command of Alfred Bülowius. The ad hoc group were used as emergency reinforcements. On 20 July, with Voronezh fall imminent, KG 27 and 76 had been sent southward to assist in the Battle of Rostov only to be rushed back to the area when a Soviet offensive broke through German lines. KG 76 operated over at night. On a bombing operation over Saratov on 24 September, 7 staffel lost a Ju 88 shot down by the all-female 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment. It is believed Lt. Valeria Khomyakova was the Soviet pilot involved. I./KG 76 flew against oil targets in Astrakhan and Grozny in September. By 20 September 1942 it had 19 of 24 Ju 88s operational. 1. and 2. Staffel were withdrawn to the north to support a planned assault on Leningrad (Operation Nordlicht). On 25 September it reported losses over the city. II. Gruppe could muster 39 Ju 88s with only 19 serviceable. The group also had lost squadrons to the cancelled Leningrad operation; they returned on 6 October 1942. Under the command of Luftflotte 4 it began operations in the Akhtuba on 19 October. From northern Caucasia it attack Soviet shipping in the port of Tuapse on 3 November. I. and II. Gruppe ceased operations on the 15 November 1942. III Gruppe staged their withdrawal over the course of two weeks, finally leaving the Eastern Front in early December 1942. Mediterranean and African theatres The unit took part in the Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres. In November 1942 I., II., and III./KG 76 were transferred to Athens–Laon, Greece and from there moved to Crete. I Gruppe moved to support the Afrika Korps in North Africa. The theatre had changed considerably and KG 76 were part of an influx of air units to prevent an Axis collapse in the region. On 23 October 1942 the British Eighth Army began an offensive at El Alamein at broke through German-Italian lines on 4 November. Four days later, Anglo-American forces landed in Algeria and Morocco in Operation Torch. Axis forces were threatened with destruction in a large pincer move. I Gruppe began bombing operations within a week but saw two changes in command. Hauptmann Hanns Heise was appointed the group commander in January 1942 but was succeeded by Major Rudolf Hallensleben in October 1942. Hallensleben was replaced by Major Ulrich Roch in January 1943. Missions were flown against Allied shipping off