How many aircraft did the Luftwaffe have for the western…

How many aircraft did the Luftwaffe have for the western offensive in May 1940?

Short answer

The Luftwaffe assigned almost 2,000 combat aircraft to Army Group B, plus more than 500 transports and gliders for that same invasion, and more than 3,000 combat aircraft to Army Groups A and C. Combined, that was almost twice the Allied air force.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many aircraft did the Luftwaffe have for the western offensive in May 1940?

Gravestone of a Tuskegee Airmandbking (CC BY), vía commons

Almost 2,000 aircraft for Army Group B

Army Group B was assigned almost 2,000 combat aircraft to support its invasion of France, plus more than 500 transport aircraft and gliders. The first phase of the offensive was titled Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), also known as the Manstein Plan. Its object was the invasion of France and the Netherlands.

More than 3,000 for Army Groups A and C

Army Groups A and C were assigned more than 3,000 combat aircraft. Combined, the force gathered was almost twice the size of the Allied air force.

What lay opposite in the Netherlands

The Dutch Luchtvaartbrigade had about 155 aircraft, 125 of them in serviceable condition and 74 of them biplanes. Of the 28 Fokker D.XXI operational, by the end of the fighting only eight were still airworthy.