thaddeus_c wrote: ↑10 Jan 2023, 20:31
my point for a somewhat earlier introduction of the V-1 weapon was that the LW would have had at least a small bomber force.
that could have been used in conjunction with the V-1 bombing campaign or held back for the anticipated Allied invasion of France
I think I understand what you are getting at there. The Luftwaffe commanders choose to hold back the bomber force until the invasion was identified.
This analysis has some useful numbers for the German air activity against the OVERLORD operations:
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/l ... mandy.html
Most of the directly relevant numbers are in Chapter III. In that I see the German bomber force managed 6th June through 1 July sorties of "3,568 bombers carrying bombs, mines and torpedoes;". These were run through Luftflotte 3 & does not include any sorties flown by units outside Luftflotte 3. Also the comparison of total Allied and German air forces sorties of al types is given. 96,000 vs 13,983 sorties. From the first week the German bomber sorties were flown at night. Losses in daylight operations were prohibitive long before 6th June and a few daylight attacks from 6th June confirmed this.