Author Topic: Need help with some historical research  (Read 185 times)

vadr

  • Guest
Need help with some historical research
« on: September 12, 2000, 11:04:00 PM »
Hiya,

Here's the deal:

I'm especially interested in USAAF bomber losses on the two Schweinfurt-Regensburg raids in the Fall of '43. Any other instance where B17's and/or B24's fought the Luftwaffe without fighter escort would also be instructive:

We already have plenty of data on total losses for both sides during these two raids, what I need is the total or approximate number of bombers broken down as:

Losses to Fighters
Losses to Flak/AAA

Please, let's not turn this into an otto/anti-otto flamefest. If you've the data, or can point me to it, I'd appreciate the help. If you don't, please save the heat for another thread while I try to get the facts.

Thanks Much


------------------
Vadr
Kommandeur, III/JG 2 'Richthofen'
CM, S3 Team/Parser
    vadr@jg2.org    
Combat Flightsim Business Forum      

Offline flakbait

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 867
      • http://www.worldaccessnet.com/~delta6
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2000, 12:13:00 AM »
I think I found some of what you're looking for. Check here for some info. Seems the B-17s were escorted only part-way to target, and met half-way on the return leg. This was done by P-47s according to the article.

Another place to check is here

I didn't read the entire thing, but it does have some info about the raid.


Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School

[This message has been edited by flakbait (edited 09-13-2000).]

Nath-BDP

  • Guest
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2000, 07:20:00 AM »
I remember that on the August 17th raid, 10 Bombers were lost to flak and 50 were lost to the Luftwaffe, JG(r) 50 sent up 30 Bf109G6/R6 and shot down 16 bombers alone without a loss to themselves.

August 17th:

10 losses to flak

50 losses to LW

36 were lost from the Schweinfurt formation

24 from the Regensburg formation

25 LW fighters were shot down


I can't find any data about the October 14th raid, except of course that 60 B17s were lost. I would assume the losses of August 17th would be similar to the losses in the October raid.




------------------
BEAT DOWN POSSE

www.theregulators.org/bdp



Aces High Scenario Corps

vadr

  • Guest
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2000, 07:47:00 AM »
Nath, those are about the numbers I remember as well, but I can't find the reference I got them from, and I need to be able to quote a source.

If you can find one, please post it.

Thanks folks, keep the help coming!

------------------
Vadr
Kommandeur, III/JG 2 'Richthofen'
CM, S3 Team/Parser
    vadr@jg2.org    
Combat Flightsim Business Forum      

Nath-BDP

  • Guest
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2000, 08:42:00 AM »
"Bf 109F/G/K Aces of the Western Front" by  John Weal

"Chronicle of the Second World War" Longman Chronicle

[This message has been edited by Nath-BDP (edited 09-13-2000).]

vadr

  • Guest
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2000, 08:54:00 AM »
 

------------------
Vadr
Kommandeur, III/JG 2 'Richthofen'
CM, S3 Team/Parser
    vadr@jg2.org    
Combat Flightsim Business Forum      

Offline gatt

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2441
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2000, 12:27:00 PM »
Vadr,
you can add to your references also this beautiful book:

"Wrong place, wrong time!"
George C.Khul
Schiffer Military History
ISBN 0-88740-445-6

It is the story of the 305th BG in the 2nd Schweinfurt Raid. The 1st Division lost 45 out of 60 B17 that day ....
"And one of the finest aircraft I ever flew was the Macchi C.205. Oh, beautiful. And here you had the perfect combination of italian styling and german engineering .... it really was a delight to fly ... and we did tests on it and were most impressed." - Captain Eric Brown

Offline gatt

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2441
Need help with some historical research
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2000, 01:46:00 PM »
Again, during the 1st raid:

47,5 B17 lost to single engined fighters
2,5  B17 lost to twin engined fighters
9    B17 lost to Flak
1    B17 lost due to technical problems

"The Schweinfurt-Reensburg Mision"
M.Middlebrook
Penguin Books
"And one of the finest aircraft I ever flew was the Macchi C.205. Oh, beautiful. And here you had the perfect combination of italian styling and german engineering .... it really was a delight to fly ... and we did tests on it and were most impressed." - Captain Eric Brown