aircraft losses by month, year and nationality?

[Felix C]

Is there a quick reference database as to total losses from 1914-1918 by month, nation, and well theater as well?

I just finished reading by Bloody April by Peter Hart and Who Downed the Aces in WWI? by Norman Franks and notice RFC losses in April 1917 were about 275 and Allied Westerf Front losses in Sept. 1918 at about 550 aircraft.

[straight shooter]

thats a good question i would like the answer as well can someone help us please

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hello Felix C:
I do not know of any published information about monthly losses by Nation.
I do not personnaly know of private data complilations. This would be a difficult task and would require a great deal of effort. However, this could be complied by taking the "Over the Trench"series of books by Norman French and others, and restructure it from individual names to a monthly listing.
I think, Russ Gannon may have such a listing. This would take a great deal of time to comply and a committment to complete.
Happy New Year,
Dan-San

[straight shooter]

Thank you dan san because I was quite intrested as well an i plan on hitting that book serious once again thanks for the suggestion

[Felix C]

Hello Dan,

Norman French? You mean Norman Franks?

Who is Russ Gannon? A forum member? Searched and did not return info for that name as an author.

I suspect there is data somewhere for certain periods...Fokker Scourge, Somme, Arras, etc. Needs to be pulled together unless it is already in some PHD/MA paper somewhere.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hi Felix:
What the hell, I got the first names right.
Happy New Year Felix,
Dan-San

[Bletchley]

Trevor Henshaw, 'The sky their battlefield', has a useful appendix listing British aircrew and aircraft losses on a monthly basis, and the bulk of the book adds names and other details (where known). Only combat losses, though, not losses through accidents or in training. The appendix volume to the official 'War in the Air' also has monthly figures for British RFC/RAF losses (and I think this does include training and accidents, although not specified or broken down, but is otherwise incomplete). There are other references of this type, also for the French, Belgian and German losses, but they are nearly all incomplete in one way or another.

Bletchley

[Old Man]

Originally Posted by Felix C

Who is Russ Gannon? A forum member? Searched and did not return info for that name as an author.

Mr. Gannon, Sir, is a forum member here who has an encyclopedic knowledge of what aeroplane was shot down when and where and by whom. A most valuable fellow....

[Jim]

Bletchley brings up a very important point - losses of both aircraft and pilots in training accidents were staggeringly large. If you undertake research into aircraft losses by month by nation you will want to keep this in mind as they will make up a large percentage of aircraft losses.

[R Gannon]

Felix

As Blechly points out - you cannot go past The Sky the Battlefield for British & USAS losses.

Rick Duiven's COTGAS provides an 'incomplete' listing of German personal losses - but also includes non combat losses without differtiation. Rick himself concedes that his none fatal listing is far from complete.

As I often point out the German losses are problematical - there is an official German table giving month by month aircraft losses BUT this only lists 'total' losses - planes totally destroyed or lost over the Allied side. It does not list German planes that forced or crash landed that were recovered and repaired. As the German's fought predominatly over their own lines - these now unrecorded downings - were in my view significant.

As a rule of thumb - for every three planes downed in combat - one would result in fatalities, one in wounding or injury and one where pilot or crew came off relatively unscathed.

Point of fact the 275 you quote for April 17 comprise all aircraft for which an aircraft casualty return was raised and includes a considerable number of machines which returned to base shot up!

It all makes makes comparing losses very difficult.

Hope this is of use.

Cheers Russ