Break down of Lw losses during BoB

[Franek Grabowski]

Many thanks for that!
Well, there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Given the gross numbers discussed an absolute accuracy is not necessary, as it is more about trends.
The problem is, that the numbers usually provided, regardless of their accuracy, do not shed a light on what really had happened.
For example, there are 2,927 the Few listed, 2,353 of them British. The problem is that a one was qualified as a one of the Few following only a single op flight, which he could make in the north, not seeing an enemy. Thus, the number does not represent the number of airmen involved in the hottest southern sectors. Also, I understand the number does include Blenheim and Defiant pilots but exclude gunners, which further muddies waters.
Then I have 1,259 pilots in July and 1,796 pilots in November. The losses were 510 (407 British), out of those ~450 Hurricane & Spitfire pilots. Total losses including wounded 710.
This means that approx. 1274 pilots arrived as replacement, 574 being foreigners not requiring extensive training. Thus 673 were RAF trained, which seems a bit low to me, as I recall the monthly output was about 500 pilots. On the other hand hastily trained pilots required further training in squadrons rotated on operational rest and may have been not considered operational and thus not put into the statistics. This is of course simplification but roughly shows the problem.
Then at the end of August RAF reported shortages of pilots and rotation of airmen ceased, so there must have been some problem which is not apparent from the above.
Also , I count 61 Hurricane & Spitfire squadrons which should have an establishment of 18 aircraft and 22 pilots, thus giving 1098 aircraft and 1342 pilots. Given there was approx. 600 aircraft in average, the question is if the latter is serviceable aircraft only, but still it should suggest a bit of shortages.
Of course, this must be collated with the German data, in order to create a broader picture, hence my question.

[Chris Goss]

Latest from Geoffrey who is unsure how else to help with this:


For Battle of Britain trends there were two main ones, the closing of the average gap between RAF and Luftwaffe fighter pilot effectiveness and the closing of the average gap between Luftwaffe bomb damage assessments and reality. There were many changes of tactics, for example the well known withdrawal of the Ju87 units, and so many variables that plenty of statisticians would say looking for trends means consulting your Middle Earth dragon maintenance manual, unicorn section.

I do not have a good reference that breaks down aircrew strengths.
Using Wood and Dempster Fighter Command say 1,259 pilots on strength on
6 July and 1,796 on 2 November, while 2,945 aircrew flew operationally
10 July to 31 October of whom 507 were killed and about the same number wounded, if you accept the 510 killed, 710 wounded figure then end + dead + wounded = 3,016 compared with 2,945 names on the list. A difference of 71 well within the bounds of possibility given wounded but returned to unit, joined unit too late to fly operationally, with a non operational squadron, posted elsewhere etc. movement the other way is noting the 2 Defiant squadrons had 2 crew per aircraft, the 6 Blenheim ones 3, and the Beaufighter squadron made operational on 28 October had
2 crew per aircraft. The non empire contributors were 9 Irish, 7 American, 141 Polish, 86 Czech, 29 Belgian, 13 Free French, total 285, how many are counted as RAF pilot graduates is unknown. The post battle surveys of flying hours use an establishment of 23 pilots per squadron.
If that figure is correct then the authorised pilots data in Wood and Dempster includes non operation squadrons and probably flights etc. or are aircrew, not just pilots, of the operational squadrons.

In the period 15 July to 31 October Fighter Command units by day flew
42,917 intercept, 5,695 convoy, 12,691 sector, 283 shipping and 2,376 other sorties, plus 2,071 night sorties. Then comes what the crew lists define as operational sortie.

There were 6 Blenheim, 2 Defiant and 19 Spitfire squadrons operational during the battle, Hurricanes start at 27, drop to 25 for the day on 12 July then back to 27, another day at 25 on 21 July then back to 27, to
28 on 3 and 29 on 4 August, to 28.5 on 5 August, to 29 on 17 August, to
31 on 18 August, to 32 on 22 August, to 33 on 9 September, 33.5 on 8 October, 34 on 20 October, giving 46 Hurricane and Spitfire squadrons at the start and 53 at the end. There was half a Gladiator squadron
(flight) operational for a few days in July then from 9 August. All up Fighter Command had 62.5 operational squadrons on 31 October, out of 72 fighter squadrons in existence, including the 4 Blenheim ones with Coastal Command. When it comes to aircraft on 14 July the authorised strength of 6 Spitfire plus all 27 operational Hurricane squadrons was raised to 22 from 18, another 3 non operational Hurricane squadrons also had their strength raised. They all officially reverted back to authorised strength of 18 aircraft on 6 September.

[VtwinVince]

Here's a dumb question: Are we including combat over the continent, such as RAF Blenheim raids over France post-July 10th, or just events over England?