German Fighter Tactics Against Flying Fortresses    Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence. Washington, D.C.
	THE SWOOPER Lead Squadron of Group, Any Combat Wing TACTICS DESCRIPTION In the diagram above, the single-engine aircraft makes a diving attack from 10 o'clock, high, swooping down under the squadron. Seldom is the fighter closer to the Fortress squadron than 500 yards, and in this type of attack the fighter comes down from an angle of between 30 and 40 degrees, without rolling over. The fighter pulls out of the dive when clear of the squadron. IMPORTANT: This type of diving attack can be and often is made under the high and low squadrons, as follows: (1) Under low squadron, from any position between 6 to 12 o'clock, high. (2) Under the high squadron, from any position between 12 to 3 o'clock, high. The diving attack under the lead squadron is often made from any position between 9 to 1 o'clock, high. VARIATION While in the majority of these swooping attacks the figher goes under the squadron formation, sometimes it goes over the formation. If the combat formation is bad, the fighter may dive and go through the formation, i.e., between the lead and high squadrons or, if diving from the 12 to 3 o'clock positions, between the lead and low squadrons. Almost invariably, when the fighter dives and pulls up over the formation, the pull-up is over the high squadron. TACTICS LESSON Diving attacks with deflection are what we like. The fighter is at a disadvantage. He has a hard shot and can get in only a short burst. Gunners have plenty of time to shoot him down. Click to continue		Me262 and B24 in WW2 Fighters B17s in EAW Go to Twin Engine Tail Pecker
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