1940... 541 109s lost to 870 Spits & Hurris in BOB.
1941... 128 109s lost to 572 Spit & Hurri.
The 'Biggin Hill Wing' by Caygill states that from the beginning of June to the end of September 1941 saw Fighter Command lose 572 single engined fighters while the Luftwaffe loses were 128 .
In 'Fighter Command vol 3', on page 85, Foreman states that the loss ratio was 4 to 1 in the Germans favor prior to the Spit 9.
1942... Malta, 82 109s to 148-214 Spits plus 45 Hurris?, ( Italian fighter losses should be mentioned also, 50 plus Macchis as I recall).
Shores ( page 646 summary states that the author suggests the summary result was 148 + 66 force landed/crash landed due to combat damage)
These figures will no doubt be debated until time immemorial, but a pattern certainly does emerge. & by 41-42 the Vic was gone, as was the cutout inverted problem for the Spitfire as MK V was the version at Malta. Some claim the reason for these numbers is the RAF went after the bombers, but this doesn't wash for 1941 crosschannel Rhubarbs, ( plus I've never bought that argument for the simple reason the fighter pilots job is to keep his tail clear in any & all combat situations).
North Africa 41,42 numbers I haven't got to hand, but RAF had mostly P-40 & Hurricanes there.
All I've got re Africa is this.
- From April 1941 to November 1942, the Luftwaffe scored 1294 confirmed victories for about 200 Me 109 lost in combat. During this period, the Luftwaffe almost exclusively used the Me 109F. They identified their victims as 709 Tomahawks, 304 Hurricanes and 119 Spitfires, plus others/unidentified. That's a ratio of about 6.5:1. (location missing, but looks like North African campaign) http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/...s/109myths/#db
1941... 128 109s lost to 572 Spit & Hurri.
The 'Biggin Hill Wing' by Caygill states that from the beginning of June to the end of September 1941 saw Fighter Command lose 572 single engined fighters while the Luftwaffe loses were 128 .
In 'Fighter Command vol 3', on page 85, Foreman states that the loss ratio was 4 to 1 in the Germans favor prior to the Spit 9.
1942... Malta, 82 109s to 148-214 Spits plus 45 Hurris?, ( Italian fighter losses should be mentioned also, 50 plus Macchis as I recall).
Shores ( page 646 summary states that the author suggests the summary result was 148 + 66 force landed/crash landed due to combat damage)
These figures will no doubt be debated until time immemorial, but a pattern certainly does emerge. & by 41-42 the Vic was gone, as was the cutout inverted problem for the Spitfire as MK V was the version at Malta. Some claim the reason for these numbers is the RAF went after the bombers, but this doesn't wash for 1941 crosschannel Rhubarbs, ( plus I've never bought that argument for the simple reason the fighter pilots job is to keep his tail clear in any & all combat situations).
North Africa 41,42 numbers I haven't got to hand, but RAF had mostly P-40 & Hurricanes there.
All I've got re Africa is this.
- From April 1941 to November 1942, the Luftwaffe scored 1294 confirmed victories for about 200 Me 109 lost in combat. During this period, the Luftwaffe almost exclusively used the Me 109F. They identified their victims as 709 Tomahawks, 304 Hurricanes and 119 Spitfires, plus others/unidentified. That's a ratio of about 6.5:1. (location missing, but looks like North African campaign) http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/...s/109myths/#db
Comment