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The raf took heavier losses? Didnt know that. I thought they had to shoot them down at a better rate than 2-1 to win
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Yes the RAF took heavier losses than the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe consistantly won the aerial engagements but each loss the RAF inflicted added up in the big picture.
The RAF logistical system was able to maintain and replace their losses while the Luftwaffe's system was not.
Both airforces had pilot shortages before the battle even began.
The basic difference in the two logistical systems was who was responsible for repairs.
The Luftwaffe Jadgegeschwaders TO was responsible for each aircraft in the unit. When it was damaged, he had to see to its repair with his unit assigned maintenance personnel. If it required organizational level maintenance, then the airframe was sent off but still remained on that Geschwader's books. The unit was down an airframe until it came back repaired or was stricken off and replaced.
The Squadrons in the RAF did not own the airframe. Squadron maintenance personnel performed for the most part only basic maintenance and mission configuration changes. The RAF had an organization called the Civilian Repair Organization. Basically every airplane repair facility in the United Kingdom was pressed into service repairing RAF aircraft and was made responsible under Air Ministry supervision for the airframes. They also ran the ASU or Aircraft Supply Units which were storage facilities located on British airfields that housed the airframes that were ready for issue.
As an aircraft was damaged and could not be repaired for the next flight, it would be pushed to the side and the CRO would take responsibility of it. They would issue a servicable aircraft and repair the damaged one putting it back in the ASU when repairs were completed.
This translated into the RAF being able to keep their units at a much higher strength throughout the course of the battle despite their higher loss rate.
The logistical genius of the CRO/ASU combined with some good pre-war planning on the industrial side so that the United Kingdom exceeded its aircraft production goals in single engine fighters and outproduced the German 2:1. The serviceability rates of the RAF actually rose during the battle to 98% while the Luftwaffe's servicability rates steadily declined.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...g=content;col1