the raw numbers

[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.

[Thunderbolt56]

There have been times I try to put the Eastern Front into perspective for people that are, say, less in-the-know. What i usually do is tell them a couple things that are fact and easily found.

1. 80% of all German ground casualties in WWII were on the Eastern Front.

2. The largest, bloodiest, most costly battle (in human life) in the history of mankind was the Battle for Stalingrad.

[Insuber]

Originally Posted by Thunderbolt56

2. The largest, bloodiest, most costly battle (in human life) in the history of mankind was the Battle for Stalingrad.

Nope, it was the battle for Moscow. Until recently the Russian official losses of this battle were grossly underestimated, both for simple ignorance and to preserve the reputation of some top brass as Zhukov. Hundreds of thousand men thrown in the furnace, sometimes without weapons.

"The Battle for Moscow was the biggest battle of World War II - indeed of all time. The combined losses amounted to 2.5 million men - 2 million on he Russian side. Even Stalingrad involved half as many troops and less than half as many losses." The Greatest Battle, the Fight for Moscow 1941-42, Andrew Nagorski, Aurum, 8.89 £.

Regards,
Insuber

[wannabetheace]

try to read my post if u don't mind reading long posts ^^.