Case Studies in the Achievement of Air Superiority - Air Force ...

LUFTWAFFE AGAINST POLAND
TABLE 2-6
Luftwaffe Aircraft Losses, May-September 1940
Destroyed on Operations
Total
Destroyed
as percent of
Dueto Not Due Destroyed Initial
TY Pe Strength Enemy to Enemy Not on Total Strength
Aircraft 29.6.40 Action Action Total Operations Destroyed (%)
Close Recce
Long-Range
Recce
Single-Engine
Fighters
Twin-Engine
Fighters
Bomber
Dive Bomber
Transport
Coastal
345
32 1
1,369
367
1,758
417
53 1
24 1
68 7 75
I15 32 147
567 145 712
304 25 329
862 180 1,042
148 34 182
191 19 210
58 45 103
11
11
63
16
100
28
18
17
86 25%
158 49
775 57
345 94
1,142 65
210 50
228 43
120 50
Total 5,349 2,313 487 2,800 264 3,064 57%
Source: Based on the figures in AHB, Translation VI1/83, “German Aircraft Losses, September
1939-December 1940 .”
was so radically different from their experience that they never properly
grasped the issues. This was particularly so, since they had wasted so many
assets in the waiting period of July and early August. When the Luftwaffe
began its major effort ili mid-August, it was already too late. British production
and sage leadership were enough to keep Fighter Command in the
struggle through to the period of bad weather. It is sobering to note, however,
that Fighter Command’s pilot losses in August and September were
both worse than the Luftwaffe’s worst month in the January-May 1944 air
battles over Germany-air battles that finally broke the Luftwaffe’s back
and irrevocably won air superiority over the continent for Allied air
f0r~es.l~~
There has been a condescending tendency among Anglo-American
commentators on the Battle of Britain to point to the Luftwaffe’s “extraordinary”
mistakes. It is worth noting, however, that neither the RAF nor the
American Army Air Forces possessed an air superiority strategy in 1943 in
the air battles over Germany, and both paid a fearful price in terms of the
lives of their aircrews. In 1944 the appearance of the P-5 1, almost by accident,
enabled the American Army Air Forces in Europe to wage a successful
campaign of air superiority. The immense cost of that victory
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