High Cost of Smashing Luftwaffe

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 62, 16 March 1944, Page 5

High Cost of Smashing Luftwaffe

(By Telegraph—Pres3 Assn.—-Copyright.) Received Wednesday, 11.40 p.m. NEW YORK, March 15. “Americans do not realise tlie magnitude and heavy cost of the air battle over Europe,” said Major de Seversky, the noted aviation expert, writing in the New York Times. “Too many Americans think it is a picnic or a walkover. “During the week February 20-26 Allied airmen knocked out 641 enemy planes compared with the Allied losses of 387 bombers and 37 fighters. Superficially this sounds satisfactory, but a closer analysis reveals a grimmer picture because the downed enemy planes were almost all fighters weighing 11,000 lbs. each. So we destroyed a total of 7,000,0001b5. manned by about 700 fliers of whom probably half safely parachuted over their own soil. “On the other hand the Allied losses were overwhelmingly bombers, probably totalling 22,000,0001b5. manned by 4000 airmen who were all lost in the sense that the survivors were taken prisoner. This means a rate of personnel loss 12 to 1 in favour of the enemy. Moreover, it is reported that the Allied losses do not include the losses suffered at other points beyond the enemy lines. 4 4 These figures should drive home the fact that we are engaged in a tremendous battle involving tremendous losses which, however, are fully justified by the crucial objective—the demolition of the Luftwaffe on the ground and in the air.' ’