Statistical Analysis of WWII Combatant Performace

[AJFFM]

Hello to you all

I am a statistics geek. Partly because of my profession, partly because I am an absolutist when it comes to numbers and performance.

I know that both sides of the war did extensive statistical analysis both during the war and after it to assess battlefield performance and that those studies fundamentally changed the way war was waged later on. Authors like Zetterling expanded on such research and had interesting theories that expanded our knowledge about battles like Kursk and Normandy.

My point here is simple, I am very interested in finding out if there were statistical studies done on a number of issues and whether those studies had any effect on battles.

The first issue I want to enquire about is air power and whether air defence was more effective than interceptors or not. This is largely because by 1944 Germany proper had roughly 1 million soldiers manning air defences, troops who would be useful in other places, despite producing a record number of fighters and the introduction of Jets.

The second issue is replacement system efficiency of all combatants. How effective was it in keeping troop levels constant and how resilient was it during times of enemy pressure.

Thank you.

[Mangrove]

The first issue I want to enquire about is air power and whether air defence was more effective than interceptors or not. This is largely because by 1944 Germany proper had roughly 1 million soldiers manning air defences, troops who would be useful in other places, despite producing a record number of fighters and the introduction of Jets.

Light, intense and accurate: U.S. Eighth A.F. strategic fighters versus German flak in the ETO.

[steverodgers801]

The first question is to ask is was airpower able to do what it was claimed it could, which is win the war on its own?

[Carl Schwamberger]

A few recomendations.

Dig out a copy of John Ellis s 'Brute Force' Aside from the 54+ tables and other statistics the Bibliography wil lead you to a number of other statical or data sources. Ellis also has some things to say in his own analysis

Among the original sources is the US Stratigic Bombing Survey. This started as a USAAF survey of the effects of bombing on industry & along the way a large amount of related industrial and weapons/resource data was collected.

The 'Hyperwar' web site is a good stating point for searching out data. The writers there are fairly good a identifying sources and a few hours working that web site can lead to some solid data on specific subjects.

[ljadw]

The first question is to ask is was airpower able to do what it was claimed it could, which is win the war on its own?

The answer on that question is :definitively no .

[Dann Falk]

I would read the book- Numbers, Predictions & War by Colonel T.N. Dupuy

It mostly covers WW2 land warfare.

[Aber]

I would read the book- Numbers, Predictions & War by Colonel T.N. Dupuy

It mostly covers WW2 land warfare.

But be aware that a US Army study raised major questions about the data for the Italian Campaign engagements quoted by Dupuy.