Using Combat Boxes?

[DrDea]

It's most certainly worth the time and effort.
A well organized box of bombers is a tough nut to crack. During the last FSO we had a much harder time attacking the bombers of the 334th, who were flying in a close seemingly box like formation (not to familiar with this), than we did with their escorts. They shot down 10 fighters and, if I'm reading the logs correctly, only lost 5 bombers (of 30)- they were attacked by both JG2 and JG11.
By comparison, their escorts scored 4 kills and all of them were shot down.
Whoops, sorry; they had two groups of escorts. One squad had 6 pilots, 4 kills and all 6 losses: the other had 17 pilots, 10 kills, and 11 losses.

Well ya know what they say.Put a buncha monkeys in a room with typewriters..................
Thanks Bubi

[Crash Orange]

It's most certainly worth the time and effort.
A well organized box of bombers is a tough nut to crack. During the last FSO

But the MA is not FSO.

I would say less than one bomber mission in five that I've flown has faced significant fighter opposition before reaching the vicinity of the target. And as has been pointed out, once you're near the target the formation has to break up anyway to line up on different targets, something rarely done by American strategic bombers in the war. After the drop I just want to land as soon as possible, and having a fighter or two follow along to play just gives me something to do during an otherwise boring return flight.

That doesn't mean we don't stick pretty close together flying to the target, but that's not the same as forming and maintaining a box, and the goal is different (hitting the target at the same time as opposed to defensive firepower).

Anyway Lancs didn't fly combat boxes, they flew in a bomber stream - of course that was at night, but daylight raids in the MA often get less fighter opposition than night raids inthe RL war.

[Motherland]

Well ya know what they say.Put a buncha monkeys in a room with typewriters..................
Thanks Bubi

Giving credit where credit is due

But the MA is not FSO.

It works in any situation where there is resistance. You may not find resistance much in the MA but you'll certainly do a lot better when there is if you're flying boxes.

Anyway Lancs didn't fly combat boxes, they flew in a bomber stream - of course that was at night, but daylight raids in the MA often get less fighter opposition than night raids inthe RL war.

You make it sound like the Nacthjagdwaffe was not a significant fighter force. The bomber stream worked better at night, the way I understand it, because it made the bombers much more difficult to find (and then shoot down), not because the Nachtjagdwaffe was a less substantial force than it's daytime counterpart and the boxes weren't required. That's really irrelevant all together to the discussion at hand.

[moot]

It's definitely worth it and discipline is the main reason it doesn't happen often. 
There's zero cost in keeping formation on the way to the target, calibrating, and then diverging only a little apart while scoped, for the significant advantage of twice the number of guns (something like 8 50cal often enough) shooting out.  Take off together, throttle back to form up, then sync control inputs when you're not in auto pilot.  Piece of cake.

[mensa180]

When I was in the FBs I got a squad mate to fly right behind me and not calibrate, and to only drop when I drop...like they did in the war.  It worked surprisingly well.

[LLogann]

I do that too!!!!!! 

Anodizer was flying buffs on sunday..... so he could fold clothes.

As for formations.....  Fly with too many other buffs and nobody ever comes to play with me.  I only bomb to kill people with my guns.  Rather fly solo..... Makes me a little more attractive to unsuspecting fighter pilots.