The Allies in June 1942 had a 3.1 to 1 ratio aircraft advantage in Europe. That was their low point, and it would grow to 8.6 to 1 in June 1944. All three Allied nations would individually outproduce Germany over the course of the war. The American and British relied heavily on bombers to take the war against Germany. Germany would transfer much of their air force to fight off … [Read more...] about Aircraft Available In Europe; Germany, UK, US, USSR
Aircraft
US Production WWII: Ships, Planes, and Tanks
Naval vessels and aircraft dominated US production inS Production WWII with regards to expenditures. The Allied nations were unique in the production of landing craft with the US producing 84,198. Landing craft aren't foremost in discussions of WWII naval warfare but they were core to their strategies of island hopping in the Pacific and invasion forces in Western Europe and … [Read more...] about US Production WWII: Ships, Planes, and Tanks
Allies Axis Major Weapons Groups – Production Summaries
The Allied nations outproduced the Axis nations in every weapons group except for missiles. German V-1 and V-2 rockets were a harbinger of the Cold War and beyond. However, in World War 2 the V-1 and V-2 missiles were imprecise and too few to be effective in halting the Allied onslaught in western Europe. Prewar Expectations Germany foresaw a series of short wars or … [Read more...] about Allies Axis Major Weapons Groups – Production Summaries
Production Runs of Soviet Aircraft, 1941-1945
Thirty-four Soviet aircraft factories produced 142,756 aircraft between 1941 and1945. Eight factories were responsible for 60% or 86,354 units of production. A total of 23 different models were produced with 6 models accounting for the 60% or 86,354 of the units produced. The Ilyushin Il-2, a ground-attack aircraft or Shturmovik, was the most produced … [Read more...] about Production Runs of Soviet Aircraft, 1941-1945
Numbers of Weapon Types Produced in Germany USSR, 1944
Germany consolidated the number of weapon types and platforms in 1944. Logistics was a major issue for Germany throughout the war making field repairs very difficult. Lack of commonality due to the myriad of different weapon types and platforms increased the practice of cannibalization while waiting for the right spare part. Logistics was not the only reason for consolidation … [Read more...] about Numbers of Weapon Types Produced in Germany USSR, 1944
German Soviet War Production, 1940-45
With the exception of warships, Soviet war production rate ratios were in their favor for the 1940-45 timeline. Each weapon or platform type had their unique up and down ratio trends but overall the production trends were upwards for the USSR. Manufacturing Production Philosophy “Quantity has a quality all its own.” It is debated if Stalin ever said this, but it was … [Read more...] about German Soviet War Production, 1940-45
Recipients of US Aircraft Production
Twenty percent of US manufactured aircraft were transferred to foreign recipients as part of the Lend-Lease program. The British Commonwealth nations were the largest foreign beneficiary followed by the Soviet Union. The United States Army Air Force received more than half of the total planes produced. Recipients of US Aircraft Production According to Table 79 of the … [Read more...] about Recipients of US Aircraft Production
Number Airplanes Procured by USAAF Jan 1940 – Dec 1945
The United States Army procured 231,099 aircraft from 1940 through 1945. The graph below only includes those airplanes procured by the United State Army Air Force (USAAF) and these numbers do not include gliders. The three largest aircraft types procured were bombers of all types making up 69,082 or 29.9%, fighters 68,712 or 29.7%, and trainers 55,712 or 24.1%. Like almost all … [Read more...] about Number Airplanes Procured by USAAF Jan 1940 – Dec 1945
US Propeller Production by Manufacturer Jul 40-Aug 45
US and Canadian industry stepped forward to support the aircraft propeller production war effort. Several were aircraft manufacturing veterans while other manufacturers were newcomers. These manufacturers provided their industrial capacity to meet the Allied aviation needs. The United States Army procured 708,268 automatically controllable pitch aircraft propellers from 1940 … [Read more...] about US Propeller Production by Manufacturer Jul 40-Aug 45
US Aircraft Propeller Production: 1940-45
The United States Army procured 713,717 aircraft propellers from 1940 through 1945 propellers. The graph below only includes complex pitch controllable blades which were difficult to manufacture. It excludes those seen on puddle jumpers or manufactured from expensive steel or fixed-pitch blades fitted to some trainers. These complex propellers were part of the equation driving … [Read more...] about US Aircraft Propeller Production: 1940-45