600 more German planes for Barbarossa

What if there were 600 more planes available for Barbarossa in 1941. We have many TLs on this forum where the Luftwaffe is better for one reason or another.

So the POD could be:
General Wever lives, JU88 production isn't messed up with dive bombing, the ME210 production mess up doesn't happen (German keep 110 production up), a better organized, more efficient Luftwaffe with more pilot training, better performance in the Battle of Britain, or Germany opts for a "Battle of Britan Lite" with less losses or any combination thereof.

600 extra planes doesn't seem to unreasonable, lets assume most of these are Ju88s and ME110s

What could the German accomplish in 1941 with the extra aircraft in the East?????

-----------------------------------

Note: OTL the Germans were having trouble building enough airfields in the east by June 41 to base what they already had so the initial benefits might not be so great since these might have to be in reserve at first but would be useful to replace attrition.

Perhaps these extra aircraft might be useful in the Siege of Odessa, Crimean campaign, or in the Siege of Leningrad where the extra forward basing wouldn't be so tough, OTL the siege of Leningrad in 1941 was a pretty close run thing, 600 extra aircraft in September, October, November 41 would have probably allowed the Germans to close the ring tighter around the city allowing it to fall to a winter siege.
 
What would theoretically be better is that Herr Hitler doesn't initiate the Air War over Great Britain tho makes deceptive signals of planning Ops Sealion while building up the Luftwaffe's air assets so as to prepare for Ops Barbarossa.

Maybe...

in BoB... Germany suffered approx...

2,700 aircrew killed
670 aircrew captured
1,887 aircraft destroyed and untold hundreds damaged to certain degree...
in which approx
500 were ME 109
200 were ME 110
074 were Ju 87
280 were Ju 88
170 were Do 17
246 were He 111
028 were He 115

So 700 Fighters, both single and twin engine, lost in action
70 DiveBombers lost in action
600+ bombers lost in action

Stats
http://cz-raf.hyperlink.cz/BoB/stat.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain
 
Last edited:
What's the RAF doing with its hundreds of extra fighters and less damage to its airfields and infrastructure? I presume they sit in the sun and drink tea and don't bother themselves with any air activity at all!
 
What's the RAF doing with its hundreds of extra fighters and less damage to its airfields and infrastructure? I presume they sit in the sun and drink tea and don't bother themselves with any air activity at all!
They might do what they did in OTL and launch Fighter Wing Sweeps across the Channel to 'bait' the Luftwaffe to come and get beaten up...

Not sure... but I think the Royal Air Force didn't fare too well in their attempt to bait the Luftwaffe in a war of attrition after the BoB in 1941....
 
They might do what they did in OTL and launch Fighter Wing Sweeps across the Channel to 'bait' the Luftwaffe to come and get beaten up...

Not sure... but I think the Royal Air Force didn't fare too well in their attempt to bait the Luftwaffe in a war of attrition after the BoB in 1941....

I agree. But even ineffective fighter sweeps would still pin down Luftwaffe aircraft and inflict losses.
 
They might do what they did in OTL and launch Fighter Wing Sweeps across the Channel to 'bait' the Luftwaffe to come and get beaten up...

Not sure... but I think the Royal Air Force didn't fare too well in their attempt to bait the Luftwaffe in a war of attrition after the BoB in 1941....

In this case the odds of Hitler letting Bomber Command bomb German cities with impunity are slim to none. It doesn't matter how effective the bombing is (as indeed strategic bombing never was effective very much in WWII in the first place), the psychological impact Hitler fears will override that.
 
What weapons do the Germans not make to get 600 additional airplanes?

The Ju88 and ME210 were big screw ups production timing wise, you had plant and material being unused in these cases OTL that are being put to use, JU88 being produced as a level bomber reduces losses on a percentage basis in the Battle of Britain, more competent leadership (Wever living) could have produced efficiencies that competent people can vs incompetent people let slip.

That is why I chose 600, figuring more than that, even with efficiencies improved, starts effecting something else.
 
What would theoretically be better is that Herr Hitler doesn't initiate the Air War over Great Britain tho makes deceptive signals of planning Ops Sealion while building up the Luftwaffe's air assets so as to prepare for Ops Barbarossa.

I tried pushing this earlier myself a year ago or so. The board countered that a completely unbothered Britain might push Italy (or Vichy) harder, build bomber command up quicker, the Russians get suspicious, etc. countering the aircraft saved.

So you would have to do the Battle of Britain still, but rely on better tactics and or better aircraft (Sort of like the better show in 40 timeline, but don't actually invade the island) and reduce losses on a percentage basis along with avoiding some production screw up that messed up Ju88 and ME110 production to produce a reasonable number of extra aircraft.
 
Top