The Battle of Britain by Richard Overy Read Free Book Online Page A

SPITFIRE:
PRODUCTION, OPERATIONAL STRENGTH AND LOSSES
    Table 1: Production per week, June–November 1940
Date
Hurricanes
Spitfires
1–7 June
87
22
8–14 June
79
22
15–21 June
67
25
22–28 June
75
21
29 June–5 July
68
26
6–12 July
65
32
13–19 July
57
30
20–26 July
67
41
27 July–2 August
65
37
3–9 August
58
41
10–16 August
54
37
17–23 August
43
31
24–30 August
64
44
31 August–6 September
54
37
7–13 September
54
36
14–20 September
56
38
21–27 September
57
40
28 September–4 October
58
34
5–11 October
60
32
12–18 October
55
31
19–25 October
55
25
26 October–1 November
69
42
Total
1,367
724
    Table 2: Operational strength: number of squadrons, July–October 1940
Date
Hurricane squadrons
Spitfire squadrons
14 July 1940
10 Group
2
2
11 Group
12
7
12 Group
6
5
13 Group
5
5
Total
25
19
1 September 1940
10 Group
4
4
11 Group
14
6
12 Group
6
6
13 Group
9
2
Total
33
18
30 September 1940
10 Group
6
3
11 Group
13
7
12 Group
6
6
13 Group
9 *
3
Total
34
19
28 October 1940
10 Group
6
3
11 Group
13
8
12 Group
7
6
13 Group
7 **
3
Total
33
20
    Table 3: Operational losses per week, July–November 1940 (aircraft totally destroyed)
Date
Hurricanes
Spitfires
10 May–29 July
173
110
30 July–5 August
2
9
6–12 August
47
25
13–19 August
84
38
20–26 August
39
33
27 August–2 September
96
48
3–9 September
86
53
10–16 September
50
24
17–23 September
21
19
24–30 September
60
29
1–7 October
17
19
8–14 October
21
19
15–21 October
18
14
22–28 October
22
16
29 October–4 November
17
11
Total
753
467
(as percentage)
61.7
38.3
    Sources:
    Table 1: PRO AIR 22/293, ‘Weekly Output of Fighters’.
    Table 2: PRO AIR 16/365, ‘Fighter Command, Operational Strength of Squadrons and Order of Battle’.
    Table 3: PRO AIR 22/262, ‘Daily Returns of Casualties to RAF Aircraft’, 25 June–29 September 1940.
    SINGLE-ENGINED FIGHTER PILOT STRENGTH,
RAF AND GERMAN AIR FORCE
    Table 1: Fighter Command pilot strength
Week ending
Establishment
Operational strength
30 June 1940
1,482
1,200
27 July 1940
1,456
1,377
17 August 1940
1,558
1,379
31 August 1940
1,558
1,422
14 September 1940
1,662
1,492
28 September 1940
1,662
1,581
19 October 1940
1,714
1,752
2 November 1940
1,727
1,796
    Table 2: German Air Force, single-engined fighter pilot strength
Date
Fully operational pilots
1 June 1940
906
1 August 1940
869
1 September 1940
735
1 November 1940
673
    Sources:
    Table 1: PRO AIR 22/296, ‘Personnel: Casualties, Strength and Establishment of the RAF’.
    Table 2: C. Webster and N. Frankland,
The Strategic Air Offensive against Germany
(4 vols, London, 1961), vol. 4, p. 501; W. Murray,
Luftwaffe: Strategy for Defeat
1933–1945 (London, 1985), p. 54. For September, Webster and Frankland give a figure of 688 operational pilots.