World War II Air Combat: Rounds Eat Up Planes

World War II Air Combat: Rounds Eat Up Planes | World War Wings Videos

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This Great Footage Really Puts The Chaos Of War Into Perspective

World War II was the most costly war in human history, not to mention the deadliest. During the war, all countries involved threw their entire economies into the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military use. Producing as many weapons as possible for defense and offense, one of the critical components to gaining an advantage was air superiority. Nazi Germany engaged in air warfare by bombing strategic targets to wipe out other country’s production capabilities, as well as flattening cities to induce surrender.

Here’s a partial list of air equipment losses during the war:

  • Germans lost over 76,000 aircraft including over 21,000 fighters and 12,000 bombers
  • The United States lost about 95,000 planes, mostly over Europe.
  • All other Allied forces combined lost approximately 200,000 aircraft

The air battles during World War II were strategically important for both sides. Whoever had the upper hand had a significant advantage and could inflict both casualty and strategic damage upon the enemy. This was true in both the European and Pacific Theaters. As Winston Churchill stated, ‘air power may either end war or end civilization.”

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