Chart of Allied Aircraft Losses by month ?

[edwest]

I'm not looking for type specific, just country specific. My main time period of interest is all of 1944 until the end. However, I would also like a chart showing the full 1939-1945 period. I'd be grateful for any help.



Best,
Ed

[Kutscha]

USAAF
http://www.usaaf.net/digest/operations.htm

[edwest]

Thank you, very much. Most helpful.




Best,
Ed

[Kutscha]

You are welcome Ed.

This USN link also might be of interest,
http://www.history.navy.mil/download/nasc.pdf

[edwest]

Fascinating. Many thanks.




Ed

[GuerraCivil]

I went through the both official (USAAF, USNAF) stats and they give quite low figures on aircraft losses in air combats in Pacific theater and during the time period of 1941-1942, which is of my interest:

USAAF losses in air combat during Jun.-Dec. 1942 in total just 7
USNAF losses in air combat during 1941 - 1942 in total 257

The very low USAAF loss figure is a bit susceptible to me - I have read that the losses of USAAF P-39/(P-400) and P-40 units were higher in air combats than a modest total of 7 during 1942. For example in just one single combat Guadalcanal-based USAAF P-39 unit lost 4 planes, which would make more than half of USAAF losses at whole Pacific theater in Jun.-Dec. 1942. Are all unit records really taken in account in these stats?

...just checked this from another forum. It appears that USAAF stats given in link above are incomplete transcription. Here is more complete and reliable stuff: http://www.afhra.af.mil/timelines/index.asp - there one should download the PDF for Part II to get better info. Although some stats in the internet have officially approved status and thus appear reliable, it does not mean that they are always complete and tell the whole truth.

[Kutscha]

I don't see any difference in Table 161 in the link I gave and Table 161 in the link you gave.

Both give 13 a/c lost June/Dec 1942.

[GuerraCivil]

You should look the given link the document PDF, Part II and take the tables 99 - 108 (starting from page 184) as a base for a complete stats analysis. When it comes to air combat losses of USAAF in the whole Pacific theater 1941-1942 one should also take in account the planes lost by Far East Air Force (FEAF).

For example take a look of the table 100 at the page 186! It is of course you liberty how you interpretate the numbers, my interpretation is that US Army air units in Pacific suffered more casualties and planes lost due to enemy activity than those presented in the table 161 of your link. It is not the same document for which I have given a link:
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media...090608-042.pdf

[Kutscha]

Table 161 -- Airplane Losses on Combat Missions in Pacific Ocean Areas

Table 100 -- Losses of All Types of Airplanes Overseas

Table 100 is the total losses to all causes.

note the: 1st Line Losses (Combat & Accident)

Note both links are titled: Army Air Forces Statistical Digest, World War II

So how can one link be more reliable than the other?

[GuerraCivil]

Simple answer: one is a complete original report written after war, the second is a incomplete web transcription. Original report is usually better than later made transcription of it.

To put couple of examples. http://www.usaaf.net/digest/t161.htm - gives that the total losses (of all causes) on Pacific Ocean area combat mission by USAAF planes were in total 378 between Jun. 1942 - Aug. 1945. Firstly this is incomplete as it does not include the time period Dec. 1941 - May 1942. But putting that aside the original report show that alone in 1943-1944 USAAF lost 346 planes in combat+first rate accidents in Pacific Ocean Areas and in total such losses in. Dec. 1941 - Aug. 1945 were as much as 1054. Even if you take 50 % of them accidents at airfields, it will make more than 500 lost in combat missions for all causes, which is clearly more than your link gives.

Secondly your link does not include FEAF losses - if one wants to get the picture of the plane losses of US Army air units during the whole Pacific war, they should be included. Alone in 1942 the FEAF lost 813 planes in combat + accidents in Pacific war.

The problem is to some extent how to define the boundaries of "Pacific war".

And to combat losses should be included all those planes which were destroyed on the ground by enemy bombing and strafing attacks.