On 12 July 1942 in the afternoon ObFw. Erwin Leibolt would down his 11 adversary. Intercepting a reconnaissance Mosquito PR MK II. and shooting it down over Licques in France. The Mosquito was on a mission to photograph Strassbourg and Inglostadt. Both British crewman was killed.

Two weeks later on 26 July Leibold, took part when three JG 26 Gruppen and two JG 2 Staffeln was ordered to take off intercepting a three-Wing Rodeo headed for the two Jagdwaffe bases at Abbeville and St Omer.

During this large RAF mission the USAAF 31st FG participated with six Spitfires flying with the Biggin Hill Wing as the US Eight Air Forces first fighter mission. After the Biggin Hill Wing had turned back at St. Omer it was intercepted by I./JG 26. The first Spitfire to fell, was the executive officer of the 31st Fighter Group, Lt Col L C Clarke who was downed by Lt. Heinz Rahardt.

Chasing the Spitfires formation over Calais, suddenly the RAF fighters wheeled around and attacked the first Gruppe, and the Fw 190 flown by Leibolt, the wingman of Hptm. Seifert was hit and exploded. Leibold was however lucky to be thrown clear and his parachute was seen opened, however he landed in the channel and was lost.

To sum up the battle, the pilots in JG 26 filed five RAF Spitfires for one own loss, the machine that was piloted by ObFw. Erwin Leibolt. In fact the RAF lost three Spitfires during this clash, the number that actual was later confirmed and chalked up as Lt. Rahardts second, Obfw. Philipps 16th and Obfw. Meyers 15th abschuss.

Leibolts body was later washed ashore and he was buried at Bourdon. Erwin Leibolt an accomplished Jagdwaffe pilot, would start his scoring on 16 June 1941, downing a Spitfire west of Boulogne, another nine spitfires would follow, the last one, on 3 June 1942 his 10th was a MK VI flown by the Australian pilot P/O P J Moore who participate in Circus 184. He was killed in the crash some 20 km north of Le Touquet.

Note the aircraft staff making with the chevron and the letter "L" denoting its pilot Leibolt.

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