This is amazing. Notice that 14,000 aircraft were lost in the US ? That is one third of the airplanes lost outside of the US . And how about the most produced aircraft - the first two are Soviet aircraft with their country invaded and fighting for their lives.
Most Americans who were not adults during WWII have no understanding of the magnitude of it. This listing of some of the aircraft facts gives a bit of insight to it. 276,000 aircraft manufactured in theUS. 43,000 planes lost overseas, including 23,000 in combat. 14,000 lost in the continental US. The US civilian population maintained a dedicated effort for four years, many working long hours seven days per week and often also volunteering for other work. WWII was the largest human effort in history.
Statistics from Flight Journal magazine.
THE COST of DOING BUSINESS ---- The staggering cost of war.
THE PRICE OF VICTORY
B-17 $204,370. P-40 $44,892.
B-24 $215,516. P-47 $85,578.
B-25 $142,194. P-51 $51,572.
B-26 $192,426. C-47 $88,574.
B-29 $605,360. PT-17 $15,052.
P-38 $97,147. AT-6 $22,952.
ON AVERAGE
6600 American service men died per MONTH, during WWII (about 220 a day).
PLANES A DAY WORLDWIDE
From Germany 's invasion of Poland Sept. 1, 1939 and ending with
Japan 's surrender Sept. 2, 1945 --- 2,433 days.
From 1942 onward, America averaged 170 planes lost a day.
Nation Aircraft Average
USA 276,400 113
S Union 137,200 56
G Britain 108,500 45
Germany 109,000 45
Japan 76,300 31
How Many is a 1,000 planes?
B-17 production (12,731) wingtip to wingtip would extend 250 miles.
1,000 B-17s carried 2.5 million gallons of high octane fuel.
Lifting 10,000 airmen to deliver 2,000 tons of bombs.
THE NUMBERS GAME
9.7 billion gallons of gasoline consumed, 1942-1945.
107.8 million hours flown, 1943-1945.
459.7 billion rounds of aircraft ammo fired overseas, 1942-1945.
7.9 million bombs dropped overseas, 1943-1945.
2.3 million combat sorties, 1941-1945 (one sortie = one takeoff).
299,230 aircraft accepted, 1940-1945.
808,471 aircraft engines accepted, 1940-1945.
799,972 propellers accepted, 1940-1945.
WWII MOST-PRODUCED COMBAT AIRCRAFT
II-2 Stumovik 36,183
Yak 1, 3, 7, 9 31,000+
Bf 109 30,480
Fw 190 29,001
Spitfire/Seafire 20,351
B-24/PB4Y 18,482
Thunderbolt 15,686
Mustang 15,875
Ju 88 15,000
Hurricane 14,533
P-40 13,738
B-17 12,731
Corsair 12,571
Hellcat 12,275
Pe-2 11,400
P-38 10,037
Zero 10,449
B-25 9,984
LaGG-5 9,920
Avenger 9,837
P-39 9,584
Oscar 5,919
Mosquito 7,780
Lancaster 7,377
He 111 6,508
Halifax 6,176
Bf 110 6,150
LaGG-7 5,753
B-29 3,970
Stirling 2,383
Sources:
Rene Francillon, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific war; Cajus Bekker,
The Luftwaffe Diaries; Ray Wagner, American Combat Planes; Wikipedia.
BALL PARK AVERAGE:
Chief of Staff to General, “Hmmm; 331 men killed and 308 aircraft
destroyed. That’s 11 people and 10 planes per day.”
“Uh, yes, sir. It's still the ballpark average.”
"I’d like to see an improvement in bomber losses, those really add up."
“Were working on it, General. But it's sad to think that 10 young men
alive today will be dead tomorrow.”
“You know that’s the price of doing business. Now then, what about
the overseas and combat losses?”
According to the AAF Statistical Digest, in less than four years
(December 1941- August 1945), the US Army Air Forces lost 14,903
pilots, aircrew and assorted personnel plus 13,873 airplanes ---
inside the continental United States . They were the result of 52,651
aircraft accidents (6,039 involving fatalities) in 45 months.
Think about those numbers. They average 1,170 aircraft accidents per
month---- nearly 40 a day. (Less than one accident in four resulted
in totaled aircraft, however.)
Those colossal losses cost the Axis powers nothing; not as much as
one 7.7 mm bullet.