Norman Franks a écrit:Yet what was the victory achieved by the RAF? At the time it was thought that for every RAF fighter lost at Dunkirk, four German aircraft had been destroyed. A figure of 106 RAF aircraft was quoted as being lost in the battle. This figure is almost impossible to reconcile from squadron records for damaged aircraft were often written off days after the date of the action while others might eventually be repaired. The claims against the Luftwaffe totalled around 390 by Air Ministry, although in Park’s subsequent report he lists 258 destroyed and 119 probably destroyed or damaged. After the war captured German documents indicate Luftwaffe losses for the Dunkirk period to be 156 ‘on all parts of the front’. Of these nineteen can be listed as lost away from Dunkirk, reducing the figure to 132 aircraft. This would include those lost to AA fire – the Royal Navy itself claimed 35 shot down.
The RAF flew no fewer than 3,561 sorties, of which 2,739 were fighter sorties. According to the records I have gone through, Fighter Command lost, between 26th May and 2nd June, 55 pilots killed, six Defiant air-gunners killed, eight pilots taken prisoner (of which one later died), eleven pilots and one air gunner wounded, and one pilot killed in a
flying accident. In terms of leaders, Fighter Command lost three squadron commanders killed, one taken prisoner, six flight commanders killed plus another taken prisoner. About a dozen section leaders were also lost, including two senior NCO pilots.
Over the same period thirty-nine fighter pilots who had either baled out over the sea or force-landed on or near the beaches had managed to get back. Other pilots brought down in France before Dunkirk had also made their way home, including Pilot Officer Bryan Wicks. It will be recalled that he had been shot down on 23rd May and following various adventures, and with the help of Belgian civilians, he reached Dunkirk late on 2nd June. Dressed as a Belgian peasant, he had a job trying to convince the Army that he was an RAF pilot. Finally he was allowed to get in a queue for a ship and managed to get away in one of the last to go on the morning of 3rd June. On his return to his squadron he found all his belongings had been inventoried and his car sold. He went on to win the DFC in the Battle of Britain and rose to the rank of squadron leader. Sadly he was later killed in action.
The RAF, nevertheless, deserve to call Dunkirk a victory. It carried out its assigned task to the best of its ability with the limited numbers at its disposal. It had also been blooded and as far as experience was concerned was in a far better position for the Battles over Britain to come than it had been.
Nicolas Bernard a écrit:S'agissant des pertes, voici ce qu'écrit Norman Franks, dans une étude consacrée à la bataille aérienne de Dunkerque (Air Battle of Dunkirk, Londres, Grub Street, 1983 et 2000, chap. XI):Norman Franks a écrit:The RAF, nevertheless, deserve to call Dunkirk a victory. It carried out its assigned task to the best of its ability with the limited numbers at its disposal. It had also been blooded and as far as experience was concerned was in a far better position for the Battles over Britain to come than it had been.
Tarpan a écrit:@Dog Red, bien sur que le tandem Hitler/Gôring est une histoire a elle seule, pour ma part, je signalais juste (une fois encore) que si les raisons du Haltbefehl, comme certains le soutiennent, s'inscrivent dans la volonté d'AH de permettre un compromis avec les anglais, le résultat obtenu est l'inverse !
Tarpan a écrit:Je sais je n'ai pas l'érudition et les archives des historiens qui participent à ces débats, mais la simple logique des événements répond correctement, il me semble aux raisons de l'arrêt.
Retourner vers LA "DRÔLE DE GUERRE" ET LA DÉFAITE DE 1940
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