What is so far for we moderns to appreciate is just how much WW2 depended on attrition. Think about these numbers - hundreds of thousands of aircraft produced, tens of thousands lost.
The winners were simply the ones who lasted longest. This kind of bloodshed is inconceivable for most 21st century westerners, who are shocked at the idea that 2000 people died in the World Trade Center.
On the other hand, world war two averaged almost 11,000 MILITARY DEATHS ONLY, every day, day after day, for 6 years straight.
Chew on that