one of their charges was shot down. On 28 and 29 September ZG 26 flew patrols over Hampshire with support from 60 Bf 109s from JG 2 and JG 53. On 27 September, 30 ZG 26 crews from III./ZG 26 covered KG 55 bombers as they targeted the Bristol factory. Six aircraft were shot down and one damaged in combat with No. 56 and No. 152 Squadrons. Three of the lost machines were from III./ZG 26 and two from II./ZG 26. On 30 September II./ZG 26 flew a combat patrol from Cherbourg to Weymouth, Dorset and shot down five Hurricanes from No. 56 Squadron near Warmwell and damaged two more for the loss of one Bf 110. All six pilots survived. In October 1940, ZG 26 flew low-level attacks on towns in southern England. On 7 October II. and II./ZG 26 mounted an attack on Yeovil. ZG 26 lost seven aircraft, three from II./ZG 26 and four from III./ZG 26. The losses were inflicted by No. 238 and No. 601 Squadrons and other "Yeovil" defences. One 601 Spitfire was damaged and landed. The Battle of Britain came to an end on 31 October 1940, and Sea Lion was postponed indefinitely. Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans ZG 26 relocated to southeast Europe in 1941. III./ZG 26 supported the German invasion of Yugoslavia from 6 April 1941. II./ZG 26 was based at Vrazhdebna, Bulgaria under the command of Fliegerkorps VIII. I./ZG 26 located to Szeged, Hungary under the ad hoc Fliegerfuhrer Arad, under the command of Luftflotte 4. III./ZG 26 had been operating from Sicily, over the besieged island of Malta. III./ZG 26 carried out strafing attack on Podgorica airfield, destroying two bombers and damaging three belonging to the 81 Independent Grupa at Mostar-Ortijes. The 66 Grupa led by 4 Bombarderska, Colonel Petar Vukcevic, Royal Yugoslav Air Force and 7th Puk bombers were also operating from airfields in the vicinity. Fliegerkorps VIII claimed 60 aircraft on 6 April. II./ZG 26 reported one loss over Skopje. I./ZG 26 supported Operation Retribution, the bombing of Belgrade, and claimed two Yugoslav-flown Bf 109s. In combat with the 6th Puk fighter unit, the group lost five Bf 110s; Yugoslav also accounted for two Do 17s from 8./KG 3. II./ZG 26 joined Bf 109s from I(J)/LG 2 in battle against the 111 and 112 Eskadrila Hawker Fury fighters led by Captains Vojislav Popovik and Konstantin Jermakov. Jermokov was