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Aircraft Strength and Losses

British Air Force Strength During the Battle of Britain

Number of immediately available fighters, according to "The Battle of Britain" by Peter G. Cooksley (Ian Allan Ltd., 1990)

                          Hurricanes         Spitfires

                          ----------------------------

       21 August               615               326

       30 August               580               287

        8 September            530               275

       15 September            472               256

        2 October              482               281

       18 October              512               285

Losses in the Battle of Britain

July 1940

       ----------------------

       R.A.F. Fighter Command

       ----------------------

       Hurricane              33 destroyed, 17 damaged

                              23 killed, 0 missing, 11 wounded

       Spitfire               34 destroyed, 24 damaged

                              25 killed, 0 missing, 9 wounded

       Blenheim                4 destroyed, 1 damaged

                               9 killed, 0 missing, 1 wounded

       Defiant                 6 destroyed, 1 damaged

                              10 killed, 0 missing, 2 wounded

       TOTAL:                 77 destroyed, 43 damaged

                              67 killed, 0 missing, 23 wounded

       ----------------------

       Luftwaffe

       ----------------------

       Dornier Do 17          39 destroyed, 13 damaged

                              30 killed, 74 missing, 19 wounded

       Junkers Ju 87          13 destroyed, 11 damaged

                              10 killed, 12 missing, 3 wounded

       Junkers Ju 88          39 destroyed, 11 damaged

                              52 killed, 67 missing, 11 wounded

       Heinkel He 111         32 destroyed, 3 damaged

                              52 killed, 85 missing, 6 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 109   48 destroyed, 14 damaged

                              17 killed, 14 missing, 13 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 110   18 destroyed, 4 damaged

                              13 killed, 17 missing, 2 wounded

       Other                  27 destroyed, 1 damaged

                              19 killed, 33 missing, 15 wounded

       TOTAL:                216 destroyed, 57 damaged

                             193 killed, 302 missing, 69 wounded

       ----------------------

August 1940

       ----------------------

       R.A.F. Fighter Command

       ----------------------

       Hurricane             211 destroyed, 44 damaged

                              85 killed, 1 missing, 68 wounded

       Spitfire              113 destroyed, 40 damaged

                              41 killed, 3 missing, 38 wounded

       Blenheim               13 destroyed, 10 damaged

                               6 killed, 3 missing, 0 wounded

       Defiant                 7 destroyed, 3 damaged

                               7 killed, ? missing, 4 wounded

       Beaufighter             0 destroyed, 1 damaged

                               0 killed, 0 missing, 0 wounded

       TOTAL:                344 destroyed, 98 damaged

                             139 killed, 7 missing, 110 wounded

       ----------------------

       Luftwaffe

       ----------------------

       Dornier Do 17          71 destroyed, 30 damaged

                              70 killed, 129 missing, 57 wounded

       Junkers Ju 87          57 destroyed, 16 damaged

                              35 killed, 58 missing, 19 wounded

       Junkers Ju 88          89 destroyed, 32 damaged

                              94 killed, 182 missing, 19 wounded

       Heinkel He 111         89 destroyed,  15 damaged

                             113 killed, 204 missing, 35 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 109  217 destroyed, 45 damaged

                              54 killed, 91 missing, 39 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 110  119 destroyed, 40 damaged

                              80 killed, 113 missing, 22 wounded

       Other                  27 destroyed, 4 damaged

                              17 killed, 27 missing, 10 wounded

       TOTAL:                669 destroyed, 182 damaged

                             463 killed, 804 missing, 201  wounded

       ----------------------

September/October 1940

       ----------------------

       R.A.F. Fighter Command

       ----------------------

       Hurricane             294 destroyed, 77 damaged

                             107 killed, 2 missing, 10 wounded

       Spitfire              195 destroyed, 76 damaged

                              67 killed, 1 missing, ? wounded

       Blenheim               12 destroyed, 4 damaged

                              26 killed, 3 missing, 55 wounded

       TOTAL:                501 destroyed, 157 damaged

                             200 killed, 6 missing, 162 wounded

       ----------------------

       Luftwaffe

       ----------------------

       Dornier Do 17          82 destroyed, 36 damaged

                             147 killed, 94 missing, 50 wounded

       Junkers Ju 87           1 destroyed,  3 damaged

                               1 killed, ? missing, ? wounded

       Junkers Ju 88         175 destroyed,  85 damaged

                             251 killed, 227 missing, 74 wounded

       Heinkel He 111        131 destroyed,  78 damaged

                             203 killed, 184 missing, 67 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 109  326 destroyed, 96 damaged

                              77 killed, 159 missing, 36 wounded

       Messerschmitt Bf 110  124 destroyed, 26 damaged

                              91 killed, 109 missing, 17 wounded

       Other                  43 destroyed, 7 damaged

                              23 killed, 35 missing, 16 wounded

       TOTAL:                882 destroyed, 331 damaged

                             793 killed, 808 missing, 260  wounded

       ----------------------

Spitfire vs. Hurricane during the Battle of Britain

>From "Spitfire Special" by Ted Hooton:

                         Spitfire  Hurricane     Time

       ------------------------------------------------------------------

       Average Strength      295      461

       11th Group            137      243

       Average Strength      38%       62%        July 1 -- September 30

       German shot down      43%       57%        July 1 -- September 30

       Bf 109 shot down      49%  (of all lost)   July -- August

       Bf 109 shot down      54%  (of all lost)   September

       Combat losses         39%       61%

       Accident rate          7%        7%

       ------------------------------------------------------------------

       Spitfire vs. Bf 109 : 219 to 180 lost.

       Hurricane vs. Bf 109: 272 to 153 lost.

       ------------------------------------------------------------------


British Air Force losses during WWII

       --------------------------------------------------------------------

               B. C.     A.C.C.    F.C.     T.A.F.        C.C.

       --------------------------------------------------------------------

       1939      40                  3                     288

       1940     509               1186

       1941     985                651                     233

       1942    1543                688                     302

       1943    2474                569         177         279

       1944    2904                397        1305         305

       1945     708                 64         633         132

       --------------------------------------------------------------------

       Total   9163        70     3558        2115        1579

       --------------------------------------------------------------------

       Abbreviations: B.C. Bomber Command; A.C.C. Army Co-operation Command;
       F.C. Fighter Command; T.A.F. 2nd Tactical Air Force; C.C. Coastal
       Command. Numbers include aircraft that returned to base but were
       not repairable. Source: Jane's 45-46.


Finnish Air Force Strength, November 1939

       Fokker C.X                29

       Fokker C.V                 7

       Fieseler Fi.156 Storch     2

       Blackburn Ripon            8

       Junkers K.43               7

       VL Saaski                  3

       VL Kotka                   1

       Fokker D.XXI              36

       De Havilland Moth          3

       Bristol Bulldog           10

       Bristol Blenheim          16


Air Force Strengths on 10 May 1940

Belgium

       Fairey Fox                98

       Renard R 31               21

       Gloster Gladiator         15

       Hawker Hurricane          11

       Fiat C.R.42               23

       Fairey Battle             14

The Netherlands

       Fokker C.X                11

       Fokker T.V                 9

       Fokker D.XXI              28

       Fokker G.I                23

       Koolhoven F.K.51          16

       Douglas DB-8A             11


Russian Air Force, Order of Battle in 1993

       Strategic Forces

             43  Tu-95-K-20/22   Bear-B/G

             27  Tu-95MS         Bear-H

              4  Tu-160          Blackjack

       Air Defence Forces

          Fighters:

            676  MiG-23          Flogger

            174  MiG-25          Foxbat

            300  MiG-31          Foxhound

            200  Su-27           Flanker

          AWACS

             15  A-50            Mainstay

             10  Tu-126          Moss

       Air Force

          Medium Bombers

             30  Tu-16           Badger

             65  Tu-22           Blinder

            100  Tu-22M          Backfire

          Tactical Interceptors

            400  MiG-23          Flogger

             21  MiG-25          Foxbat

            430  MiG-29          Fulcrum

             30  MiG-31          Foxhound

            150  Su-27           Flanker

          Ground-attack aircraft

            400  MiG-27          Flogger

            120  Su-17/22        Fitter

            480  Su-24           Fencer

            192  Su-25           Frogfoot

          Reconnaissance / ECM aircraft

            125  An-12           Cub

            100  An-26           Curl

             20  An-30           Clank

             20  Il-20/22        Coot

             85  MiG-25          Foxbat

             90  Su-24           Fencer

             50  Su-17           Fitter

             70  Tu-16           Badger

             30  Tu-22           Blinder

             40  Yak-28          Brewer

          Tankers

             20  Il-78           Midas

             10  M-4             Bison

             20  Tu-16           Badger

          Transports

            350  An-12           Cubs

             45  An-22           Cock

             26  An-124          Condor

            297  Il-76           Candid

            300  An-2            Colt

            100  An-24           Coke

             50  An-32           Cline

             20  An-72/74        Coaler

              1  An-225          Cossack

            150  L-410VP

             20  Tu-134/154      Crusty/Careless

             25  Yak-49          Codling

       Naval Air Forces

          Bombers and Strike aircraft

             15  Tu-16           Badger

             15  Tu-22           Blinder

            165  Tu-22M          Backfire

          Interceptors

             47  MiG-29          Fulcrum

             20  Su-33           Flanker

             15  Yak-38          Forger

          Fighter / Attack aircraft

             30  MiG-27          Flogger

             35  Su-17           Fitter

            107  Su-24           Fencer

             55  Su-25           Frogfoot

          Tankers

              6  Tu-16           Badger

          Reconaissance / EW aircraft

              7  An-12           Cub

              3  Il-20           Coot

             24  Tu-16           Badger

             20  Su-24           Fencer

              6  Tu-22           Blinder

             24  Tu-95RT         Bear-D

          ASW aircraft

             55  Be-12           Mail

             36  Il-38           May

             88  Ka-25           Hormone-A

             88  Ka-27           Helix-A

             63  Mi-14           Haze-A

             58  Tu-142          Bear-F


Emmanuel Gustin
gustin@uia.ac.be

Military Aircraft Database . Index

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