attacked shipping and installations at Bizerte, Tunisia. It bombed targets in the Scordia on 11 August. Its base at Foggia was bombed on 16 August but it had 18 Ju 88s (16 operational) by 20 August. On 17 August Sicily fell. 76 continued to attack shipping and coastal targets. It bombed Palermo harbour on 23 August but lost nine Ju 88s at Foggia in an air attack two days later forcing a reduction in operations. I./KG 76 were also committed to battle. It raided Bizerte on 6 July and contested the Allied landings in Sicily from the first day: Gela (11 July), Gerbini (14 July), Siracusa (17 July), Bizerte (17 August). It had 20 Ju 88s (11 operational) on 20 August 1943 at Foggia. Its base was bombed on 25 August and 8 September but losses are unknown. Operation Avalanche began on 3 September 1943 and KG 76 was called on to support Luftflotte 2's operations. On 8 and 9 September I Gruppe flew anti-shipping missions off the Salerno beachhead. It also flew operations over the sea off Naples (10 September). It was forced to abandon the base at Foggia and destroyed 14 Ju 88s to prevent their capture. The group moved to Istres, France, ending its participation in Italy. Gruppenkommandeur Ulrich Roch was killed in operations before the withdrawal: he was killed with his crew on 13 September and replaced by Hauptmann Hans Coyn twenty-four hours later. II./KG 76 conducted attacks on the Salerno beachhead also on 13 and 16 September. Losses necessitated a temporary withdrawal from operation from 20 to 23 September. The Gruppe re-equipped and rested at Saint-Martin-de-Pallières, France. It moved back to Italy at Aviano. There, it attacked Allied shipping and targets over southern Italy; especially harbours. It was reassigned to Fliegerkorps II on 15 October 1943. Losses in air combat forced the group to operate at night mostly. It bombed Naples' harbour on 23 October and 5/6 and 26/27 November 1943. The group had 32 Ju 88 A-4s on strength by the time of withdrawal to Varrelbusch on 4 December 1943. From Villaorba (Basiliano), I. Gruppe moved to Udine. It struck at ports over the following months: Naples and Bari were bombed by 15 October. Naples harbour was attacked again on 5 November while Bastia harbour in Corsica as attacked on 24 November. Hauptmann Hans Coyn was killed on 30 November Helmut Wahl replaced him.