Strategy for Defeat
The Luftwaffe
1933-1945

by
WILLIAMSON MURRAY


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

TO MY PARENTS


CONTENTS

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

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Table   Page
I Planned and Actual Aircraft Output--1938 and 1939 12
II Aircrew Readiness--August 1938 17
III German Aircraft Losses (Damaged and Destroyed)--May-June 1940 40
IV German Aircraft Losses 1940 (All Types) 41
V German Fighter Losses 1940 42
VI German Bomber Losses 1940 43
VII Aircraft and Crew Losses--August 1940 50
VIII Percentage of Fully Operational Ready Crews, July-September 1940 51
IX Aircraft Losses--July-September 1940 53
X Aircraft Losses--May-September 1940 54
XI Luftwaffe Bomber Losses--October-December 1940 55
XII German Aircraft Strength 80
XIII Crew and Aircraft Losses on the Eastern Front--June 22-November 1, 1941 89
XIV German Aircraft Losses 1941 (All Types) 90
XV German Bomber Losses 1941 91
XVI German Fighter Losses 1941 92
XVII German Losses, All Causes--1941 (Not Including November) 93
XVIII Luftwaffe "In-Commission" Rates 1941 95
XIX % of Fully Operational Crews, July 1941-January 1942 97
XX Production of German Aircraft--1939-1941 100
XXI Authorized and Actual Strength, Combat Aircraft--September 1939-March 1942 101
XXII Average Monthly Production by Half Years: Fighters 104
XXIII Average Monthly Production by Half Years: Twin-Engine Aircraft 105
XXIV Average Monthly Production by Half Years: Four-Engine Aircraft 106
XXV German Losses, Jun-Dec 1942, by Theater 114
XXVI German Aircraft Losses 1942 (All Types) 115
XXVII German Bomber Losses 1942 116
XXVIII German Fighter Losses 1942 117
XXIX German Losses, All Causes--January-October 1942 140
XXX German Losses by Theater, Jan-Nov 1943 148
XXXI German Fighter Losses, 1943 (Number of Aircraft) 149
XXXII German Aircraft Losses, Mediterranean Theater--November 1942-May 1943 163
XXXIII Aircraft Written Off: Eighth Air Force, 1943 (Heavy Bombers) 175
XXXIV Crew Losses Eighth Air Force, 1943 (Heavy Bombers) 176
XXXV German Aircraft Losses 1943 (All Types) 184
XXXVI German Bomber Losses 1943 185
XXXVII German Fighter Losses 1943 186
XXXVIII Fighter Pilot Loss, Jan-Aug 1943 187
XXXIX Fighter and Bomber Strength in Frontline Units 188
XL Bomber Command Strength and Aircraft Losses--1943 212
XLI Bomber Command Losses, January 1943-March 1944 220
XLII British Bomber Losses--1944 220
XLIII Aircraft Losses, Schweinfurt--October 1943 226
XLIV Fighter Pilot Losses--Sept-Dec 1943 227
XLV Production of New and Reconditioned Fighter Aircraft--June-December 1943 229
XLVI Production of New Fighters 230
XLVII Frontline Strength and Operational Ready Rate, Fighter Force--August-December 1943 233
XLVIII Losses in Jagdgeschwader 26 234
XLIX Bomber and Fighter Strength, Eighth Air Force 234
L Aircraft Written Off: Eighth Air Force, 1944 (Heavy Bombers) 235
LI German Aircraft Losses, Jan-Jun 1944 (All Types) 238
LII German Fighter Losses, Jan-Jun 1944 239
LIII Fighter Pilot Losses--Jan-May 1944 240
LIV German Bomber Losses, Jan-Jun 1944 241
LV Number of Loaded Wagons (Excluding a Relatively Small Number Owned Privately) Originating in Region North (Weekly Totals) 268
LVI Number of Loaded Wagons (Excluding a Relatively Small Number Owned Privately) Originating in Region West (Weekly Totals) 269
LVII Number of Trains Passing Along the Route Valenton-Juvisy in Relation to the Tonnages of Bombs Directed Against Railway Centres Along the Route 270
LVIII German Fuel Production 275
LIX Fighter Forces Available, Luftflotte Reich 275
LX Distribution of German Fighters, End of June 1944 284
LXI Aircrew Survival Rate, Bomber Command--1939-1945 303
LXII German Aircraft Losses, 6-Month Periods 304
LXIII Bomber Losses, 6-Month Periods 305
LXIV Fighter Losses, 6-Month Periods 306
LXV No title 307
LXVI No title 308
LXVII % of Aircraft Authorized Strength 309
LXVIII-1 % Loss Fighter Pilot Strength, Jan 1942-Jun 1943--Part I 310
LXVIII-2 Part II 311
LXIX % of Crews Operational Ready (Fully) 313
LXX Flying Hours in British, American and German Training Programs 314
LXXI Number of Victories Achieved Each 50 Missions Flown: 4 German Aces 315

Photographs
Following Page 61

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 Kesselring

Following Page 199

Field Marshal Erhard Milch visiting the 55th Bomb Wing
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

LIST OF MAPS

  Page
The Invasion of France 1940: The Plans 34
Battle of Britain 49
The Invasion of Russia 85
The German Summer Offensive: 1942 123
The Soviet Counter Attack: Stalingrad 153
The Mediterranean 161
Major Targets: The Strategic Bombing Offensive 168
Escort Fighter Range 172
German Air Defense--Oct 1943 178
Kassel 22/23rd October 1943--Outward Route 211
Plots on Bombers Passed Over RT & WT to Nightfighters, Raid on Nuremberg, 30/31.3.44 219
The Soviet Advance, Nov 1942-Dec 1944 287



Transcribed and formatted by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation