Post by BSS_CUDA on Jan 22, 2004 23:25:41 GMT -5
I've been doing some research online and found this info it should be a good help for the wing men, STUDY and learn
Winging it!
The purpose of this information is to try and develop a packaged approach to wing tactics that makes it easier to adopt war-proven flight element disciplines into your fighting style. The benefits derived from adopting wingman (Rotte and Kette) tactics far outweigh the discipline required. Namely, the ability for two or three fighter pilots to work in tandem allows for a synergistic increase in combat efficiency that is greater than the sum of its parts. More simply put, you can kick more ass together than by yourselves.
It is all too easy to fly with a lone wolf mentality. The feeling may be that it is enough work to keep the blue up and the green down and try to RTB by yourself without worrying about someone else's butt. Some might refrain from trying it because they feel that it detracts from over all SA (situational awareness). They are too busy trying to keep their element leader in the windscreen to notice other threats. Others feel that by flying in a support role, their opportunity to score is diminished. I hope we can dispel some of these misconceptions and prove that the true question to ask is not, "Why should I adopt these tactics?", but "Why would I ever want to enter combat alone?".
History
A little insight from actual WW II tactics is in order, with a perspective on our particular area of interest, that of the Luftwaffe fighter pilot. An excerpt from JG26: The Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald Caldwell:
...In 1937, the Condor Legion (the German Air Force during the Spanish war - Lugnut) flew in the same close formation as the rest of the world's air forces, based upon the Kette of three aircraft. After its introduction to service, the Germans quickly realized that the Bf109B, the fastest service fighter in the world, was unsuited to these close formations. Werner Moelders, (Adolph) Gallandâs successor in command of 3/J88, is credited with the development of the ãfinger fourä or Schwarm (flight) formation, so-called because the relationship of its four aircraft resembled that of the fingertips of an outstretched hand. His most important innovation, however, was the Rotte, or element of two aircraft, which became the BASIC FIGHTING UNIT (emphasis added - Lugnut). The job of the Rottenfueher, or element leader, was to attack; the job of the Rottenflieger, or wingman, was to protect or follow his leader. Lateral spacing between the aircraft was increased to 200 yards, the turning radius of the Bf109. The aircraft could thus break together, to attack, or towards one other, for mutual defense. The Schwarm was 600 yards across and was hard to manoeuvre as a unit until Moelders developed the cross-over turn, in which the outside aircraft of the formation made the sharpest turn. He also staggered the Schwareme (flights) of each Staffel (12 planes) in altitude, which both improved the ability of the formations pilots to sight the enemy and made the formation itself less conspicuous in the glare of the sun. The formation leader was able to control his widely spaced unit by means of radio....
Utilizing the techniques of those who really yanked the stick in anger, we will try to adopt standard Luftwaffe Rotte tactics into the Warbirds experience. We will marry these tactics with those set forth in the Bible of air combat, Robert Shaw's Fighter Combat Tactics and Manoeuvring.
On this page we will cover two highly effective winged pair techniques; Loose Deuce and Double Attack.
Loose Deuce
is the "tag team" style of fighting, where one fighter is "in" on the bogie. His job is to manoeuvre for a shot, and failing this, to bleed the enemy's energy or force him into a disadvantageous position. He then calls, "Out" and disengages, hopefully up, to conserver energy for the next pass, if needed. The other pilot, formerly the "out" or "perch" pilot can then dive in and engage the bogie while the other pilot climbs to regain energy, regain SA and perform the duties of the perch. The idea is usually for only one plane to be committed at one time; the other, on the perch, is there to ensure the SA for the entire pair and to watch the 6 of the "in" pilot, who can concentrate his full attention on shooting the bogie. The planes continue alternating positions until the bogie is killed or the overall tactical situation changes. At that point, it usually becomes necessary for the pair to either escape or get away from the action to regain their SA...and then onto the next victim.
Double Attack
is a derivative of Loose Deuce. There are still the "in" and "out" pilots, but the "out" pilot is more actively involved in the attack, not just waiting on the perch until the engaged pilot calls him down. This approach demands very close contact, and is not recommended if voice comms are not working properly. JG5 pairs will mostly use the Loose Deuce, holding the Double Attack for situations where it is reasonably sure that there will be no reinforcements to undermine the SA of the pair.
For the most part, we are assuming that each member will have enough experience to be able to handle his responsibilities, regardless of whether you are the Rottenfueher ("in" fighter) or the Rottenflieger/Katchmarek (wingman or "out/perch" fighter).
Plan Before Leaving The Tower
Good planning is the key to success in any mission, more so in respect to Rotte tactics. The more you both understand the conditions of the mission from start to finish up front, the less communication details you have worry about when you engage the enemy. Here is a basic checklist of things to outline that can either be added to or cut depending upon your preferences:
Mission Objectives: Know your objectives, whether it be a CAP, Sweep, Jabo, Capture, Recon, or Escort mission. Outline your travel plans, details such as :
Destination coordinates:
Best advice here, print out a map at the mission description interface; it's bound to be much better than any map you'll get in flight via the "M" command
Waypoints:
discuss reorganization areas with your Schwarmmates, in case of separation
Ingress altitude:
Altitude is life, even though most combat on the Eastern Front is low. Make sure yours is set appropriately high; insist on having an altitude advantage before engaging whenever possible.
Hard deck:
If you're going on a Freie Jagd, and not intercepting low bombers, setting a reasonable deck keeps you out of that classic Russian trap: their planes are better down in the weeds. It's especially important for Focke Wulf 190s, as they really need emergency altitude for escape.
Cruise speed and/or throttle settings - In transit, 70-75% works well, and saves fuel. Besides, if your wingie is trying to catch up, and you're pushing 100% throttle, he won't have a chance unless he overcompensates with throttle and WEP to maintain position. Engine overhead problems can result even before you get into a combat situation.
Assignments:
Decide who will be the element leader, and who will be the wing. Decide and stick with it through the duration of the sortie. I recommend swapping roles after every sortie, to make sure each person gets an equal opportunity at the helm. If using Double Attack, assign the initial leader. It may be possible to agree that the pilot who sees a bogie first is assumed to have the lead until further notice.
Plane Type:
Utilize same variants when possible to ensure similar handling characteristics. A 109G6 wingman will have a tough time covering the tail of a 109F2 element leader in a tight turning dogfight. Try to fly a plane both parties are comfortable with.
Fuel Load:
Weight plays a role in handling characteristics, level the playing field between you and match fuel loads.
Ordnance Loadout:
Take similar loadouts within flights. If you don't match (on purpose), your weight, and consequently your climbing, handling, and dive characteristics will be different between you.
Coordinate Comms:
When using voice, set up Roger Wilco on the ground and test comm quality to ensure both parties can understand each other clearly. If either one can not, both should use the text buffer, being careful to transmit on "My Army" channel and not to "ALL" channel. Whenever possible, after any type of radio comms respond with a "vv" or else assume it wasn't received (perhaps when dragging or tight manoeuvring it may not be possible). This applies to both the element leader and the wing. If not confirmed after several seconds respond with "You copy?" to elicit a response.
Formation: Because of the problems of microwarps and other internet-related stuff, it's really hard to keep good tight formations in online sims. For this reason, I recommend a spacing of about d0.1 - d0.2 for wingmen. Following wingmen should try *not* to fly directly behind the leader; he can't see you back there. Rather, fly to his 5:00 or 7:00, or off to one side. Try to stay in the same relative position, you can sap a lot of SA when your wingmen are trying to find *you* as well as the enemy.
Leaders should attempt to announce direction and altitude changes several seconds *before* making them, so that wingmen know what to expect. As examples: "Turning right to SW in 3 seconds, over". Wait for a "cc", count off to three and make the turn. "Or, climbing to 10K full power starting 3 seconds, over"
Winging it!
The purpose of this information is to try and develop a packaged approach to wing tactics that makes it easier to adopt war-proven flight element disciplines into your fighting style. The benefits derived from adopting wingman (Rotte and Kette) tactics far outweigh the discipline required. Namely, the ability for two or three fighter pilots to work in tandem allows for a synergistic increase in combat efficiency that is greater than the sum of its parts. More simply put, you can kick more ass together than by yourselves.
It is all too easy to fly with a lone wolf mentality. The feeling may be that it is enough work to keep the blue up and the green down and try to RTB by yourself without worrying about someone else's butt. Some might refrain from trying it because they feel that it detracts from over all SA (situational awareness). They are too busy trying to keep their element leader in the windscreen to notice other threats. Others feel that by flying in a support role, their opportunity to score is diminished. I hope we can dispel some of these misconceptions and prove that the true question to ask is not, "Why should I adopt these tactics?", but "Why would I ever want to enter combat alone?".
History
A little insight from actual WW II tactics is in order, with a perspective on our particular area of interest, that of the Luftwaffe fighter pilot. An excerpt from JG26: The Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald Caldwell:
...In 1937, the Condor Legion (the German Air Force during the Spanish war - Lugnut) flew in the same close formation as the rest of the world's air forces, based upon the Kette of three aircraft. After its introduction to service, the Germans quickly realized that the Bf109B, the fastest service fighter in the world, was unsuited to these close formations. Werner Moelders, (Adolph) Gallandâs successor in command of 3/J88, is credited with the development of the ãfinger fourä or Schwarm (flight) formation, so-called because the relationship of its four aircraft resembled that of the fingertips of an outstretched hand. His most important innovation, however, was the Rotte, or element of two aircraft, which became the BASIC FIGHTING UNIT (emphasis added - Lugnut). The job of the Rottenfueher, or element leader, was to attack; the job of the Rottenflieger, or wingman, was to protect or follow his leader. Lateral spacing between the aircraft was increased to 200 yards, the turning radius of the Bf109. The aircraft could thus break together, to attack, or towards one other, for mutual defense. The Schwarm was 600 yards across and was hard to manoeuvre as a unit until Moelders developed the cross-over turn, in which the outside aircraft of the formation made the sharpest turn. He also staggered the Schwareme (flights) of each Staffel (12 planes) in altitude, which both improved the ability of the formations pilots to sight the enemy and made the formation itself less conspicuous in the glare of the sun. The formation leader was able to control his widely spaced unit by means of radio....
Utilizing the techniques of those who really yanked the stick in anger, we will try to adopt standard Luftwaffe Rotte tactics into the Warbirds experience. We will marry these tactics with those set forth in the Bible of air combat, Robert Shaw's Fighter Combat Tactics and Manoeuvring.
On this page we will cover two highly effective winged pair techniques; Loose Deuce and Double Attack.
Loose Deuce
is the "tag team" style of fighting, where one fighter is "in" on the bogie. His job is to manoeuvre for a shot, and failing this, to bleed the enemy's energy or force him into a disadvantageous position. He then calls, "Out" and disengages, hopefully up, to conserver energy for the next pass, if needed. The other pilot, formerly the "out" or "perch" pilot can then dive in and engage the bogie while the other pilot climbs to regain energy, regain SA and perform the duties of the perch. The idea is usually for only one plane to be committed at one time; the other, on the perch, is there to ensure the SA for the entire pair and to watch the 6 of the "in" pilot, who can concentrate his full attention on shooting the bogie. The planes continue alternating positions until the bogie is killed or the overall tactical situation changes. At that point, it usually becomes necessary for the pair to either escape or get away from the action to regain their SA...and then onto the next victim.
Double Attack
is a derivative of Loose Deuce. There are still the "in" and "out" pilots, but the "out" pilot is more actively involved in the attack, not just waiting on the perch until the engaged pilot calls him down. This approach demands very close contact, and is not recommended if voice comms are not working properly. JG5 pairs will mostly use the Loose Deuce, holding the Double Attack for situations where it is reasonably sure that there will be no reinforcements to undermine the SA of the pair.
For the most part, we are assuming that each member will have enough experience to be able to handle his responsibilities, regardless of whether you are the Rottenfueher ("in" fighter) or the Rottenflieger/Katchmarek (wingman or "out/perch" fighter).
Plan Before Leaving The Tower
Good planning is the key to success in any mission, more so in respect to Rotte tactics. The more you both understand the conditions of the mission from start to finish up front, the less communication details you have worry about when you engage the enemy. Here is a basic checklist of things to outline that can either be added to or cut depending upon your preferences:
Mission Objectives: Know your objectives, whether it be a CAP, Sweep, Jabo, Capture, Recon, or Escort mission. Outline your travel plans, details such as :
Destination coordinates:
Best advice here, print out a map at the mission description interface; it's bound to be much better than any map you'll get in flight via the "M" command
Waypoints:
discuss reorganization areas with your Schwarmmates, in case of separation
Ingress altitude:
Altitude is life, even though most combat on the Eastern Front is low. Make sure yours is set appropriately high; insist on having an altitude advantage before engaging whenever possible.
Hard deck:
If you're going on a Freie Jagd, and not intercepting low bombers, setting a reasonable deck keeps you out of that classic Russian trap: their planes are better down in the weeds. It's especially important for Focke Wulf 190s, as they really need emergency altitude for escape.
Cruise speed and/or throttle settings - In transit, 70-75% works well, and saves fuel. Besides, if your wingie is trying to catch up, and you're pushing 100% throttle, he won't have a chance unless he overcompensates with throttle and WEP to maintain position. Engine overhead problems can result even before you get into a combat situation.
Assignments:
Decide who will be the element leader, and who will be the wing. Decide and stick with it through the duration of the sortie. I recommend swapping roles after every sortie, to make sure each person gets an equal opportunity at the helm. If using Double Attack, assign the initial leader. It may be possible to agree that the pilot who sees a bogie first is assumed to have the lead until further notice.
Plane Type:
Utilize same variants when possible to ensure similar handling characteristics. A 109G6 wingman will have a tough time covering the tail of a 109F2 element leader in a tight turning dogfight. Try to fly a plane both parties are comfortable with.
Fuel Load:
Weight plays a role in handling characteristics, level the playing field between you and match fuel loads.
Ordnance Loadout:
Take similar loadouts within flights. If you don't match (on purpose), your weight, and consequently your climbing, handling, and dive characteristics will be different between you.
Coordinate Comms:
When using voice, set up Roger Wilco on the ground and test comm quality to ensure both parties can understand each other clearly. If either one can not, both should use the text buffer, being careful to transmit on "My Army" channel and not to "ALL" channel. Whenever possible, after any type of radio comms respond with a "vv" or else assume it wasn't received (perhaps when dragging or tight manoeuvring it may not be possible). This applies to both the element leader and the wing. If not confirmed after several seconds respond with "You copy?" to elicit a response.
Formation: Because of the problems of microwarps and other internet-related stuff, it's really hard to keep good tight formations in online sims. For this reason, I recommend a spacing of about d0.1 - d0.2 for wingmen. Following wingmen should try *not* to fly directly behind the leader; he can't see you back there. Rather, fly to his 5:00 or 7:00, or off to one side. Try to stay in the same relative position, you can sap a lot of SA when your wingmen are trying to find *you* as well as the enemy.
Leaders should attempt to announce direction and altitude changes several seconds *before* making them, so that wingmen know what to expect. As examples: "Turning right to SW in 3 seconds, over". Wait for a "cc", count off to three and make the turn. "Or, climbing to 10K full power starting 3 seconds, over"