Air war over North Africa

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Christer,

These figures are taken from my recently completed Honours thesis. The source is Shores & Ring, Fighters Over The Desert, and these are daily Allied losses to Axis fighters in North Africa:

May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Total
Hurricane - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - 3 - - 2 4 - 2 18
Kittyhawk - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - 3 - - 2 - - 5 1 - - - 5 2 4 12 4 40
Tomahawk - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 1 1 1 7 15
Beaufighter - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
Boston - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - 1
Baltimore - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 - - - - - - - - 4

June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Total
Spitfire - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - 3
Hurricane - 1 2 - 1 - 3 2 1 5 2 - - 3 5 1 - - - - - - - - - 3 1 5 1 - - 44
Kittyhawk 3 - - 1 - - 2 1 1 - 2 5 4 2 - 6 2 - - - - - - 2 1 11 1 - - - - 44
Tomahawk 1 - 7 4 2 1 - 3 2 - 1 - 1 1 - 4 3 - - - - - - 1 - 2 1 1 - - - 35
Beaufighter - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 2 - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 7
Albacore - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - 1
Beaufort - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
Baltimore - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 3 - - - - 5
Liberator - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

July 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Total
Spitfire - - - - 1 2 - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - 2 1 - - - - - - - - - 8
Hurricane - - 10 7 1 - - - - 6 - - 2 - 1 2 5 2 2 1 2 3 4 5 - - 9 1 - - - 63
Kittyhawk 2 2 3 1 1 1 - - - 5 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - - 3 1 1 1 2 - - 1 - - 1 - 29
Tomahawk - - - - - - 1 - - - 5 - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 9
Beaufighter - 3 - 1 - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
Boston - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
Bombay - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2
Liberator - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

That's not very clear, but I don't have time to clean it up. I have more of this information covering from February to October 1942, so if you want to see that, please let me know.

Statistics, 10 February - 23 October 1942

Total Allied losses to Axis fighters in North Africa;

Hurricanes - 233
Kittyhawks - 230
Tomahawks - 91
Spitfires - 39
Beaufighters - 18
Beaufort - 11
Baltimore - 9
Boston - 7
P-40s - 3
Bombay - 3
Albacore - 2
Wellington - 2
Liberator - 2
Blenheim - 1
Fulmar - 1
Maryland - 1
TOTAL - 653 (or 3.9 British aircraft lost to Axis fighters each day in North Africa)

In this period the German fighter pilots claimed ca. 930 victories in North Africa, of which only 63 were bombers.

Between 1 March 1942 and 20 July 1942 the Italians claimed 265 enemy aircraft shot down, along with 73 probably shot down.

There were 58 falsified victory claims by 4./J.G. 27 between 20 June 1942 and 12 October 1942.

Sources
AWM 54 423-4-103 Part 64, Records of the Italian 5th Squadra Aerea

Tony Wood's victory claims material

C. Shores & H. Ring, Fighters Over the Desert

Cheers,
Andrew A.

"Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall,
but there's always someone cooler than you" - Ben Folds