Horrid WWII Facts

[AbwehrX]

Post your tales of WWII woe here if you like-

Flight Accidents

According to the AAF Statistical Digest, the U.S. Army Air Forces lost 14,903 pilots and crew…in the United States. These men died as a result of more than 50,000 accidents during the course of the war. Another 1,000 planes disappeared en route from the U.S. to foreign countries. Air losses were so staggering during 1942-43 that it was statistically impossible for bomber crews to complete a 25-mission tour in Europe.

More than 41,000 American servicemen were captured during the war. Of the 5,400 captured by the Japanese, half died. About 10% of those captured by Germans died.

[wings7]

ORIGINAL: AbwehrX

Post your tales of WWII woe here if you like-

Flight Accidents

According to the AAF Statistical Digest, the U.S. Army Air Forces lost 14,903 pilots and crew…in the United States. These men died as a result of more than 50,000 accidents during the course of the war. Another 1,000 planes disappeared en route from the U.S. to foreign countries. Air losses were so staggering during 1942-43 that it was statistically impossible for bomber crews to complete a 25-mission tour in Europe.

More than 41,000 American servicemen were captured during the war. Of the 5,400 captured by the Japanese, half died. About 10% of those captured by Germans died.

Great idea! [:)] Sources are important!

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: AbwehrX

Post your tales of WWII woe here if you like-

Flight Accidents

According to the AAF Statistical Digest, the U.S. Army Air Forces lost 14,903 pilots and crew…in the United States. These men died as a result of more than 50,000 accidents during the course of the war. Another 1,000 planes disappeared en route from the U.S. to foreign countries. Air losses were so staggering during 1942-43 that it was statistically impossible for bomber crews to complete a 25-mission tour in Europe.

Great idea but just one point. The "statistically impossible" bit is not true. That's not the way probability works. Extremely unlikely, perhaps; but extremely improbable things sometimes happen. People win the lottery all the time, at infinitesimal odds. Many, many bomber crews beat those odds...but not most. It's all down to the Normal distribution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution

Cheers, Neilster

[sullafelix]

I think the odds of living through the war serving on a Uboat were worse.

I just looked it up. For the entire war they had a 75% casualty rate.

[warspite1]

For the UK, and as a %, which "service" were you most likely to die in during WWII?

Navy - Army - Air Force - Merchant Navy

Answer: The merchant navy

I believe this is true of the US too but may be wrong.

[Orm]

Recently bought a book with WWII facts. But on the first few pages I read I found several factual errors. So that book got dumped. [:(]

So thank you for sharing these facts. Even though they are horrid.

[Capt. Harlock]

Little known but unfortunate fact: a Congressman named Andrew May blabbed that the Japanese were setting their depth charges too high in the early days of pacific submarine warfare. His carelessness may have cost as many as ten U. S. submarines and crews.

http://www.ww2pacific.com/congmay.html

[AbwehrX]

Little known but unfortunate fact: a Congressman named Andrew May blabbed that the Japanese were setting their depth charges too high in the early days of pacific submarine warfare. His carelessness may have cost as many as ten U. S. submarines and crews.

http://www.ww2pacific.com/congmay.html

Character Counts - bio of Congressman Andrew May.

. . . elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931-January 3, 1947); chairman, Committee on Military Affairs (Seventy-sixth through Seventy-ninth Congresses); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1946 to the Eightieth Congress; convicted on July 3, 1947, on charges of accepting bribes for his influence in the award of munitions contracts during the Second World War; served nine months in prison during 1950 and received a full pardon from President Truman in 1952. .

That is utterly horrid. [X(]