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Message: [QUOTE="PhotEx, post: 10443242, member: 149965"] A major flaw in German intelligence analysis was they compared apples with oranges. they assumed a British fighter Squadron was the same as a Luftwaffe squadron, 12 planes and 12 pilots - ergo, you shoot down 6 fighters in an engagement, 50% of the RAF strength ‘destroyed’. but a front line RAF squadron was typically 20 aircraft strong, 16 on the flight line and 4 spares, with spare pilots - actuality, you lost 6 fighters, you lost 30% of your overall strength, but only 13% of Your actual squadron strength. This caused the Germans to assume the RAF must be drawing in squadrons from the West and North to make up losses, further compounding their erroneous assumptions of RAF losses. In reality, not only was the RAF not short of fighters, it was even able to carry on rotating out combat experienced pilots after they reached their quota of flying hours - building up a strategic reserve of 1,200 combat trained fighter pilots by September. the Luftwaffe was a little different from WWI strictly tactical Air Force fighting a thoroughly modern integrated Air Force that had been reorganised with real strategic depth. Another interesting fact.... throughout the Battle of Britain, Bomber Command carried out constant raids on Luftwaffe airfields, railheads and invasion harbours in northern France. All those light flak guns you see in contemporary German newsreels and photographs were not there for show. [/QUOTE]