Close Escort Tactics
by Wolverine [wlvrn], 33rd Strike Group
During a bombing mission, it is imperative to have adequate fighter cover for your bombers during the mission. It's a lot more difficult than it sounds. You just can't throw your fighters up there and expect them to be able to protect those big crates.
Why.
Well, your crates must fly in formation for mutual protection. They cannot make evasive maneuvers. The enemy need only make one pass to disable one of your bombers so that it cannot stay in formation and therefore drops away and is vulnerable.
Your escort must be able to intercept the enemy before he gets the chance to set up an attack run.
How [position].
Close escort requires that your planes be in good position BEFORE the fight begins (this applies to online gaming arenas, not history where close escort did not have the luxury of icons). Generally, positions taken up on the high 11 and 1 o'clock of the bomber formation are adequate. A trailing fighter high 6 is also advisable, though two at the 5 and 7 positions is ideal.
Perfect conditions for escort are winged pairs instead of single fighters, but as it's always tough to find those numbers, one will have to suffice.
The forward fighters should be a good distance away. Rear fighters should also be high and a bit away.
How [engagement].
Rule number one of close escort.
NEVER CHASE
Rule number two of close escort.
NEVER LEAVE THE BOMBERS
Lets take a single plane engagement. In other words, a single intercept fighter is sighted headed towards your bomber stream at a slightly lower altitude from 2 o'clock.
The fighter stationed at 1 o'clock should sluff off and stay high and dive on the enemy plane. Make a pass on it and zoom back up into position.
What you're trying to do is get the enemy fighter to go evasive and loose energy. If you get the one pass kill, great. If not, you've caused him to break off his attack on the bombers temporarily. Meanwhile, you have the energy to zoom back up and take up your position again. If he continues to press the attack (prolly from behind now due to his loosing speed), the fighter in best position should again, dive and zoom, make the fighter break his attack.
NEVER FOLLOW THE FIGHTER EVASIVE. You've won the fight if he dives away, he's taken himself out of the fight. Your staying alive is more important to the mission.
Always return to position.
When more than one fighter are attacking, you must follow the same procedures. Say we have two fighters from 3 o'clock. The fighters at 1 and 7 should sluff off to engage and drive them away, the other fighters should then take their positions at 1 and 7 and continue on. Once the interceptors have been repelled, return to formation.
This is all contingent that you have the altitude advantage. The ability to zoom out after making your dive on them is key, you must get back into formation.
Co-Altitude and Alt-disadvantaged fights are a bit trickier. Your only way to really stop the fighters is prolly when they're already on their run on the bombers.
One thing you have to remember ... they're going to go for the bombers. You have taken a position above the bombers. Therefore, if they go after the buffs, they have to go under you.
If you see high bogies, do not panic. Keep your high positions. If he dives on the bombers, have the nearest in position follow him down, then have the opposite fighter be ready to catch the interceptor on his zoom past the bombers. Once the 'opposite fighter' picks up the interceptor on it's zoom out, the first fighter that followed it down should get back into 'scort position. Your goal is (besides shooting him down) to DRIVE HIM BELOW THE BOMBERS and keep him there.
Above all, never leave those bombers.
Cover each other's spots (if the two right escort leave to engage, have one left fighter cover their spots until they return).
Never think KILL. Think DRIVE AWAY.
You position again, should be high and at the 1, 2, 5, and 7 spots on the buffs. Preferably in winged pairs.
Hope those tips help. They've come from 4 years of of playing escort in the squad. Comments welcome.
Enjoy.
[This message has been edited by Wolverine (edited 02-07-2000).]
