Mitsubishi Stuka and Thunderbolt

[RPS69]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Basically correct. And, the Luftwaffe commanders weren't stupid, just overmatched.

(As an aside, it's interesting to read Adolf Galland's memoir from the 1960s, originally written for a German audience, where he claims that he was trying to get all the planes and pilots he could get to defend Germany. Of course, that strategy would have completely deprived the German army of air support, especially on the Russian Front.)

Just for your knowledge, that was what actually they were FORCED to do...

It all goes to show that ultimately, WW2 wasn't about individual heroism or vision, it boiled down to bloody attrition and economics. Big economy + large population (e.g., the U.S. and the British Commonwealth) meant that you came through the war in pretty good shape (overall - the UK itself got hurt quite badly). Big population but smaller economy (e.g., China or Russia) means that your country survived, but a shocking number of your people didn't. Middling population and/or economy (e.g., Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Poland) meant that your country was defeated.

Your perception of economics is funny, I may agree with part of it, but on the outcome, surelly not.