Soviet air force losses 1941-1945

[Ruy Horta]

Originally Posted by Six Nifty .50s

No, but the record from the Axis side is incomplete. If Krivosheev's numbers are accurate, about 45,000 Soviet aircraft were destroyed or badly damaged by enemy action, but I cannot find enough data to calculate Axis estimates. According to Musciano's Messerscmitt Aces, the Jagdwaffe was credited with 45,000 aerial victories -- with another 16,000 aerial victories credited to Germany's Allies. But, he neglected to consider aerial victories credited to German bombers (KG), destroyers (ZG), fighter-bombers (SKG), and reconnaissance aircraft. Also, he did not put a number to how many Soviet planes were credited as destroyed on the ground by Germany and her Allies, or the number credited to Flak gunners of the Luftwaffe, Heer, Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine and Germany's Allies.

Undoubtedly, some planes shot down by Flak were never claimed because they crashed long after they passed beyond the view of the gunners.

Just out of curiority I decided to grab my copy of Musciano, but his numbers are not really strong and pretty much "guestimates".

P. 192

It has been estimated that the Soviet Union lost a total of about 77.000 aircraft and that about 45.000 of these fell as victories of the Jagdwaffe. Germany's Allies destroyed about 16.000 of the total. The remainder were shot down by flak or were destroyed on the ground.

To summarize Musciano's figures:

77.000 Total combat losses
=====================
45.000 Jagdwaffe
16.000 German Allies
=====================
16.000 FlaK & Destroyed on Ground

But look at the text.

It has been estimated...

Germany's Allies destroyed about...

etc etc etc

The whole text lacks authority and foundation. The "lack" of other Luftwaffe claims is less impacting imho, perhaps even misleading. It is appearant that 45.000 is a total air-to-air claim, probably mistakenly attributed to the Jagdwaffe alone. Although lets face it, the bulk of air credits would go to (single engine) fighters anyway.

But to back track, the whole text is slippery as ice and I would not dare to make it my starting point when comparing to a more official statistical record.

Krivosheev sounds like a must have btw.