Greatest Losses during War?

[Craig]

Originally Posted by John Easom

By the last few months of the war ever larger fleets of Allied aircraft were able to sweep the skies to achieve air superiority and inflict shattering losses.

Do you mean "proportionally"? As in, a greater percentage of Axis planes and men? Seems the Entente sustained much greater losses, numerically, than did the Axis at this time.

Originally Posted by Immo_Frese

Hi Darren,

the german casualty lists are far away from being complete. It would be interesting to do some research regarding the casualties caused by the influenza from August 1918 to November 1918...

Immo

Hi Immo,

Was influenza more prevalent in the trenches/front lines, then back in Germany and other European countries? You would think that the conditions of the trenches would further the spread of the disease.

regards,

Darren

Originally Posted by Craig

Do you mean "proportionally"? As in, a greater percentage of Axis planes and men? Seems the Entente sustained much greater losses, numerically, than did the Axis at this time.

Yes, that's what I meant. I am sure the Allies lost very heavily in proprotion to German numbers - but they were more able to replace their casualties and were building more new squadrons. By the end of October 1918 the German Air Service was effectively defeated. The fact that a German pilot might take down three or even five Allied pilots (which are arbitrary figurea) before his own demise does not alter the fact that the Allies had an increasing predominance in strength and potential for expansion. If you know the American Civil War, some facile comparisons might be made between the Union and Confederate war performance and capacities?
The projected plans for expansion of the RAF through 1918 and onwards made even the German Amerikaprogram - if it had been completely achieved - an insufficient response. The Allies did have huge air fleets that virtually swept the skies by the end of the war - despite the disproportionate damage inflicted on them by their German opponents.

If we quibble may I pick up on the term "Axis" - wasn't that an Italian German combination of later years?

[Yank44]

Yes, the so-called "axis" powers you speak of were called the central powers back then.