Battle of Lenino 1943

[Peter K]

This website:

http://www.pamietamkatyn1940.pl/191.xml

Says that during the liberation of Poland the Red Army used 69,161 wagons of ammunition (if i'm not wrong a standard wagon has a bearing capacity of 15 tons so this would give 1,037,415 tons, but it could be less than 1 million as well). On the other hand they write that only 27,412 tons of air bombs were dropped. This seems a very low number (for example during one month of the Polish Campaign LW dropped some 21 - 22 thousands tons of bombs).

[Art]

Total expenditure of bombs was (in tons):
1941 - 66 371
1942 - 152 015
1943 - 181 801
1944 - 178 181
1945 - 117 900
Total 1941-1945 696 298 (from statistical digest "Soviet Air Forces in numbers").
I expect that German expenditure was not less than this, at least an assault on Sevastopol alone in 1942 consumed more than 20 thousands tons.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Of course bomb tonnage is a misleading indicator. The RAF dropped a huge tonnage in the period before Nov 1942 but caused little damage except ploughin up some fields.

[Peter K]

RAF was involved in long range strategic bombing while mentioned German and Soviet operations consisted mainly of tactical bombing. E.g. when it comes to Luftlotte 4 in the Polish Campaign ca. 41,4% of her combat sorties were close air support operations, ca. 53,2% air interdiction operations (this probably includes attacks against war industry etc. in the first 3 days and "terror bombing" too) and 5,4% were operations against the Polish Air Force.

Of course we can argue if that was only tactical bombing because for example some of German air attacks against Warsaw in 1939 are sometimes referred to as strategic bombing. But Warsaw had a strong military garrison and most of air attacks were against military forces defending it, even though there were some attacks most probably deliberately aimed at civilian targets in order to weaken morale of city's population and defenders.

So we cannot really compare these operations with those carried out by RAF, but can with each other.

Moreover there were probably some good reasons why RAF was so inefficient during that period?

Total expenditure of bombs was (in tons):
1941 - 66 371
1942 - 152 015
1943 - 181 801
1944 - 178 181

All these figures result in a much smaller monthly expenditure of air bombs than that of Luftwaffe in Poland in September 1939, over a much larger Eastern Front of 1941-1944 and against a much more numerous enemy.

1945 - 117 900

Only this figure gives a similar or higher monthly air bombs expenditure to that of LW in Poland.

But still over a much more spacious area of combats and against a much stronger enemy.

I expect that German expenditure was not less than this

I would expect it was much more than this. This Soviet expenditure seems surprisingly low. Especially compared to expenditure of ammo by Soviet ground forces, which was probably larger than German (in tons).

[Oleg Grigoryev]

I wonder if it had to do with typical bomb load. As in what was the most used bomb type for the opposing force. Gut feeling tells me that for VVS it is going to be 50 and 100kg. Maybe for the LF it was 100 to 250? So while the number of bombs dropped might have been comparable the actual tonnage would be different.

PS are unguided rockets included in the tonnage dropped? After all they were used rather often by Il-2 and il-2 was the workhorse of Soviet CAS (accidently from what I have read 2x250 were carried only for special occasions such as bridges)

[Art]

PS are unguided rockets included in the tonnage dropped?

No. It wasn't much in terms of tonnage in any case. The expenditure of 82-mm rockets was something like 1,5 millions or 12 thousands tons, 132-mm rockets - less then 300 000 or 12 thousands tons again.
Here is the table from the statistical digest, if someone is interested:
http://s013.radikal.ru/i325/1104/c3/06efcaff4f91.jpg

[Peter K]

Maybe for the LF it was 100 to 250?

German numbers for September 1939:

100,300 bombs 10 kg
295,350 bombs 50 kg
16,540 bombs 250 kg
1,709 bombs 500 kg

So the most used bomb types were 50 kg and 10 kg.

[Oleg Grigoryev]

Maybe for the LF it was 100 to 250?

German numbers for September 1939:

100,300 bombs 10 kg
295,350 bombs 50 kg
16,540 bombs 250 kg
1,709 bombs 500 kg

So the most used bomb types were 50 kg and 10 kg.

I would have to assume that LW make-up was different by 1943. Most Do-17 were probably replaced by Ju-88. I wonder if Number of Ju-87 probably also shrank. Additionally I wonder if fighters were caring more ground attacks when compared to 1939.

[Peter K]

BTW - in September 1939 Germans used significant % of their total reserve of air bombs:

The total pre-war reserve was 69,015 tons of bombs, including:

1,502,600 bombs 10 kg (% expended = 6,7%)
700,000 bombs 50 kg (% expended = 42,2%)
47,300 bombs 250 kg (% expended = 35,0%)
9,500 bombs 500 kg (% expended = 18,0%)

LW also expended the following amount of small arms and autocannon calibres in the Polish Campaign:

11,001,400 rounds cal. 7,92 mm
254,450 rounds cal. 20 mm

In total ca. 322 tons of 7,92 mm and 20 mm ammo.

Additionally I wonder if fighters were caring more ground attacks when compared to 1939.

I know Bf-110 heavy fighters were already quite heavily involved in ground attacks in Poland.

But I guess if there was a deficiency of bombers later in the war, it can be true.

Most Do-17 were probably replaced by Ju-88. I wonder if Number of Ju-87 probably also shrank.

In Poland He-111 was most common. Numbers of Do-17 and Ju-87 were similar, with a bit more Do-17.