Slightly off thread, but when the RAF went on the offensive over France in 42/43 they lost over 1800 aircraft and more pilots were killed than in the BoB IIRC.
Most of these losses were down to ground fire and nothing was achieved.
It was a terrible waste of life and resources, deemed necessary by C in C Fighter Command, to go on the offensive.
At least one pilot who was senior in rank ,Wing Leader etc ( may have been Johnnie Johnson), complained to Command, that they didn't mind mixing it with German fighters, but objected to be being put out of action ,or worse, by a German with a rifle. This fell on deaf ears and was a sorry time in Fighter Commands war.