"Distribution of German Types in 1918" Topic

Do we know roughly how much of each sort of aircraft the Luftstreitkräfte operated at the start of the Spring Offensive? It doesn't really matter what specific types were involved, just the different roles – bomber, fighter, recce basically.

I don't understand the question. Types of attack? You just mentioned the three main aircraft uses.

The records of which squadrons of which type are spotty. Suffice to say that the German spring offensive of 1918 saw a massive increase in the use of all aircraft in close support ground attack. Reconnaissance roles also increased in order to give the attack aircraft the "eyes" they needed to properly attack the Allies. For the rest of the war, both sides devoted more and more of their planes to close support of the ground fighting. The Germans developed the most efficient aircraft for this kind of fighting in their Junkers two-seaters, which, if I am not mistaken, were never shot down by Allied aircraft in direct aerial combat. Some, I don't know how many, were lost to ground fire and mechanical failure (unavoidable). But those late war metal planes were too tough to handle, especially because they made a habit of withdrawing over their own trench systems when threatened, and then when the danger went away, they would scuttle back across No Man's Land to shoot up and bomb some more.

I think it is safe to say that the Germans prevailed where they put their aircraft. But increasingly they were outnumbered along the front, such that the Allies often had a free hand in supporting their ground forces. In the final weeks of the war, the Germans took to flying in massive formations of over fifty aircraft at a time. This allowed their recon planes to do their job with some chance of success. And their low ground attack planes could also perform their "battle plane" roles if all or most of the Allied fighters were engaged by the umbrella of large Jasta high altitude patrols.

Best place to ask is

theaerodrome.com

I have a combined list of planes at the front at the end of every even month – February, April, June, etc. I can list what was there at one of those times, but nothing more precise. I can list either the numbers of each type or just the general numbers you asked for.

Thanks, all.

@Great War Ace: Sorry for being a bit unclear – I meant models of aircraft.
@stephen m: Thanks for that – I'd quite forgotten about them!
@Sailor Steve: I'm really just looking for distribution of roles so that I have an idea of what a realistic mix would be.

Development of German Warplanes in WW1 by Jack Herris breaks down the specific planes in use by month and includes the type totals as well.
link

The Frontbestand lists tell you the Aircraft on the left and numbers in service by month and year:

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