the raw numbers

[yarbles]

I'm trying to wade through countless links but I'm having trouble trying to find some raw numbers. Mainly, what where the losses on the Eastern Front in terms of Russian/German planes and pilot losses. I was talking to my brother and I was trying to give him simple numbers to wrap his mind around so that he could sort of understand the magnitude of the conflict. He's a little familar with the Western theater but the Eastern Front is a black box. Thanks.

yarbles

[nearmiss]

Get onto google and do some Eastern front WW2 search. You'll get your information that way.

There are thousands of WW2 sites

[*Buzzsaw*]

Salute

The VVS (Soviet) official history of the airwar admits losses of approx. 60,000 Soviet aircraft to the Germans and their allies. The Soviets claim approx. 80,000 Axis aircraft destroyed.

There is no official Luftwaffe history, and many records were lost, but from what remains, historians were able to determine that approx. 15,000 German aircraft were lost on the East front.

Information on Finnish and other nationality losses are more available, and were under two thousand.

[secretone]

Does anyone have any idea how many German planes were lost in the West - just to compare?

[yarbles]

Thanks Buzzsaw - I appreciate the info. I'll shoot it over to my bro. I'll be blown away.

[Furio]

I can’t dispute how historians determined that approximately 15.000 German aircraft were lost on Eastern Front. Counting only the major types, Luftwaffe fielded no less than 90.000 planes during the war.
The vast majority was obviously destroyed or damaged beyond repair in air combat or on the ground, or captured by advancing ground forces. A sizable part was certainly lost in non-combat related accidents, while really few, if any, planes managed to reach the end of their service life.
Guessing numbers is obviously difficult, but some estimates can reasonably be reached.
Counting as 20% of total the non combat-related losses, Luftwaffe lost at least 70.000 aircraft. The majority of those losses was on the Eastern Front. If I’m not grossly wrong, that number should be not lower than 40.000.

[rakinroll]

Originally Posted by Furio

I can’t dispute how historians determined that approximately 15.000 German aircraft were lost on Eastern Front. Counting only the major types, Luftwaffe fielded no less than 90.000 planes during the war.
The vast majority was obviously destroyed or damaged beyond repair in air combat or on the ground, or captured by advancing ground forces. A sizable part was certainly lost in non-combat related accidents, while really few, if any, planes managed to reach the end of their service life.
Guessing numbers is obviously difficult, but some estimates can reasonably be reached.
Counting as 20% of total the non combat-related losses, Luftwaffe lost at least 70.000 aircraft. The majority of those losses was on the Eastern Front. If I’m not grossly wrong, that number should be not lower than 40.000.

Pfff...

[Furio]

Originally Posted by rakinroll

Pfff...

Sure. Pfff is the correct number.

[JoeA]

Originally Posted by Furio

I can’t dispute how historians determined that approximately 15.000 German aircraft were lost on Eastern Front. Counting only the major types, Luftwaffe fielded no less than 90.000 planes during the war.
The vast majority was obviously destroyed or damaged beyond repair in air combat or on the ground, or captured by advancing ground forces. A sizable part was certainly lost in non-combat related accidents, while really few, if any, planes managed to reach the end of their service life.
Guessing numbers is obviously difficult, but some estimates can reasonably be reached.
Counting as 20% of total the non combat-related losses, Luftwaffe lost at least 70.000 aircraft. The majority of those losses was on the Eastern Front. If I’m not grossly wrong, that number should be not lower than 40.000.

I am not sure that's correct what are your sources for the claim?

[Furio]

I’m not sure either. It’s only my opinion, but my reasoning is simple.
Main German bombers, He 111H, Do 217, Ju 87 and Ju 88, roughly 25.000 built.
Main German transport (Ju 52) roughly 5.000 built.
Main German fighters (Bf 109 e 110, Me 410, Fw 190) more than 60.000.
Total of these types built: 90.000.
Almost all of them were lost by war’s end, when Eastern Front reached Berlin, and Russians seized what remained of Luftwaffe.
I consider as combat-related losses aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair in air combat, by A.A. fire, or on the ground by strafing and bombing. I consider as combat-related losses also aircrafts captured by advancing ground forces.
This leaves out only aircraft lost in non-combat related accidents, or that reached end of service life. I guessed this number at 20% of total aircraft losses (18.000). This number seems reasonable to me, but obviously I can be wrong.
I guessed also that Luftwaffe suffered “more than half” of its losses on Eastern Front. I’ve read that the actual ratio was 1.7 times of Western Front losses, but even considering a lower percentage, say 60%, the end number is near 43.200.
And that’s it.