Europe Aflame
05 Jul 05, 15:50
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Signal%20Logo2.jpg
TWO KINDS OF AIR PARITY
The great mistake in the British plans for air warfare.
One of the favourite themes of British ministerial speeches is the assertion that Great Britain will soon catch up to the superiority of the German Air Force. As soon as equal numbers of fighters are arrived at, the British say the German war machine will be destroyed.
Yet the British have failed to take into account several fundamental factors, not least of which is that German superiority in production was guaranteed at an early stage. Furthermore, even if the British were to achieve some kind of numerical parity, they would by no means have achieved the same kind of fighting power.
Let us examine the facts.
Since the victorious campaign in the west, the German Air Force has directly faced the British Isles. In front of it, at a distance of only between 60 and 200 miles, lie the industrial regions and harbours of Southern England. The Midlands, so important to the British armament industry, can be reached after a flight of about 250 miles and even the Scottish ports are not more than 450 and 480 miles away.
Corresponding objectives in Germany are, on the other hand, very much further removed for the RAF since the industrial areas of the occupied zones do not hold any special importance for the German arms industry.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Coveragesmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Coverage.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
The fundamental difference: inequality of approaches. In order to fly to their objectives and return to their bases, the planes ofthe German Air Force have to fly an average of 575 miles. The RAF, on the other hand, in order to carry out attacks on Germany and to return to England must cover an average of 900 miles. The greatest advantages resulting from this difference in the RAF's range of action are clearly demonstrated by our map which has been drawn exact to scale. "SIGNAL" here shows the dire consequences which this presents for British air warfare and for armaments as a whole.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Assumptionsmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Assumption.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
Based on the above map, we clearly see here the folly of the British approach. They can never achieve parity.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Unattainablesmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Unattainable.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
And here, we can clearly see that in order to achieve true parity, the RAF must become LARGER than the German Air Force. Considering that even now it struggles to achieve parity of numbers, this is nothing more than a dream for the British.
Discussion of these facts is welcome.
TWO KINDS OF AIR PARITY
The great mistake in the British plans for air warfare.
One of the favourite themes of British ministerial speeches is the assertion that Great Britain will soon catch up to the superiority of the German Air Force. As soon as equal numbers of fighters are arrived at, the British say the German war machine will be destroyed.
Yet the British have failed to take into account several fundamental factors, not least of which is that German superiority in production was guaranteed at an early stage. Furthermore, even if the British were to achieve some kind of numerical parity, they would by no means have achieved the same kind of fighting power.
Let us examine the facts.
Since the victorious campaign in the west, the German Air Force has directly faced the British Isles. In front of it, at a distance of only between 60 and 200 miles, lie the industrial regions and harbours of Southern England. The Midlands, so important to the British armament industry, can be reached after a flight of about 250 miles and even the Scottish ports are not more than 450 and 480 miles away.
Corresponding objectives in Germany are, on the other hand, very much further removed for the RAF since the industrial areas of the occupied zones do not hold any special importance for the German arms industry.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Coveragesmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Coverage.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
The fundamental difference: inequality of approaches. In order to fly to their objectives and return to their bases, the planes ofthe German Air Force have to fly an average of 575 miles. The RAF, on the other hand, in order to carry out attacks on Germany and to return to England must cover an average of 900 miles. The greatest advantages resulting from this difference in the RAF's range of action are clearly demonstrated by our map which has been drawn exact to scale. "SIGNAL" here shows the dire consequences which this presents for British air warfare and for armaments as a whole.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Assumptionsmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Assumption.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
Based on the above map, we clearly see here the folly of the British approach. They can never achieve parity.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Unattainablesmall.jpg (http://www.armchairgeneral.com/wordpress/wp-content/Andrew/EA/Unattainable.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
And here, we can clearly see that in order to achieve true parity, the RAF must become LARGER than the German Air Force. Considering that even now it struggles to achieve parity of numbers, this is nothing more than a dream for the British.
Discussion of these facts is welcome.