After the campaign of Crete, II./Zerstörergeschwader 76 was rebased back to Germany to be retrained in the nigh-fighter role. Only 4. Staffel (flight) remained in Crete to be part of an expeditionary force to fight in Iraq, together with another Staffel of Heinkel He.111 bombers.
In April 1941, a pro-German coup d'état took place in Baghdad, forcing the British forces to act quickly to send troops in order to protect their interests there and take control of the land. Given the imminent beginning of Operation Barbarossa (the German attack on the USSR), the German high command could not send a big force, so the Luftwaffe contended itself by sending a small force made up of bombers, Bf.110s and several transport planes. This force would be coordinated with another Italian contingent.
The German contingent was unofficially known as "Sonderkommando Junck" (Special force Junck) , after its Chief Officer Generalleutnant Werner Junck and soon later it was officially known as "Fliegerführer Irak" (Aviation Command Iraq).
The main goal of this force, which operated from Mosul (north or Iraq), was to take control of Habbaniya airfield, west of Baghdad. The fight was brief but violent and losses were heavy, specially on the ground, due to Royal Air Force's attacks on Mosul which destroyed or captured every Bf.110 with the last two surviving Heinkel He.111 flying out of the country on 29th May.
During the short period of time ranging from 13th May 1941,when Sonderkommand Junck arrived in Mosul, to 29th May 1941, when the German-Italian forces left Mosul, many sorties were flown over Iraq.
Sources:
1st Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fliegerführer_Irak
3rd Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 30 - Messerschmitt Bf-110 Zerstörer in Action
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