USAAF ETO Ground Claims for 3,703 in April 1945

[Boomerang]

Gentleman:

I am interested as to whether there is any further information available to substantiate (or otherwise) the staggering USAAF ground claims for 3,703 for April 1945 in the ETO:

http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/aafsd/aafsd_pdf/t167.pdf

These include no less than 724 claimed by Eighth Air Force on 16 April:

http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii...ml/Apr.45.html

My understanding is that 3,703 aircraft would represent about 4% of total German production of all types from 1939 - 1945. With the Luftwaffe also heavily engaged with the VVS and RAF, this would point to a significant proportion of total German production being destroyed in the single month of April 1945 (perhaps not surprising, given the total collapse of the Reich).

I also note that Alfred Price's The Last Year of the Luftwaffe lists 1,554 aircraft on the strength of Luftflotte Reich and LuftwaffenKommando West on 9 April 1945.

No doubt the prevailing conditions precluded good record keeping by the Luftwaffe, but the USAAF claims are so striking (shades of 22 June 1941 destruction of Soviet aircraft) that it would be interesting to know what data is available out there.

Thanks

Boomerang