Air War Over Europe: Allied vs Axis kill ratios

Who had the higher kill ratio in air war over europe, the allies or germans? My perception was that more Allied crewmen were lost (as in killled or wounded since all captured crewman would be allied) since the bomber crews were the most vulnerable. Any specific numbers, like killed bomber crewman vs. killed luftwaffe fighter pilots?

I think to get an overall accurate picture pure kill ratios in themselves won't tell you much. As you have touched upon tactical applications count here for disparties between them. This newsgroup has discussed kill ratios in the past and perhaps you should start searching in deja for those threads. In essence, the discussion was not only on the numbers vs. numbers but the definition of 'kill', pilot credit criterion as per Soviet/American/British AFs, service lengths, aircraft types etc.

A Lancaster or Halifax took 7-10 men down with it. A B-17 had 10. The B-17's with formidible formations of firepower, durabilty, and Mustang P-51 escorts equipped with drop tanks were very effective against the Luftwaffe while at the same time achieving good precision bombing results. They say you can't shoot what you can't see, so the night bombers main defence was darkness. In a gunfight with 303's against 20 mm Shrage Musik cannons coming under the fuel tanks in the wings, a Lancaster ussually came out second best. Its weak spot was from underneath. However, they were equipped with radar early warning devices such as Monica, Boozer or Fishpond. By using the intercom, the gunners could communicate with the pilot. The 'corkscrew ', which was a violent evasive manouvre saved lives. It also worked when a bomber had been 'coned' by searchlights. Some of the 'kill' claims by German night-fighter aces seem incredibly high, but may well be accurate. It seems that only a few mastered the deadly art of wrecking havoc on a bomber stream while the vast majority had very little success. The trick was to move as many bombers through a radar box as fast as possible to cut down on losses. Without, of course, crashing into each other in the dark.

Which Ally? 1:2 is fine if you have a 3:1 manpower ratio.