"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...
Subject: air battles over normandy?
From: "Geoffrey Sinclair"
Date: 1/18/04 8:33 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

old hoodoo wrote in message ...
I have heard mention of air battles over normandy--or german attempts to
attack the normandy beaches- after D-day but I have never read anything
on the subject. The only thing mentioned is the two sorties by Fw-190's
on
D-Day.

The Fw190 story made it to the book "The Longest Day", which was the
basis for the movie.

Did the Germans belatedly attempt to attack the normandy
beaches and the supply ships in any number on any of the D+ days and
what were the results. I assume heavy german losses with little result.


Luftflotte 3 launched something less than 100 sorties on D-day, 70
by single engined fighters, and a further 175 sorties that night, 39
aircraft lost.

On the night of the 7th/8th around 100 sorties, on the 8th around 500
day sorties, 400 by single engined fighters, 68 aircraft lost on the 8th.

By the end of the first week 362 aircraft lost, in the second week, 232
aircraft lost.

The main effect the Luftwaffe has was dropping mines offshore,
in particular the oyster or pressure mines, they did not sink many
ships but they made life difficult. Overall high casualties for minimal
results.

Geoffrey Sinclair
Remove the nb for email.




I don't remember seeing a single luftwaffe plane over Normandy on D-Day.

You probably were not there the whole day. The Air Force Association
magazine has credited the Luftwaffe with 200 sorties flown to the invasion
area on D-Day (www.afa.org/magazine/sept2002/0902bogus.pdf ); other sources
give numbers of between fifty and 300. They were not very effective sorties,
but yes, they did fly.

Brooks




Arthur Kramer