Luftwaffe claims for British shipping in November 1940

[Jochen Prien]

Dear Nick, Andy and Robert,

many thanks for your quick help on and off board. Your findings confirm that in all four cases here in question the Luftwaffe's claims were widely exaggerated both with respect to the number of ships sank or hit and their respective size. Even under the tense situation of attacking the ships while under fire from their a/a defenses and at least on some occasions harrassed by British fighters, the sheer degree of overclaiming seems quite incomprehensible. ( Yet the same would happen over and over again ).

While the Propaganda jumped on such figures the Navy bore a healthy mistrust against Luftwaffe claims as can be seen from the way these reports were handled / commented on in the War Diary of the Navy High Command ( KTB der Seekreigsleitung ). It would be interesting to know if and to what degree these claims were later checked and corrected on the German side.

Anyway, as usual you have been most helpful. Many thanks again.

Regards

Jochen Prien

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jochen Prien

... the Luftwaffe's claims were widely exaggerated both with respect to the number of ships sunk or hit and their respective size. ...

Jochen Prien

From years of reading, it seems that airmen's estimates of the sizes reports ships were hardly ever accurate. This seems to apply to reconnaissance crews and to anti-shipping strikes. Naval aviators seem no better than land-based ones either and all countries are as bad.