AIR UNIVERSITY
AIR UNIVERSITY PRESS
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA
January 1983
DISCLAIMER-ABSTAINER The views expressed do not necessarily reflect any formal position by the Airpower Research Institute, the Air University, the Air Training Command, or the United States Air Force.
Clearance for public release of this work under the provisions of AFR 190-1 has been accomplished.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Murray, Williamson.
Strategy for Defeat: The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945.
At head of title: Airpower Research Institute.
"January 1983."
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. World War, 1939-1945-Aerial operations, German.
2. Germany. Luftwaffe-History-World War, 1939-1945.
3. Germany. Luftwaffe-History. I. Air University (US). Airpower Research Institute. II. Title.
D787.M84 1982 940.54'4943 82-73232
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH | |||
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | |||
FOREWORD | |||
INTRODUCTION | |||
Chapter | Page | ||
I | THE LUFTWAFFE: ORIGINS AND PREPARATION | 1 | |
The Economic Problem | 1 | ||
The Development of the Luftwaffe, 1933-39 | 3 | ||
The Luftwaffe's Impact, 1933-39 | 14 | ||
Conclusion | 19 | ||
Notes, Chapter I | 22 | ||
II | THE EASY WAR: GERMANY TRIUMPHANT, SEPTEMBER 1939-SEPTEMBER 1940 | 27 | |
Background to Poland | 27 | ||
The Polish Campaign and the "Phony" War | 30 | ||
Scandinavia and France | 35 | ||
The Battle of Britain | 39 | ||
Conclusion | 55 | ||
Notes, Chapter II | 57 | ||
III | THE TURN TO RUSSIA | 69 | |
The Strategic Problem | 69 | ||
Distractions | 72 | ||
Barbarossa: Background | 77 | ||
Barbarossa: The Invasion | 81 | ||
Production and Strategy, 1940-41 | 88 | ||
Conclusion | 103 | ||
Notes, Chapter III | 108 | ||
IV | ON THE BRINK: JANUARY-OCTOBER 1942 | 113 | |
The East | 113 | ||
The Mediterranean | 126 | ||
The West: British Efforts | 127 | ||
The German Response: Air War in the West | 132 | ||
German Production, 1942: Performance and Implications | 136 | ||
Conclusion | 139 | ||
Notes, Chapter IV | 141 | ||
V | ATTRITION ON THE PERIPHERY: NOVEMBER 1942-AUGUST 1943 | 147 | |
The War in the East: November 1942-August 1943 | 147 | ||
The Mediterranean | 159 | ||
The Air War in the West: The Combined Bomber Offensive | 166 | ||
The Defense of the Reich | 174 | ||
Losses, Production, and Strategy | 182 | ||
Conclusion | 191 | ||
Notes, Chapter V | 193 | ||
VI | ATTRITION OVER THE REICH: SEPTEMBER 1943-MARCH 1944 | 209 | |
Night Defense of the Reich | 210 | ||
The Day Battle: Victory, September-October 1943 | 222 | ||
The Day Battle: The Pause, November-December 1943 | 226 | ||
Defeat: January-March 1944 | 234 | ||
War in the East, the Mediterranean, and Over Britain | 245 | ||
Production and Training | 251 | ||
Conclusion | 255 | ||
Notes, Chapter VI | 256 | ||
VII | DEFEAT: APRIL-SEPTEMBER 1944 | 263 | |
"Overlord" and "Strategic" Bombing | 264 | ||
Defense of the Frontiers: The LUFTWAFFE, April-September 1944 | 277 | ||
Conclusion | 291 | ||
Notes, Chapter VII | 293 | ||
VIII | CONCLUSION | 299 | |
The Results | 299 | ||
The Other Side of the Hill | 302 | ||
Notes, Chapter VIII | 320 | ||
APPENDIX | |||
1 | THE PREWAR DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN DOCTRINE AND AIRPOWER | 321 | |
The Royal Air Force | 321 | ||
The Development of Airpower in the United States | 331 | ||
Notes, Appendix 1 | 337 | ||
2 | EFFECT ON A 10,000-AIRCRAFT FORCE STRUCTURE OF A 3.6-PERCENT LOSS RATE | 341 | |
3 | AIRCRAFT WRITTEN OFF, BOMBER COMMAND--1941-1944 | 343 | |
4 | EIGHTH AIR FORCE, PERCENTAGE SORTIE LOSS RATE (HEAVY BOMBERS) | 345 | |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 347 | ||
INDEX | 357 |
General Walther Wever, first Chief ofStaff
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Generaloberst Hans Jeschonnek
Ernst Udet and Willi Messerschmitt
Mainstay of the fighter force: the Bf 109G
The flawed fighter: the Bf 110
The "fast" bomber: the Ju 88
The interim bomber: the He 111
The cancelled "strategic" bomber: the Do 19
The flawed "strategic" bomber: the He 177
Russian Air Force Base at Kovno after German attack, 22 June 1941
Field Marshal Albert KesselringField Marshal Erhard Milch visiting the 55th Bomb Wing Following Page 199
B-17 formation attacking Brunswick
B-17's under attack by Fw 190, 29 Nov 1943, target: Bremen
The cost: B-17 straggler under the guns of an Fw 190
The cost
The cost: B-17 falling out of formation
The cost: B-17 munition handling accident
The defenders: Galland and Hermann at war game with 1st Fighter Wing, Nov-Dec 1943
The defenders: the Fw 190
The defenders: mainstay of the night fighter force--the Bf 110G
Air superiority: American fighters over B-17 formation
Attrition: destruction of a Bf 109 [1] [2] [3] [4]
Attrition: Bf 109 pilot bales out
Air superiority: He 177 under strafing attack
Defeat: occupied German airfield, 1945
Göring in defeat: the Reichsmarschall removes his medals for his American captors