parsifal
Colonel
Aircraft losses in Europe.
Army Air Forces in World War II
1943.
.....877 Enemy aircraft.
.....252 AA fire.
.....132 Other causes.
1,261 total.
1944.
.....2,902 Enemy aircaft.
.....3,501 AA fire.
.....1,346 Other causes.
7,749 total.
1945 (Jan to May).
.....446 Enemy aircraft.
.....1,627 AA fire.
.....549 Other causes.
2,622 total.
It's readily apparent that German fighter aircraft became less effective but German flak was good and getting better right up to May 1945.
No it isnt. its a measure of how many USAAC aircraft were over enemy territory in 1943, 44 and '45. A small presence in 1943, a much larger presence in 1944-5. You cannot draw any conclusions about efficiency from that
To do this properly, you need to look at the number of guns deployed, the number of shells expended and the number of shoot downs achieved from that effort. Westermann has already done that and arrived at efficiency rates for us. He uses and comments on the US Army's statistical information incidentally, and points out its shortcomings.
For the record the german flak park (Hvy/Lt/ Total) altered as follows during the war. To a degree, it shows why the total number of shoot downs went up. It does not tell the whole story however, To do that we need to also look at ammunition expenditures which unfortunately I have at home
These figures are taken from a mid year date, I forget the exact date however.
1939: 2600/6700/9300
1940: 3161/8290/11454
1941: 3880/9020/12900
1942: 4772/10700/15472
1943: 8520/17500/26020
1944: 10600/19360/29960