Loss rates of PB4Y-2 Privateers

[spicmart]

Anyone has the loss rates of USN Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers. I seem to recall that it has been as high as 10%.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

The USN definition of acton sortie is at https://www.history.navy.mil/conten...s/naval-aviation/aviation-monographs/nasc.pdf essentially if one or more of a formation saw combat the entire formation was counted as doing action sorties, otherwise not.

So 3,640 PB4Y Action Sorties, 60 lost to AA, 28 lost to enemy aircraft, 18 operational losses, 85 lost on other flights, 72 lost on ship or ground, total losses 263.

No complete breakdown of PB4Y-1 and -2. In any case losses on operations of 106 from 3,624 combat seeing sorties is well below 10%. PB4Y-2 began rolling off the production line in March 1944 and in 1945 PB4Y 22,245 total flights (sorties?), 2,568 action sorties, 63 lost to enemy action, 198 total losses to all causes. Only by using total all cause losses and action sorties can you end up at something like 10% losses.

 

[spicmart]

G Geoffrey Sinclair .Thank you for the information!