It always fascinates me how the lessons of WW2 air combat apply directly to this sim.
Close escort never works .. engaging fighters will get a firing pass.. firing pass = bad.
Gotta be far enough out to engage before they see the buffs, ideally.
Sweeps are highly effective .. especially if they catch the interceptors climbing out
They should be timed to suppress an area before the buffs get there and be effective until the buffs leave.. this means staged, successive, sweeps
Buffs have to get formed up and get to raid alt before proceeding to target.. none of this climbout into the Abbeville boys
(buffs ideally should take off from several bases, as should fighters.. then form up at raid alt, then proceed to target at best cruise..
..reduces time in enemy territory, reduces enemy response times, adds confusion to enemy ie:'which way are they all going' ..etc.)
Timing is everything.
Spits would cover first, then Jugs, then Stangs ..successive waves of escort-sweeps ..to clear the way for the buffs
When it works, it's like watching a Juggernaut ..a storm that blasts thru to a target, obliterates it, and blasts its way home.
You can follow the progress by the smoke plumes.
Awesome fun.
-GE aka Frank
