piloted by Pilot Officer J.L. Wilkie were downed. I./ZG 76 remained in Norway with Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) for air defence after the campaign. On 9 July 1940 they two units shot down seven from 12 Blenheim bombers (from No. 12 Squadron) sent to bomb Stavanger. The Luftwaffe considered a glider-borne assault on the Allied-held airfield at Bardufoss but it had only nine gliders available. Further operations were precluded by the Allied withdrawal in view of the worsening situation in France. The cost of the campaign to the Luftwaffe was 260 aircraft, including 86 transports. 1,130 aircrew became casualties, including 341 killed, and 448 missing. They destroyed 93 of the 169 British aircraft lost including 43 in air combat, 24 by Luftwaffe-controlled anti-aircraft units. The most successful unit was ZG 76 which was credited with 16 enemy aircraft followed by JG 77 with 13. Western Europe Stab and II./ZG 76 was assigned to the Fliegerkorps I under the command of Generaloberst Grauert near Cologne-Wahn. On 10 May 1940 the German offensive opened with Fall Gelb, the Battle of the Netherlands and Battle of Belgium as a prelude to the larger Battle of France. During the first day of operations the heavy fighter wings flew 2,000 sorties with the Bf 109-equipped units. ZG 76 supported the southern flank of Army Group B and the northern flank of Army Group A during the Panzer Divisions dash to the English Channel following the breakthrough at Sedan from 14 May. With JG 2, JG 53 and JG 77 the wing protected the bridges over the Meuse at Sedan. The French and RAF Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) air attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. On 15 May it is known to have fought in combat with No. 87 Squadron over Montcornet—the site of a major battle two days later—II./ZG 76 reporting two losses. A No. 87 Squadron pilot was reported killed in this encounter. Later in the day, a known success was reported in combat with No. 3 Squadron which attempted to engage Dornier Do 17s of 8./KG 76. Two pilots are believed to have been lost to II./ZG 76. One as killed the other captured. On 18 May, II./ZG 76 flew as escorts to III./KG 76 as the group made repeated bombing raids. Over Vitry airfield, a large dogfight broke out when all available Hawker Hurricane units were scrambled to intercept.