The Luftwaffe immediately began preparing for the Battle of Britain and the airfield became home to Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76) 'Schlageter' with Bf-110Cs onto the airfield along with Fw 190As of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26).
Several important military ventures were also named for him, including the Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter fighter-wing of the Luftwaffe, and the naval vessel Albert Leo Schlageter.
Jagdgeschwader 26's first operations during the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944 was conducted by Geschwaderkommodore Obstlt. Josef Priller, flying an Fw 190A-8 W.Nr.170346 Black 13, and his wingman from his airfield at Lille-Nord; an event that would be portrayed graphically in the book by Cornelius Ryan and the resultant film The Longest Day.
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Because some elements of the unit was located in Abbeville-Drucat the Allies dubbed any yellow-nosed Bf 109 or Fw 190 aircraft who aggressively and effectively attacked them the nickname The Abbeville Boys and perceived them as the Luftwaffe's special hand-picked elite group of aces, although from the Luftwaffe's perspective they were just another — albeit highly experienced and effective — fighter Geschwader.
Jagdgeschwader 26 | Jagdgeschwader 54 | Jagdgeschwader 5 | Jagdgeschwader 3 | Jagdgeschwader 7 | Jagdgeschwader 53 | Jagdgeschwader 51 | Jagdgeschwader 300 | Jagdgeschwader 11 |
As he turned for home, a Fw 190 fighter of JG 26 severed the tail of his Mosquito; the Mosquito's crash killed him and his navigator.