From June 1941, the bulk of ZG 26 fought on the Eastern Front from Operation Barbarossa which began the war on the Soviet Union.

The defeat forced the British to revise their policy to night bombing, and has been regarded as among the most influential air engagements of the war.

ZG 26 continued in the escort role as the German army reached the English Channel the following morning, cutting off British, Belgian and French forces from the rest of France.

The Kanalkampf was designed to draw out RAF Fighter Command and achieve air superiority by defeating it in battle, and by bombing airfields and known supporting facilities; radar stations and factories.

[53] The last actions of the Kanalkampf were fought on 11 August, with a final German attack on convoys Booty, Agent and Arena.

[77] On 6 September ZG 26 was ordered to attack the Brooklands Hawker factory but lost three Bf 110s and their crews when intercepted by 1 Squadron near Kenley.

[88] III./ZG 26 carried out strafing attack on Podgorica airfield, destroying two bombers and damaging three belonging to the 81 Independent Grupa at Mostar-Ortijes.

The 66 Grupa led by 4 Bombarderska, Colonel Petar Vukcevic, Royal Yugoslav Air Force and 7th Puk bombers were also operating from airfields in the vicinity.

[92] II./ZG 26 joined Bf 109s from I(J)/LG 2 in battle against the 111 and 112 Eskadrila Hawker Fury fighters led by Captains Vojislav Popovik and Konstantin Jermakov.

[94] Following the swift collapse of the Yugoslav Army, ZG 26 and all its gruppen moved to support the German forces in the Battle of Greece in the fighter and fighter-bomber role.

Among the few RAF survivors of the battle still airborne at its end was Pilot Officer Roald Dahl, the future poet and novelist.

[105] The following day II./ZG 26 assisted 5./JG 77 in attack the British 10th MTB Flotilla which was taking a toll on Axis naval forces.

[107] Among the final actions of the battle, was death of 2./ZG 26 commanding officer Hauptmann Karl Heindorf, who was shot down over Crete on 31 May.

[108] In response to the failed Italian invasion of Egypt, Hitler aided Benito Mussolini to prevent a collapse of the Axis powers in the North African Campaign.

Two days later Erwin Rommel, commander of the German Africa Corps arrived in Tripoli followed by elements of what became the 21st Panzer Division on 14 February.

On this date, ZG 26 suffered the first loss in Africa when III Gruppe Bf 110 was shot down and its pilot Unteroffizier Lippski and his gunner captured.

"[120] On 4 December, over the Trigh Capuzzo, Sergeant Dodd, 274 Squadron shot down a Bf 110 piloted by Major Karl Kaschka.

On 13 April, in an unusual episode, Bf 110s of 7./ZG 26 landed at an abandoned British airfield [name unspecified] and destroyed the installations after climbing out of their aircraft.

While three Bf 110s flew cover, 60 Italian personnel landed and destroyed abandoned fuel and lubrication tanks in an operation lasting until 10:00.

227 Squadron RAF claimed two transports carrying invaluable ground personnel were shot down over the Strait of Sicily; one belonging to III./ZG 26.

[138] On 22 January 1943 another patrol protecting a convoy engaged B-26 Marauders from the 416th Bombardment Group with JG 53—the latter succeeded in downing two, confirmed by US losses, but the results of ZG 26's involvement are unclear.

[142] It is known that the unit remained in Africa until the late stages of the Battle of Tunisia, for a group machine was reported destroyed at Sfax airfield on 30 March 1943.

[150] Richthofen's own log book recorded 29 combat missions for II./ZG 26 in the first 14 days of July 1941 during the Battle of Smolensk, before it was moved to support Army Group North, under the command of Luftflotte 1.

[151] ZG 26 concentrated in airfield strikes as Army Group North pushed toward Leningrad precipitating a clash with the 5 IAP.

[152] 24 Bf 110s from I./ZG 26 straffed Kotly airfield but found only one aircraft and suffered one machine damaged in air combat on 16 August.

These units had lost gruppen and staffeln to the German night fighter force but were resurrected in the close air support role where the Luftwaffe maintained a measure of control.

The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe still regarded the heavy armament of the Bf 110, and the emerging Messerschmitt Me 410, as ideal bomber-destroying weapons in areas free of American long-range fighter escorts.

The situation allowed Major Karl Boehm-Tettelbach, commanding III./ZG 26, to attack the shattered wing, leading the 3rd Bombardment Division.

In February, Big Week commenced a systematic series of operations against the Luftwaffe's combat units and supporting industry.

III./ZG 26 lost 10 killed and seven wounded along with 10 Bf 110s destroyed and three damaged when it was engaged by P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group while forming up in the van of attack against the southern force.