Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE THROUGH WORLD WAR II
power, the Allies accomplished little. Allied Airmen and artillerymen
scored few hits and, at best, temporarily lowered the morale
of the German gunners. Nevertheless, German flak inflicted
considerable casualties on Allied forces. In addition to destroying
53 tow and 16 supply aircraft, the Germans damaged 381 of
853 American gliders and 160 of 272 British gliders, of which
142 had major damage (fig. 29). 83 American Airmen found little
profit in attacking flak positions in World War II. Of 338 Eighth
Air Force fighters lost to flak during the war, 77 percent were
lost while strafing. As Maj Gen Elwood “Pete” Quesada, commander
of the 9th Tactical Air Command (TAC), put it: “It was
like a man biting a dog.” 84
Fratricide
One problem that antiaircraft gunners would rather not talk
about is firing on and hitting friendly aircraft. Fratricide in the
speed and confusion of battle is as understandable as it is regrettable.
Ground troops and antiaircraft gunners had fired on
friendly aircraft in World War I and formed the attitude: “There
Figure 29. German 20 mm gun. German light flak was very potent. This
single 20 mm gun is assisted by the German soldier in the background
operating a range finder. (Reprinted from Imperial War Museum.)
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