22 January 1944. Ship in center, background, is probably HMS Princess Beatrix.
context_page_description: Kampfgeschwader 76 was a Luftwaffe bomber Group during World War II. It was one of the few bomber groups that operated throughout the war.
  In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. To meet the expansionist aims of their Führer, the German state began an enormous rearmament programme to build the Wehrmacht. KG 76 was created in May 1939 as the Luftwaffe sought to reorganise and increase its strength. The wing was permitted three Grupen in May 1939, but only two were operational by August. The Dornier Do 17 light bomber equipped the wing's units.
  In September 1939 German and Soviet forces invaded Poland, beginning World War II. KG 76 served in the campaign until the 17 September 1939 and then proceeded to spend the Phoney War resting and re-equipping. All three groups began the offensive in Western Europe on 10 May 1940. KG 76 supported the German Army in the Battle of Belgium and Battle of France. In July 1940 KG 76 served in the Battle of Britain and The Blitz until May 1941. During the course of these operations it converted to the Junkers Ju 88.
  From June 1941 KG 76 supported Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
context_section_description: I./KG 76 returned to southern Europe in mid-May 1943. The group was ordered to attack Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. The group was moved to Foggia in southern Italy. It began operations along the North African coast from 15–20 May, days after the capitulation of Axis forces in North Africa. On 28 May Allied bombers attacked the base and destroyed one Ju 88. Another eight were damaged. The following night it raided the port of Bône. On 30 May it lost another two Ju 88s in an air raid. The very next day another seven Ju 88s were damaged in air attack at Foggia. Operations continued on 1 June with raids in the Sousse area (1 and 10 June), Djidjelli (8 June), Bône (14 June). Six Ju 88s were sent to Sardinia on 24 June with instructions to attack any Allied landing. Bône was bombed again on 29 June in a bid to disrupt shipping, congregating for a landing in southern Europe. On 1 July 1943 it reported 26 Ju 88s ready for operations.
  III. Gruppe also returned on 16 July. It moved to northern Italy near Milan by 1 July. It had 32 Ju 88s available for operations and then rebased to Grosseto over the course of 13–16 July. The group was commanded by Hauptmann Kurt Reiman, who had been appointed on 18 March to succeed Volprecht Freiherr von und zu Eisenbach Riedesel, relieved of command on 31 January 1943. III Gruppe was commanded by Albrecht Wichmann on 30 April 1943. III. Gruppe served in Italy for only a short time. On 16 July it was moved to France, at Laon-Athies.
  The Italian Campaign began on 10 July 1943 with the invasion of Sicily. II./KG 76 began night attacks on Sicily because of Allied air superiority. The first attack was carried on 13/14 July, through to the 15th. The following day the group bombed Siracusa. It then deployed south to Foggia on the 18 July. It flew sorties in the Augusta harbour and the Catania area (23 and 27 July) and then it attacked Allied forces near Gela (28 July). On 30 July Avola was bombed. On this mission the Gruppenkommandeur Kurt Riemann was posted missing in action with his crew. He was not formally replaced until September when Hauptmann Siegfried Geisler took command—Geisler was the last commanding officer of II./KG 76.
  II./KG 76 remained on operations and on 7 August attacked shipping and installations at Bizerte, Tunisia. It bombed targets in the Scordia on 11 August. Its base at Foggia was bombed on 16 August but it had 18 Ju 88s (16 operational) by 20 August. On 17 August Sicily fell. KG 76 continued to attack shipping and coastal targets. It bombed Palermo harbour on 23 August but lost nine Ju 88s at Foggia in an air attack two days later forcing a reduction in operations. I./KG 76 were also committed to battle. It raided Bizerte on 6 July and contested the Allied landings in Sicily from the first day: Gela (11 July), Gerbini (14 July), Siracusa (17 July), Bizerte (17 August). It had 20 Ju 88s (11 operational) on 20 August 1943 at Foggia. Its base was bombed on 25 August and 8 September but losses are unknown.
  Operation Avalanche began on 3 September 1943 and KG 76 was called on to support Luftflotte 2's operations. On 8 and 9 September I Gruppe flew anti-shipping missions off the Salerno beachhead. It also flew operations over the sea off Naples (10 September). It was forced to abandon the base at Foggia and destroyed 14 Ju 88s to prevent their capture. The group moved to Istres, France, ending its participation in Italy. Gruppenkommandeur Ulrich Roch was killed in operations before the withdrawal: he was killed with his crew on 13 September and replaced by Hauptmann Hans Coyn twenty-four hours later.
  II./KG 76 conducted attacks on the Salerno beachhead also on 13 and 16 September. Losses necessitated a temporary withdrawal from operation from 20–23 September. The Gruppe re-equipped and rested at Saint-Martin-de-Pallières, France. It moved back to Italy at Aviano. There, it attacked Allied shipping and targets over southern Italy; especially harbours. It was reassigned to Fliegerkorps II on 15 October 1943. Losses in air combat forced the group to operate at night mostly. 
caption: German air attack on Anzio landings, 22 January 1944.
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