The Jagdgeschwader 54 HomePage, by Bob Wartburg, including loss list

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry Hickey
Leykauf
Sat Jul 31, 2024 18:07
67.173.250.240

Rob et al.

Thanx for the thoughts. Rob, the Leykauf article on the JG 54 website is part of the problem. The info in the bio is credited to the now deceased but highly respected Gunther Rosipal. It indicates that Leykauf was assigned to both JG 26 AND then JG 27 immediately prior to the Battle of Britain when he transferred to I./JG 21. The Prien/Bock victory lists in their book series indicate his first victory on 12/5/40 was while he was assigned to I/JG21, which would make it highly unlikely that he served in either JG 26 or JG 27 between then and the beginning of the Battle of Britain. He scored his next victory during 8/40, again with I./JG 21 (by then III./JG 54). Something isn't right here, and that's what I'm trying to sort out. He may have served with JG 26 beginning about 9/39, but I think that by sometime late in 1939 or early in 1940 that he had transferred to I/JG 21. I personally doubt that he was ever assigned to JG 27, despite the bio on the JG 54 website.

An article in Mombeek's Luftwaffe Colors Jagdwaffe book series, Vol. 1, Sec. 4 (JAGDWAFFE Vol.1 Section 4: Attack In The West), P. 311, says Leykauf avoided the Polish campaign and was "transferred to 3./JG 26 on the Western Front." This account makes no mention of a transfer to I./JG 21, but indicates that he returned from a leave on 6/5/40 to his unit at München-Gladbach where he went into combat at the beginning of the French Campaign. München-Gladbach was the base for I./JG 21 at that time, not I./JG 26, so it appears that the transfer to I./JG 21 was left out of this account. This squares with him having his first victory on 12/5/40 with 2./JG 21. The mystery caused by conflicting information in various sources has not yet been solved. When did he transfer to I./JG 21, and was he ever assigned to JG 27 during the 1939-40 period? Then, when did he serve in which staffel of I./JG 21/-III./JG 54 through the end of 1940? Knowing the answers to these questions is the key to unravelling the correct dates and time sequences for the many photos from his collection that have appeared in print over the years. Again, his logbook, if it still exists, might answer many of these questions.

Thanx,

Larry Hickey