Zerstörergeschwader 1 Zerstörergeschwader 1 or ZG 1 ( lit . " destroyer wing " ) was a Luftwaffe heavy / destroyer Fighter Aircraft - wing of World War II . History . Zerstörergeschwader 1 was formed in May 1939 as a " Geschwader " without a " Geschwaderstab " . The I . " Gruppe " ( 1st group ) was formed from I . / ZG 141 and stationed in Damm , II . " Gruppe " ( 2nd group ) in Fürstenwalde . The II . " Gruppe " was being equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 single engine fighters during the mobilization in World War II and renamed to " Jagdgruppe " 101 ( 101st fighter group ) , II gruppe re - equipping with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 in March 1940 . On the outbreak of war the unit was based with " 1 . Flieger Division " in Central Germany . During the invasion of Poland ZG 1 was part of " Luftflotte 3 " . Norway 1940 . By April 1940 the unit was part of " X . Fliegerkorps " operating over Northern Germany and Scandinavia . The Bf 110s of ZG 1 and Zerstörergeschwader 76 ( ZG 76 ) saw considerable action during Operation Weserübung ( the invasion of Denmark and Norway ) . The Bf 110 strafed and destroyed over two dozen Danish military aircraft on the Værløse airbase on 9 April . One Danish Fokker D . XXI did manage to get airborne but was immediately shot down . Oblt Victor Mölders , brother of Werner Mölders ) took the official surrender of Aalborg after landing at the local airfield . In Norway the Bf 110s helped secure the Oslo - Fornebu airport , escorting Junkers Ju 52 s loaded with paratroops . Engaged by Gloster Gladiator s and machine guns on the ground , in the ensuing battle both sides lost two aircraft . The remaining Bf 110s strafed enemy positions and enabled the ground troops take the airfield ; air support provided by ZG 1 was pivotal to this phase of the ground offensive . At this time the ' wasp ' emblem associated with ZG 1 first appeared on aircraft of II gruppe . France 1940 . During the phoney war a number of French aircraft were shot down by ZG 1 Bf 110s . ZG 1 " Gruppenkommandeur " Hpt . Hannes Gentzen became the Luftwaffe ' s highest scoring fighter pilot on 2 April , when he shot down a Curtiss ' Hawk ' over the Argonne . On 10 May ZG 1 claimed 26 Dutch aircraft destroyed on the ground on Haamstede airbase . After participation in the Battle of France , I . Gruppe was renamed to I . / Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 ( 1st night fighter wing ) on 22 June 1940 , and II . / ZG 1 became III . / ZG 76 . Thus there was no ZG 1 " geschwader " active from June 1940 to early 1942 . 1942 . The " Geschwader " was re - formed again on 4 January 1942 from " Geschwaderstab " of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 , with a third Gruppe raised , equipped with the Bf 109E - 4 / B . The Bf 110 gave tactical support to the advancing German Army by carrying out strike missions often in the face of heavy anti - aircraft defences . A huge number of ground kills were achieved by ZG 1 Bf 110 pilots in the east . In August 1942 III . / ZG 1 was transferred to North Africa , now equipped with the troublesome Me 210 . Gradual re - equipment with the much improved Me - 410 took place through 1943 . In early 1943 5 . / ZG 1 received several aircraft equipped with the " Bordkanone " BK 3 . 7 , autoloading 37mm heavy cannon for evaluation as an anti - tank aircraft . These modified Bf 110s were formed into " Pz . Jg . St . / ZG 1 " , under the command of I . / ZG 1 , and flew during the Battle of Kursk . The poor results obtained meant that in autumn 43 , this Staffel were transferred to 4 . / ZG 76 . " Oberst . " Joachim Blechschmidt , the " Kommodore " of ZG 1 , was shot down in a Bf 110 G - 2 in combat with Soviet fighters East of Orel on 13 July 1943 , becoming missing in action to this day . " Staffelkapitän " of 1 . / ZG 1 , Oberleutnant Egon Albrecht , was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross on 25 May 1943 for 15 aerial victories , 11 ground victories , and some 162 motor vehicles , 254 covered vehicles , 3 locomotives , 8 Flak positions , 12 anti - tank gun positions and 8 infantry positions destroyed . After heavy losses in Russia , I and II gruppen re - united with III gruppe in the Mediterranean theatre in mid 1943 . In March – April 1943 II / ZG 1 converted to the Bf 110 G - 1 and G - 2 at Monte Corvino . This was the Gruppe ' s base until August when it was withdrawn from Italy . In July 1943 , 1 . / ZG 1 was redesignated 1 . / ZG 26 . In October 1943 I . / ZG 1 took charge of the Ju 88C heavy fighter and with II gruppe transferred to Western France for long - range fighter operations over the Bay of Biscay with V . / Kampfgeschwader 40 ( KG 40 ) . On 8 October , Bf110 ' s of I . / ZG 1 attacked American bomber formations and their escorts . I . / ZG 1 lost 5 victory ' ace ' and 1 . " Staffelkapitän " Oblt . Rüdiger Ossmann whilst claiming 6 B - 17 s and 1 fighter . II . / ZG 1 later intercepted RAF bomber formations and lost 9 Bf 110s with 17 aircrew killed , while claiming a P - 47 , Spitfire , and B - 25 Mitchell shot down . The " Staffelkapitän " of 6 . / ZG 1 , Hptm . Karl - Heinrich Matern , ( 12 victories ) was among those shot down and killed . Spitfires were of Nos . 453 Sqn ( 5 claimed destroyed ) , 610 Sqn ( 2 claimed destroyed ) and 66 Sqn ( 3 claimed destroyed ) . On 9 October 1943 , Hauptmann Albrecht succeeded Matern as " Gruppenkommandeur " , II . / ZG 1 . On 1 February 1944 , 1 . / SAGr . 128 was redesignated 10 . / ZG 1 , and attached to III . / ZG 1 , which was equipped with the Ju 88 C - 6 at the time . In early 1944 II . / ZG 1 flew ' Defense of the Reich ' missions over the southern portion of the Reich , often in conjunction with elements of JG 27 . Both units were based around Wels in Austria and flew against the US 15th Air Force heavy bombers and fighter escorts . The Geschwader was disbanded in July 1944 with the aircrew posted to Gruppen in JG 4 and JG 76 . See also . Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II