Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Boak
I've never seen a comparison that only placed RAF Fighter Command operational losses against all Luftwaffe losses including non-combat unit losses, so I don't recognise where you are coming from. The losses I have seen are those quoted for losses in combat units involved.
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Well if you ever happened to see the widely qouted 915 vs 1733 lost, then you have already seen the comparison you don't think you've seen.
Ie. between July-October
the LW lost 1385 aircraft on operations, and due to enemy action, further 404 to non-enemy action -
here's the 1789 figure. Moreover, that would include the Näh- and Fernaufklärer, the Jäger, the Zestörer , Nachtjäger, Kampffliger, Stukas, Schlachtfliger, Transports, Coastal and misc. other unit's losses.
EDIT : Wanted to post here the whole table detailing the LW losses per month, per type and per cause, but appearantly this board still doesn't like XLS tables in a post...
As a matter of fact, the
LW's enemy-related, on operations losses for the SE fighters are just 502, (+19 non-enemy related, +22 not on operations) which could be compared to the British loss figures given - ie.
the 962 odd figure.
Now, Wood and Dempster gives the following casulties for the British side in their book, Appendix 14 :
Battle casulties, Metropolitan Air Force, July 1 - October 31 1940
Cat 2 (damaged, rapairable) vs. Cat 3 (missing or wrecked beyond repair)
Bombers : 116 / 367
Fighters : 710 /
1140
Other Op. types : 50/96
In total : 876 /
1603
Now how's that Benjamin Disraeli
bon mot go... ?
So allow me to reserve the right not to take various statistics produced in order to achieve that magic 2:1 kill rate in their own favour by British authors in relation to the national saga, aka Battle of Britiain on their face value, without knowing what they exactly mean and refer to. This brings us a little offtopic of the discussion at hand, though. Just wanted to clarify.