Europe in mid-May 1943. The group was ordered to attack Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. The group was moved to Foggia in southern Italy. It began operations along the North African coast from 15 to 20 May, days after the capitulation of Axis forces in North Africa. On 28 May Allied bombers attacked the base and destroyed one Ju 88. Another eight were damaged. The following night it raided the port of Bône. On 30 May it lost another two Ju 88s in an air raid. The very next day another seven Ju 88s were damaged in air attack at Foggia. Operations continued on 1 June with raids in the Sousse area (1 and 10 June), Djidjelli (8 June), Bône (14 June). Six Ju 88s were sent to Sardinia on 24 June with instructions to attack any Allied landing. Bône was bombed again on 29 June in a bid to disrupt shipping, congregating for a landing in southern Europe. On 1 July 1943 it reported 26 Ju 88s ready for operations. III. Gruppe also returned on 16 July. It moved to northern Italy near Milan by 1 July. It had 32 Ju 88s available for operations and then rebased to Grosseto over the course of 13–16 July. The group was commanded by Hauptmann Kurt Reiman, who had been appointed on 18 March to succeed Volprecht Freiherr von und zu Eisenbach Riedesel, relieved of command on 31 January 1943. III Gruppe was commanded by Albrecht Wichmann on 30 April 1943. III. Gruppe served in Italy for only a short time. On 16 July it was moved to France, at Laon-Athies. The Italian Campaign began on 10 July 1943 with the invasion of Sicily. II./KG 76 began night attacks on Sicily because of Allied air superiority. The first attack was carried on 13/14 July, through to the 15th. The following day the group bombed Siracusa. It then deployed south to Foggia on the 18 July. It flew sorties in the Augusta harbour and the Catania area (23 and 27 July) and then it attacked Allied forces near Gela (28 July). On 30 July Avola was bombed. On this mission the Gruppenkommandeur Kurt Riemann was posted missing in action with his crew. He was not formally replaced until September when Hauptmann Siegfried Geisler took command—Geisler was the last commanding officer of II./KG 76. II./KG 76 remained on operations and on 7 August