Operation Bodenplatte

Overview

Operation Bodenplatte, launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the German Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge so that the German Army and Waffen-SS forces could resume their advance. The operation was planned for 16 December 1944, but was delayed repeatedly due to bad weather until New Year's Day, the first day that happened to be suitable. It resulted in the destruction of almost 500 Allied airplanes.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Bodenplatte was the Luftwaffe's attempt to regain air superiority over the Low Countries during the Battle of the Bulge, timed to allow German ground forces to resume their stalled offensive. Planned for 16 December 1944, the operation was repeatedly delayed by bad weather until New Year's Day 1945. Despite resulting in the destruction of almost 500 Allied aircraft, the operation failed to achieve its strategic objective of neutralizing Allied air power. German losses of 234–280 aircraft, drawn from a shrinking pool of experienced pilots and serviceable planes, represented a cost the Luftwaffe could not sustain. The Allies absorbed their losses and maintained effective air superiority, leaving German ground forces without the air cover the operation was designed to provide. Bodenplatte marked one of the last large-scale offensive actions of the Luftwaffe in the war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)