Bomber production

[e.polis]

Was bomber production halted in order to concerntrate on fighter production, if so when did this occur and was it the realization that they were loosing the war

[Panzergenadier]

I can provide you with information about the German production of planes (in the Reich itself) right now. Post message on this section if you are interested .

[Huck]

Was bomber production halted in order to concerntrate on fighter production, if so when did this occur and was it the realization that they were loosing the war

Yes, the bomber production was halted in mid '44. It happend after Milch left the office, although he campaigned for this from late '43 (not for a complete production halt, but for a decrease in bomber production in favor of a larger fighter production). Most of the bomber types gradually left production from summer to autumn, after Germans had realized the severity of the war situation and the fuel crisis became impossible to contain using other means.

The results was that at the end of autumn the only twin engine planes that remained in mass production were the nightfighter versions of Ju-88 and Bf-110. Later the twin engine bombers were retired from service so that in April 1945 LW was 1000 planes short compared to April 1944 (basically the twin engine bombers that were retired).

At the end of summer in '44 RLM made clear that all the new bomber designs contracted will be jet powered. This is why in April '44 the majority of the twins were the Ar-234 and Me-262.

The results of this measure were mixed. It produced an imense number of fighters that nobody had the chance to fly, they were just bulldozed from the fields after the war ended. The fuel consumption decreased but so did the efficiency of the attacks. What LW really needed in '44 (beside fuel) were more pilots, not airplanes. LW was pathetically small for the task, it should have been at least two times as big in order to be able to have an influence on the war outcome.

[Huck]

I can provide you with information about the German production of planes (in the Reich itself) right now. Post message on this section if you are interested .

Can you provide the production numbers for each particular variant (Ju-88A-4, A-5, A-14 and so on) and/or production by month for the main types (Ju-88A, Ju-88C, Ju-88D and so on)?

That would be very interesting.

[Panzergenadier]

The Information I have is about the war production in The Reich by 1 September 1942- one of the most crucial periods of the war. The info shows number of produced planes of main types(JU-88, HE-111 etc.) and the factory where they are made. It's intelligence report of the English. It was attached to one of Churchils' letters to Stalin.

[Cantankerous]

Was bomber production halted in order to concerntrate on fighter production, if so when did this occur and was it the realization that they were loosing the war

Yes, the bomber production was halted in mid '44. It happend after Milch left the office, although he campaigned for this from late '43 (not for a complete production halt, but for a decrease in bomber production in favor of a larger fighter production). Most of the bomber types gradually left production from summer to autumn, after Germans had realized the severity of the war situation and the fuel crisis became impossible to contain using other means.

The results was that at the end of autumn the only twin engine planes that remained in mass production were the nightfighter versions of Ju-88 and Bf-110. Later the twin engine bombers were retired from service so that in April 1945 LW was 1000 planes short compared to April 1944 (basically the twin engine bombers that were retired).

At the end of summer in '44 RLM made clear that all the new bomber designs contracted will be jet powered. This is why in April '44 the majority of the twins were the Ar-234 and Me-262.

The results of this measure were mixed. It produced an imense number of fighters that nobody had the chance to fly, they were just bulldozed from the fields after the war ended. The fuel consumption decreased but so did the efficiency of the attacks. What LW really needed in '44 (beside fuel) were more pilots, not airplanes. LW was pathetically small for the task, it should have been at least two times as big in order to be able to have an influence on the war outcome.

As noted by Dan Sharp at the Secret Projects forum, at a meeting on July 1, 1944, presided over by Hermann Goering, production and development of all piston-engine bomber types except for the Heinkel He 111 was canceled and/or halted, but production of the He 111 was to continue until January 1945. Although production plans for the Junkers Ju 287 forward swept wing jet bomber were in the process of finalization by the time that the first Ju 287 prototype flew in August 1944 and Heinkel was busy manufacturing components for the prototypes of the He 343 tactical jet bomber, the RLM halted the He 343 and Ju 287 programs in late September 1944 because of the worsening war situation. Oddly, in early 1945, the Luftwaffe decided to restart the Ju 287 program and give Junkers the order to prepare for series production of the Ju 287.