Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane
On the fateful 30 April 1940, I./ZG 76 lost its first Gruppenkommandeur. It was Hptm. Günther Reinecke, who was in the function since first May 1939 and led the Gruppe in the first combats of the WWII. During the combat flight, he was accompanied by Oblt. Hans Jäger. About the flight which was absolved between 19:53 and 21:12, Jäger wrote in his logbook the following remark: “Crashed Reinecke at 20:40, visibly hit by pursuing bomber in ground flight.“ It was this exact encounter with an RAF Blenheim, that became fatal for Hptm. Reinecke. Shortly afterward, the command of I. Gruppe was taken over for ten days by the Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel, Oblt. Werner Hansen. Hansen was replaced then by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer on 11 May 1940.
HISTORY
Photograph 01 shows Werner Restemeyer in
rank of Oberleutnant, and thus was created
prior to 1. August 1936, when he was already
promoted to Hauptmann, and naturally prior to
service with I./ZG 76. Werner Heinrich August
Restemeyer was a son of Werner Restemeyer
and his wife Carolina, a family living at Höxter.
Young Werner finished the secondary grammar
school in March 1925 and in summer of that
year joined "Sicherheitsdienst" (Security
Service). On 15 October 1928 joined practical
training for the Lufthansa at Staaken.
In January 1931 absolved the Beobachterschule
at Warnemϋnde and September of the same
year was already in rank of Fähnrich. Since
August 1936 he was in rank of Hauptmann
in various Staffelkapitän functions at
2./Kü.Fl. JGr. 136, 2./JG 134, 2./JG 142,
2./ZG 142, 2./ZG 26. The outbreak of war found
him in Jagdflieger Schule Schleissheim, but
he was soon transferred to II.(J)/Tr.Gr. 186. In
December re-entered 2./ZG 26 and briefly was
acting as Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 26.
On 14 December 1939, he was wounded in
combat when he collided with one Blenheim
over Borkum. After convalescence at the end
of January 1940, he joined I./ZG 76.
As a Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 76,
Hptm. Restemeyer received aircraft with
appropriate marking. His Messerschmitt
Bf 110 W.Nr. 3156 of version D had installed
modification R1 which was the underbelly
fuel tank so called “Dackelbauch”. Plane wore
code “M8+AB” in accordance to the Luftwaffe
On the fateful 30 April 1940, I./ZG 76 lost its first Gruppenkommandeur.
It was Hptm. Günther Reinecke, who was in the function since first May 1939 and
led the Gruppe in the first combats of the WWII. During the combat flight, he was
accompanied by Oblt. Hans Jäger. About the flight which was absolved between 19:53
and 21:12, Jäger wrote in his logbook the following remark: “Crashed Reinecke at 20:40,
visibly hit by pursuing bomber in ground flight.“ It was this exact encounter with
an RAF Blenheim, that became fatal for Hptm. Reinecke. Shortly afterward,
the command of I. Gruppe was taken over for ten days by the
Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel, Oblt. Werner Hansen. Hansen was
replaced then by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer on 11 May 1940.
Peter Kaššák
Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s planeFate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane
INFO Eduard14
July 2025