Wingman Tactics

[Hollywood]

Here's how I like to do it with my squad.  If usually seems to work quite well when everyone gets used to what they are supposed to do.  I'm not sure I want to post this because I would hate to have to fly against it, but what the hey, here goes.

This is not specifically a wingman tactic because it can also be used by a squad of three or four.  Basically we start with the rule that you want to stay within d6.0 of each other on the icon.  When the distance is getting close to that you turn towards the other plane.  Perhaps this distance should be less with only two planes.  This usually results in everyone very loosely following each other around in a large circle.  Everyone is free to take a run at any con which presents an opportunity.  Now what happens is that con will often get passes made on it by one plane after the other giving him little time to recover between evasives.  I like to B n Z furballs so when things are going right my squad will be at the top of the furball with a bit of an altitude advantage on everyone else and every once in a while they will dip down to B n Z a plane.

Now the defensive part of the plan works this way.  If someone gets a con on their 6 their job is to drag it in a direction that will let a squad member saddle up on the con. Hard break turns and other evasives should only be used if in imminent danger.  This does not mean flying directly at a squad member as this gives him no room to turn.  Often it means dragging low so the squad member can split s onto the con.  Now the free squad members must give first priority to clearing a squad member's 6, second priority goes to clearing other teammates 6 and last priority is offensive attacks.  Everyone should try to maintain a fairly high energy state and not get drawn down into the furball as this would put any potential rescuers in danger.  This means spending a fair amount of time nose high in a climb or in vertical reversals such as loops and immelmans.  If someone does get too low it is better for the rest of the squad to stay high and wish him luck or do their best to provide support from a high position than having the whole squad shot down.  There should be a leader designated whose job is to make decisions about when to get out and regroup, or when to get out because of low fuel, etc.

A different strategy that I like with only two wingmen is for one to engage as a stall fighter while the other keeps a little more energy to B n Z.  Against a single fighter it is usually only a matter of time before you win unless he is very good.  Against two the outcome is less certain but it does challenge their situational awareness by having to watch both a plane turning at their level and one coming down on them from above.  The stall fighter should be in a good turning plane and should be the more skillful at that particular style of flying.  If engaging two fighters the stall fighter has a difficult job and the B n Zer should try not to take too long between passes.  The B n Zer can often set up so he is coming down from directly above repeatedly on a turning fight.  This makes tracking planes manovering in the horizontal fairly easy because all he has to do to match their turn is roll.  He should keep his speed somewhere around 300mph on the approach so that looping back up again and coming down for a second pass doesn't take too long.

I'm not sure if either of these has a name or falls into one of the other categories.  I do know that the first was used historically by squadrons of bf110s which were at a disadvantage singly against most planes because of their slow speed and not wonderful manoverability.

[Sorrow[S=A]]

I disagree with you verm, Gie and I do very well with the close formation wing tactics. In the La-5 we have found that having one high& one low just doesn't work, if you get bounced low you extend and your wingman can't catch up with you. Even with an alt advantage it will be over before you arrive. What we do is basically line astern, with me slightly lower and to the right. When we dive I swing right while he swings left, easy bracket. After I follow him into the zoom and maintain D2k or less, if he picks up a con I let them slide between us and fire, if _I_ pick up a con Gie zooms while I drag. The cons has to pick between the zoomer or myself, if he picks the climber I reverse in a loop and cover Gie, if he picks me.. well, Gie is on the perch and ready to pounce. The only way we get into trouble is if the wingleader starts a crazy T&B or if we get seperated by too much, too much seperation and you are too far away to help in an emergency.


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If your in range, so is the enemy.

[Vermillion]

Hmmm.... I seem to remember me and Popeye encountering a pair of La5's coalt at about 25k over f14 a couple of weeks ago. Me in a Pony, Pops in a Spitfire I think.

In fact this was the exact encounter I was thinking of when I wrote my above post.

<shrugs> Maybe we just got lucky.

And I always am a proponent of doing whatever works for you, and your own tactics.

But in this particular encounter, we went "loose duece" splitting apart at the merge and the La5's went tight cover.

If I remember correctly they went for me first, and then we had them bracketed front rear. And even the plane (me initially) that the La5's were attacking could use standard merge , nose to nose,  1 v 1 tactics.

Basically it was fairly easy to dodge both planes because they were so close to one another. Whatever "dodge" manuever worked on one, worked on the other because the second pilot didn't have any more seperation or reaction time.

Then we went into iterations of switching off and going for the "cover man" of the La5 pair. Because the cover man was so tight, he would have to give one of us a shot at his open six, while he was following the lead plane on his attacks.

It was on the second or third "merge" that we finally got the cover man La5, and it was fairly simple 2 v 1 after that.

Just one encounter   and its not definitive proof of either concept. Just saying that in my years of flying, I find the close wing tactics way too restrictive, and a good pilot can use them against you.

Just my opinon and style, if something else works for you, I say use it.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure,
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[Minotaur]

One more point about "Welded Wing".  It does not happen often.  However, I have managed to take them BOTH out on one guns firing pass.  They were engaging another plane, and I sniped them both.

Mino

[leonid]

I believe in as close to a line abreast formation as possible.  Separation of around 1.5k is okay, but not any further.  The most important tactic for me is the bracket, because it can be used in either offense or defense, and it is fairly easy to implement.  But most importantly, the bracket is a very decisive maneuver, resulting in a no-win solution for a single attacker.

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leonid, Komandir
5 GIAP VVS RKKA

"Our cause is just.  The enemy will be crushed.  Victory will be ours."

[Wolverine]

Few more articles...

 http://www.wlvrn.com/article.shtml?aw_sbwingtac

 http://www.wlvrn.com/article.shtml?aw_gritzwing

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Wolverine [wlvrn]
 www.wlvrn.com

33rd Strike Group
 www.33rd.org

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."

[juzz]

 

Hmmm.... I seem to remember me and Popeye encountering a pair of La5's coalt at about 25k over f14 a couple of weeks ago. Me in a Pony, Pops in a Spitfire I think.

At that altitude those La-5's were in deep trouble vs a Spitfire and Mustang anyway.