Author Topic: How many planes did USAF bombers shoot down? (Read 689 times)

AquaShrimp · « **on:** May 19, 2006, 04:55:41 AM »

I was having a debate with my friend the other night. I told him that I thought that USAF bombers during WW2 probably shot down less than 1000 fighters during the entire war. This was because the guns were so inaccurate. He thought that the bomber had shot down German and Japanese fighters in the thousands.

Are there any figures (for either the ETO or PTO, or both) that show how many planes the bombers shot down? I know gunners overclaimed many victories.

hogenbor · « **Reply #1 on:** May 19, 2006, 08:44:03 AM »

There is some good data on that, although I don't have it at hand. After the war comparisons were made between gunner's claims and Luftwaffe losses. There was massive overclaiming due to the fact that plenty of gunners would claim the same aircraft because they all were shooting at it!

Widewing knows all about this sort of thing, let's hope he jumps in.

Target2 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 19, 2006, 09:10:45 AM »

USAF bomber did not shoot down any aircraft in WWII. USAAC bombers shot some down though.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Tony Williams · « **Reply #3 on:** May 19, 2006, 09:12:09 AM »

If you can find the number of claims and divide by ten, you'll be about right...

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

Nashwan · « **Reply #4 on:** May 19, 2006, 12:07:34 PM »

The USAAF statistical digest gives the figures for enemy aircraft destroyed by bombers gunners as:

ETO 6,202
MTO 3,688
Far East 1,575

There are smaller numbers by Twentieth Air Force, in the Pacific etc

These figures have already been revised during the war, but as Tony says, are probably still far too high.

Angus · « **Reply #5 on:** May 19, 2006, 12:44:21 PM »

In a book by Pierre Clostermann this issue is dealt with.
Apparently, the gunners claims were higher than the claims by the fighter pilots, total (RAF & USAF), - if my memory doesn't cheat me. The claims were so high that the LW should not have existed had they been right.
This was brought up in the preparation of operation Overlord. The brass wanted an estimate of the LW strength.

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #6 on:** May 19, 2006, 03:28:56 PM »

Thanks for the figures.
Ok, so if I divide by 10, then its right around 1000 then.

I think I read somewhere that the Luftwaffe lost 1 fighter for every 3 bombers shot down. Does that sound about right?