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Re: What's with USAAF losses?
I don't have yet MAW4, but in the MAW series my personal opinion is that the text is heavily focused on the fighters. In many occasions, a bomber loss will be listed in the loss summaries at the end of each day without being included in the narrative section.
I tried to compare your Statistical Digest with the losses reported for January 1943 in MAW3.
Enemy aircraft: 11 losses according to Digest
MAW3: 9 noted as shot down by enemy aircraft, two lost to enemy action without more detail, 8 destroyed on the ground by enemy aircraft. Not counting 3 duplicates.
3rd January: two A-20s of 47th BG (two in text, only one in losses summary) shot down by JG 53, 1 B-26 of 319th BG destroyed by a bombing attack at Biskra
4th January: two A-20s (41-3153 and 41-3155) of 47th BG shot down by JG 53
10th January: B-26 41-17197 of 17th BG shot down by JG 51 (but lost to Flak according to US reports)
11th January: two A-20s (41-3006 and 41-3175) of 47th BG destroyed on the ground at Thelepte by Luftwaffe attacks
12th January: A-20 41-3006 of 47th BG destroyed by bombs. Duplicate report, as serial reported lost the day before
13th January: A-20 41-3006 of unstated unit destroyed on the ground. Duplicate report, as serial reported lost both previous days ....
14th January: A-20 41-3153 of 47th BG shot down. Duplicate report, as serial reported lost on the 4th
15th January: B-26 41-17642 and 41-17872 of 17th BG shot down by JG 51 (one reported by engine failure in US losses), two A-20s of 47th BG (one 41-3148) destroyed at Thelepte by Lufwtaffe attacks
16th January: two A-20s (41-3171 and 41-3348) of unstated unit lost to enemy action
22nd January: B-26 41-17082 of 319th BG hit by Flak and fighters, crash-landed. Maybe repaired
28th January: B-25 41-13066 of 310th BG shot down by Mc202, three A-20s of 47th BG destroyed on the ground by Luftwaffe attacks
Flak: 1 loss according to Digest
MAW 3: 3 to 5 losses
1st January: B-26 41-17920 of 17th BG
22nd January: B-25 41-13046 of 310th BG shot down by ground fire, B-25 41-13044 also hit by ground fire, probably not lost
23rd January: B-26 41-17822 of 319th BG hit by Flak, crash-landed. Maybe repaired
29th January: B-26 41-17814 of 319th BG shot down by Flak
Other cause: 1 loss according to Digest
MAW 3: 3 losses
7th January: an A-20 of 68th OG failed to return from ASW patrol
14th January: B-26 41-17890 of 17th BG lost to engine trouble over Tunisia
29th January: A-20 of 47th BG crashed on take-off with full bomb load.
Unclear losses in MAW 3: six cases
5th January: A-20 41-3152 of 47th BG, no reason given in summary, no description in text. Maybe not lost but only one crew killed
6th January: B-26 41-17771 of 319th BG collided with P-38 at Telergma. No description in text. Maybe not a total loss, or not operational
7th January: B-26 41-17894 of 17th BG lost, possibly by accident, in Algeria. Probably not operational
10th January: B-26 41-17876 of 17th BG force-landed. No description in text. Maybe not a total loss, or not operational
14th January: B-26 41-17963 of 320th BG lost in air collision over Algeria. Maybe not operational
18th January: A-20 41-3164 of 122nd OS crashed on take-off. Maybe not operational
IMHO, US medium and light operations in North Africa as described in MAW3 are still a work "heavily in progress", ie an useful base for searching more, but certainly not the last word on the subject.
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