Equipment losses in World War II

Equipment losses in World War II refers to military equipment destroyed during World War II, the deadliest and most costly war in history of the world.

Air

An American C-47 aircraft burns after being shot down during operation Market Garden

• China: Total losses of the Nationalist Air Force were 2,468 (According to Chinese and Taiwanese Sources).
• Finland: Reported losses during the Winter War totaled 67, of which 42 were operational, while 536 aircraft were lost during the Continuation War, of which 209 were operational losses (137 fighters, 51 bombers and 21 other). 327 aircraft were disabled ("attrition", too old, non-combat accidents) (Overall 603).^[1]
• France: From the beginning of the war until the cease-fire in 1940, 892 aircraft were lost, of which 413 were in action and 234 were on the ground. Losses included 508 fighters and 218 bombers.(Overall 892)^[1]
• Germany: Estimated total number of destroyed and damaged for the war totaled 76,875 aircraft, of which 40,000 were total losses and the remainder significantly damaged. By type, losses totaled 21,452 fighters, 12,037 bombers, 15,428 trainers, 10,221 twin-engine fighters, 5,548 ground attack, 6,733 reconnaissance, and 6,141 transports.^[1]
• Italy: Total losses were 5,272 aircraft, of which 3,269 were lost in combat.
• Japan: Estimates vary from 35,000 to 50,000 total losses, with about 20,000 lost operationally.^[2]
• Netherlands: Total losses were 81 aircraft during the May, 1940 campaign.^[2]
• Poland: Total losses were 398 lost, 112 flew to then neutral Romania, 286 destroyed, 1 missing, unaccounted for, including 116 fighters, 112 dive bombers, 81 reconnaissance aircraft, 36 bombers, 21 sea planes, and 9 transports.^[2]
• Soviet Union: Total losses were over 106,400 aircraft (46,100 in combat and 60,300 non-combat causes)^[3]
  • Per type: 23,600 attack, 17,900 bomber, 46,000 fighter and 18.100 non-combat.^[4]
• British Empire
  • United Kingdom: Europe 42,010 (including 30,045 fighters and 11,965 bombers)^[2]
  • Australia: Pacific and S.E.Asia 250 ^[5]
• United States: Total losses were nearly 95,000, including 52,951 operational losses (38,418 in Europe and 14,533 in the Pacific).^[2]

Land

• French: 6,126 tanks (~3,000 destroyed, ~3,000 captured by Germans). 946 armoured cars and half-track.
• UK : 15,844 tanks and 1,957 armoured cars lost.^[6]
• USA: ~10,000 tanks/SPGs/tank destroyers lost. From June 6, 1944 through May 15, 1945 for US tank and tank destroyer losses in the European Theater of Operations, United States Army (Western Front): around 7,000 (including 4,295 M4 tanks and 919 tank destroyers). Losses of 5th Army (Sicily, Italy): 1,414 tanks, tank destroyers and self-propelled guns, including 1,171 M4s.^[7][8] Several hundred tanks lost in the Pacific Theater.
• Germany:
  • According to P. Chamberlain (1978): Total 49,900 tanks, assault guns, tank destroyers and self-propelled guns lost. 32,800 lost on the Eastern Front. 17,100 lost in the Western Front, Italy, and North Africa. Negligible tank losses in the Balkans.^[9]
  • According to Grigori F. Krivosheev: Total 42,700 tanks and assault guns.^[10]
  • According to Heinz Guderian (supplied by Q.M.G of the General Staff of the Army): Total 33,324 tanks, assault guns, tank destroyers and self-propelled guns lost on the Eastern Front from 22/6/1941 until November 1944^[11]
  • Around 87,329 half-track trucks; 36,703 half-track tractors; 21,880 half-track armoured personnel carriers destroyed or captured.
  • 226,300 Military cars and 97,470 Military motor-cycles destroyed or captured.
  • 159,144 Anti-tank guns and Artillery destroyed or captured.
  • 86,400 Mortars destroyed or captured.
• Italy: Around 3,500 tanks
• Poland: 880 tanks and tankettes destroyed and captured; 20 7TP used by Germans; many tankettes in the backup units until 1945^[12]
• Japan: Around 3,000 tanks/SPGs
• Soviet Union:
  • According to Grigori F. Krivosheev: "All losses of arms and equipment are counted as irrecoverable losses, i.e. beyond economic repair or no longer serviceable"^[13]
  • 83,500 tanks lost: 5,200 heavy tanks, 44,900 medium tanks, 33,400 light tanks.
  • 13,000 SPGs lost: 2,300 heavy SPGs, 2,100 medium SPGs, 8,600 light SPGs
  • 37,600 Armoured car and half-track.
  • Land-Lease losses: 11,900 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 5,000 armoured personnel carriers.^[14]

• Comparative figures from Germany and Soviet Union:

Note: Table does not inculude assault guns or any other type of SPG.

(*) As of January each year, except for 1941 which is as of 22 June 1941. German strength is entire strength, not only the Eastern Front. In July 1944 the Germans had over 1,500 tanks in Normandy and several hundred in other theatres such as Italy and the Balkans. Likewise, the Soviet kept about 3,000 tanks in the Far East through much of the war.
(**) German tank losses here include all fronts; the tank exchange ratio deletes estimated German losses to Anglo-American forces and so reflects only the Soviet-German loss.

Sea

Used Sources:

• Complete Allied Warship Losses
• British Aircraft Carrier losses

References