Quote:
|
Unfortunately all the unit equipment sheets i have seen so far do not detail the subtype of the aircraft in use.
|
Yes, that is the main reason why we have to ask ourselves this question.
Quote:
|
Another pitfall is the conversion of E-1s to E-3/E-4s standard, i'm not so certain all reported E-1s losses were of un-upgraded a/c, it's highly possible that already upgraded E-1s had been reported as E-1 rather than E-4.
|
Yes, I too have given that theory a thought. However, that would have been against regulations, so even if this might be part of an explanation, I don't think it was too common.
For the period 1 July - 31 October 1940, the list of individual aircraft losses and casualty reports from the returns to the Generalquartiermeister consists of a total of 1 026 Bf 109 E. Of those, 138 are reported as simply "109 E". The number of specified aircraft subtypes are divided as follows:
Bf 109 E-1: 337
Bf 109 E-2: 2
Bf 109 E-3: 59
Bf 109 E-4: 489
Bf 109 E-7: 60
Quote:
|
I firmly believe that only detailled unit equipment sheets would provide an answer but as i said previously i'm still to see any.
|
Of course. Until then, I think we are left to assume that at least one-fourth - maybe even as much as one-third - of all Bf 109s in the combat units at the English Channel were of the early E-1 model throughout the BoB. Maybe even more: Of the 888 "specified subtypes" above, 38 % were E-1s.
BTW - in my book on the Battle of Britain (which I just finished writing!), there will be detailed lists of every single aircraft loss on both sides during ther period 1 July - 31 October 1940. (Those lists will add much new to the lists previously published in "The BoB Then & Now, Mk V".) The book is scheduled to be published 3rd quarter 2006 - first in a Swedish edition, then probably in an English edition.