The Stalingrad airlift statistics

  

Planes lost by the Luftwaffe during the Stalingrad airlift During the Stalingrad airlift (Nov. 24th, 1942 until Jan. 31st, 1943) (69 days) the Luftwaffe lost 488 planes : an average of 7.07 transport planes a day. 266 Junker 52 (a third of Luftwaffe's total complement) (3.85 Ju52 each day) 165 Heinkel 111 (2.42 He111 each day) 42 Junker 86 9 FW 200 and 5 Heinkel 177  and 1 Junker 290 166 planes were completely destroyed  108 planes were (are) missed (also the crews) 214 planes were lost during the take-off or landing  and written off The total losses are the equivalent of five wings, or more than one complete air corps. About 1100 airmen died, (an average of 16 each day)  including many  of the Lufwaffe's most experienced bomber and transport pilots,  navigators and training instructors. Note : these numbers not include the destroyed planes, by the Soviet Airforce, during their air-raids on the German airfields outside the  Stalingrad pocket. (between Dec. 25th, 1942 and Jan. 9th, 1943 the Soviet Airforce destroyed  87 planes on German airdromes  used for to supply 6th Army)     About the supply.  During the 72 days and nights between Nov 24th, 1942 and  Feb 3rd, 1943, the Luftwaffe had carried or dropped to the encircled troops a total of 8350.7 tons of rations, fuel and ammunition, or an average of 117.6 tons a day. The Army needed  300 tons a day, the absolute minimum amount.  (To keep 6th Army operational, the army needed 500 tons a day) Only a few times the daily goal was reached. The most succesful day was Dec. 7th, 1942. 362 ton supply was flown in. To feed all soldiers of the encircled 6th Army, about 250.000 men, with 200 grams of bread, the army needed 50 tons of bread each day. (25 planes (Ju 52) each day) To feed all soldiers of the encircled 6th Army, about 250.000 men, with 100 grams of bread, the army needed 25 tons of bread each day. (20 planes (He 111) each day)   Heinkel 111 statistics. Between Nov. 29th, 1942 and Feb. 3rd, 1943  (68 days) 2566 Heinkel 111 flew to the Stalingrad pocket. (37.73 He 111 each day) 2260 Heinkel (91%) were unloaded in the pocket.  (unloaded includes also the dropped supply the last days)  (33.23 He 111 each day) Supply : Medical supply : 1541.14 tons (22.66 tons each day) Ammunition :        767.50 tons (11.28 tons each day) Other freight :         99.16 tons (1.45 tons each day) A total of  :         2407.80 tons (35.40 tons each day)  Fuel : Diesel : 609.07 m3 (8.95 m3 each day) Otto :   459.35 m3 (6.75 m3 each day) B 4 :       42.60 m3 (0.62 m3 each day) Total : 1111.02 m3 (16.33 m3 each day) 1111.02 m3 fuel = 887.00 tons The Heinkel 111 formations supplied 6th Army with 3294.80 tons An average of  48.45 tons each day. 165 Heinkel 111 were lost  (2.42 He 111 each day) Note : this number not include the destroyed or damaged  Heinkel 111, by the Soviet airforce, during their air-raids on the German airfields outside the Stalingrad pocket. The Heinkel formations flown out of the pocket : Wounded : 9208 soldiers (all ranks) (135.41 each day) Post : 533 postbags  Dropped boxes (empty) : 2369   The 'German' airports used for the air-lift. Inside the German pocket at Stalingrad Next  7 airports were available. (by the time the air-lift started) Pitomnik Bolshaia Rossoshka Stalingradski Gumrak Basargino Voroponovo Karpovka The base airdromes for the landing of every transport plane were : Pitomnik Gumrak Bolshaia Rossoshka These airdromes were coverd by anti-aircraft artillery, searchlights and fighterplanes. Stalingradski airport was also used between Jan 22nd- Jan 23rd 1943.  In order to decrease the losses resulting from the Soviet Airforce, the  Germans prepared in the ring of encirclement many additional landing  strips. The airstrips outside the German pocket.  Next airstrips were used to supply the encircled 6th Army : Morozovskaya Tatsinskaya Sverovo Salsk Stalino-nord Novotsherkassk Lugunsk Gorlokova Makejevka Konstantinovka Rostov   Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily (Soviet Air Force) at Stalingrad during the Stalingrad airlift The 8th, 16th and 17th Air Armies participated in the destruction of the 6th Army. At the beginning of operation Uranus Nov. 19th, 1942 (the encircling of the 6th Army) following numbers of airplanes were available :   Fighters . Combat  support Day  Bombers Nigth Bombers Recon- naissance Total 16th Air  Army  114 . 105 . - . 93 . 3 . 315 . 8th Air  Army 284 . 273 . 65 . 122 . 7 . 751 . 17th Air  Army 82 . 40 . - . 79 . - . 201 . Total 480 418 65 294 10 1267 Of these, up to 25% were defective On December 1st, 1942 Stalin ordered to make an end to the air-lift to Stalingrad. An example of airplane sorties for the destruction of 6th Army and to end the air-lift  :

In addition to operations against the airdromes from January 10th - January 31st
the Soviet Airforce carried out 1186 airplane sorties for the destruction of German
airplanes (transportplanes) in the air.

Missions carried out by the Soviet Airforce (VVS)

Missions carried out Dec. 1942 and Jan. 1943 by the 8th, 16th and 17th Air Armies

The operations of aviation against German troops were not carried out uniformly during
this period, they were most active during the period of intense operations of Soviet ground
troops. These periods were the fighting of the troops of the Southern Front against the 
German Winter Storm offensive (Hoth's attempt to relief 6th Army) and the subsequent
smashing of this group (from December 12th until the 19th, 1942) and the offensive of the 
Don Front for the purpose of liquidation of the encircled 6th Army at Stalingrad (from 
January 10th until the 2nd of February 1943).