the type was suitable for destroying heavy bombers over Germany. The OKL foresaw their use while the Luftwaffe still retained a measure of control over German skies and in southern European theatres in the naval escort and close air support role. Scattered Zerstörer units were recalled from Eastern Europe and Mediterranean for be reformed into wings. ZG 76 was ordered to reform in southern Germany from training and reconnaissance units. The wing was permitted two gruppen of Bf 110Gs. The wing was partially equipped with Messerschmitt Me 410s and aircrew drawn from I./NJG 101. The reformed unit was assigned to the 5. Jagddivision. ZG 76 was still in southern Germany through the winter, 1943/44. 6./ZG 76 were photographed in formation over the German Alps with drop tanks, a double 20mm cannon pod under the fuselage and armed with Werfer-Granate 21. All gruppen of ZG 76 had the Werfer-Granate 21 installed to break up American bomber formations. Theodor Rossiwall was given command of ZG 76. Initially formed with Bf 110s but converted to the Me 410 in full by April 1944. I./ZG 76 reformed at Ansbach, II./ZG 76 at Wertheim under Major Herbert Kaminski. Hauptmann Johannes Kiel was to command III./ZG 76 from Oettingen in Bayern, but a shortage of aircraft forced the abandonment of this and the remnants were subsumed into I./ZG 76. Though faster than the Bf 110, the Me 410 was not liked by its crews. It was more difficult to bail out of, and was not as agile as the Bf 110. Some crews felt the Bf 110 could sustain much more combat damage than the Me 410. On 4 October 1943 the US Eighth Air Force attacked targets in Frankfurt. Some 130 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were dispatched by the 1st Bombardment Division while 168 from the 3rd Bomb Division operated against targets in the Saarland and the Saint-Dizier airbase, which had been made operational and housed II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). 14 B-17s were ultimately lost. II./ZG 76 engaged the bomber stream alone and claimed four. They then ran into the US 56th Fighter Group, without any escorting Focke-Wulf Fw 190s or Bf 109s near Düren. The resulting dogfight was characterised by Caldwell and Richard R. Muller as a "slaughter." Nine Bf 110s and 11 men were killed with seven wounded. The dead included both group commanders. The introduction of long-range