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Re: Acceptable loss rates vs. pyrrhic victories?
An acceptable loss rate is one that allows your side to remain operational longer than the enemy.
With a loss rate of 40%, bomber units involved in Rhona attack will not be able to remain operational, while German commanders knew that their attacks won't stop Allied convoys going into Med, so I think this was not acceptable. And in spring 1944, the Ju 88 fighters operating over the Bay of Biscay were ordered to escort some convoy attack formation over the Med.
But on the other hand, if you compare the German losses (9 bombers and 8 crew) to the Allied losses reported by German crew (and so probably well above the real ones, both in number and size of ships hit and sunk: overclaiming is not limited to air-to-air battle), you can conclude that it was worth it. The fact is that German airmen continued to attack Allied convoys in the Med up to July 1944 despite heavy losses.
The fact is that despite the losses suffered, the Allied convoys were probably the best targets German bombers could find then in MTO, and so the most efficient way to use them (even if the raid in Bari was also successfull, but this success was not repeated in other attacks against ports).
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