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.

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 destroyed, 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), including 88,300 combat types^[3]
  • Per type: 23,600 attack, 17,900 bomber, 46,000 fighter and 18.100 non-combat types^[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
• Japan: Around 3,000 tanks
• 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"^[12]
  • 83,540 tanks lost: 5,200 heavy tanks, 44,900 medium tanks, 33,400 light tanks.
  • 13,011 SPGs lost: 2,300 heavy SPGs, 2,100 medium SPGs, 8,600 light SPGs
  • 36,700 Armoured car and half-track.
  • Land-Lease losses: 11,900 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 5,000 armoured personnel carriers.^[13]

Soviet tank losses [14]	Received	Total stock	Losses	% of Total stock loss
Tanks	86,100	108,700	83,500	76.8
Heavy	10,000	10,500	5,200	49.5
Medium	55,000	55,900	44,900	80.3
Light	21,100	42,300	33,400	79.1
SP Guns	23,100	23,100	13,000	56.3
Heavy	5,000	5,000	2,300	46.0
Medium	4,000	4,000	2.100	52.5
Light	14,000	14,000	8,600	61.4
Tanks and SP Guns	109,100	131,700	96,500	73.3
Armored cars, tractors, other armoured vehicles	59,100	72,200	37,600	52.1

• Comparative figures from Germany and Soviet Union:

Comparative figures [15]	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Soviet Tank strength*	22,600	7,700	20,600	21,100	25,400
German Tank strength*	5,262	4,896	5,648	5,266	6,284
Soviet Tank Production	6,274	24,639	19,959	16,975	4,384	72,231
German Tank Production	3,256	4,278	5,966	9,161	1,098	23,759
Production Ratio	1:2	1:5.6	1:3.3	1:1.85	1:4	1:3
Soviet Tank losses	20,500	15,000	22,400	16,900	8,700	83,500
German Tank losses	2,758	2,648	6,362	6,434	7,382	25,584
Tank exchange ratio** (German:Soviet)	1:7	1:6	1:4	1:4	1:1.2	1:4.4

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

Country	Carriers & Seaplane Tenders	Battleships & Battlecruisers	Cruisers	Destroyers	Escorts,Frigates	Submarines	Other Warship	Auxiliary	Total	Notes
Australia			3	4	2		3	3	15
Canada				6	11		9	5	31
France		2	8	36		33	14	2	94
Free France				2	3	1	4		9
Germany		4	7	37		785			840	Includes scuttled ships
Greece			3	4		4	10	5	26	Kilkis & Lemnos considered cruisers by displacement
Italy		2	11	84		84			180
Empire of Japan	19	8	37	134		130			328	3 Further battleships foundered
Netherlands			2	9	0	14	6	26	57
Norway			2	3	4	4	8	2	23	2 Coastal defence ship of Eidsvold class considered as cruisers by Displacement
Soviet Union		1	2	29	4	99	1		133	Battleship Marat sunk & scrapped
United Kingdom	10	6	31	138	47	75	187	572	1035
United States	14	3	10	83	11	52	85	188	444
Poland			1	3	1	2	1	3	11

References

1. Ellis, John (1993). World War II - A statistical survey. Facts on File. p. 258. ISBN 0-8160-2971-7.
2. Ellis p. 259
3. Krivosheev, G. I. (1997). Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses. Greenhill. p. 359-360. ISBN 1-85367-280-7.
4. https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=oT7JAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=total+soviet+aircraft+46,100&source=bl&ots=MXalOa1bGE&sig=-tV8QOxSf00rzsNDbRSFLK1MpxM&hl=vi&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=total%20soviet%20aircraft%2046%2C100&f=false
5. Odgers, G. (1957). Air war against Japan. Australian War Memorial.
6. RAC Directorate of the War Office listed AFV losses as an estimated.
7. Zaloga, Steven. "Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II". Stackpole Books, May 14, 2014. Pages 339-345.
8. SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expiditionary Force.
9. P. Chamberlain, H Doyle, T Jentz, Encyclopedia of German Tanks of WWII, Arms and Armour Press, London, 1978, appendix VII, pp. 261-262.
10. Krivosheev, G. I. (1997). Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses. Greenhill. p. 272. ISBN 1-85367-280-7.
11. Paul Winter. "Defeating Hitler: Whitehall's Secret Report on Why Hitler Lost the War". October 13, 2012
12. Krivosheev, G. I. (1997). Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses. Greenhill. p. 3. ISBN 1-85367-280-7.
13. Krivosheev, G. I. (1997). Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses. Greenhill. p. 258. ISBN 1-85367-280-7.
14. Krivosheev, G. I. (1997). Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses. Greenhill. p. 253. ISBN 1-85367-280-7.
15. Zaloga, Steven J.; Ness, Leland S. (2003). The Red Army Handbook 1939-1945. Sutton. p. 181. ISBN 0750932090.