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ent direction. Jf he docs not interpret his w.uuint; rcport ,
uccuratcly, he'll lc.ul his fighters to the \lTOllg spot, or he
nLIY send IIp one sCjIl:ldron to illtercept j 00 bombers. Jf he
hils com plctclv to act on the \\'aming infonn.itiou .it hand,
there might be .mothcr I'c.ul j l.uhor SOl Il e\l here.
\\'hatl'\ er the silua t inu , if he dOL'S :1I1V of these things he
h.ul better st.ut lookillg for a good direll:diggim; spot, for h is
d:lYs as a COiltroller will he over. l\lore importn ut nn tur.illv
is the bet th.rt he cannot afford to make :111\'of thc-«: m ict.ikcs.
,,'llcre Ji\es .md m:ltcriel arc at st~lkc, he c.ur't illdlll;:;e
ill :111\'t ri.rl :1]](1error Llctic; \lith an enemy r.rid COIlling
in to wipe him out. Ccucr.illv, he'll get hut one good
crack at the el1l'IIl:' ~IShe tne:; to intercept him, The controller
has to m.ikc it ~1fir,t round knockout.
The cOlltrolkr's prohlenls arc mallY and complex, One of
his greatl"t is the "couun it mcnt of forces," In this respect
controlling is \lTV milch like a hridge g~IIlle, You've got so
much: vnur opponcnt has so much, You kno\\'-or should
know-c whut's in his hand by yom own aircraft \I':llning and
intelk;ence reports. Ho\\' von pbv the g:lme depends ent
irclv on vour knO\\lcdge of his tactics, This is where the
controller's skill comes in.
How. for invt.mcc. \vas it possible for Captain Harbour,
Plots of frJc})dh' .mcl C})C'})II' p];lIles ;Jppc:n 0)] grid t:Jbk. Controller
or intercept officcr accuratclv vcrtor s fighters to a "Tallv-Ho!"
sitting in a -:\e\v Cuiucu Ops room with only a report of
four unidentified .urcr.tf t to go on, to call the tum accurately
on a large si/,ed r.i id?
"j,'irst of all," Captn in l Lubour cxplu incd. "J can't sav the
r:lid \\':IS cnt irclv UUl'\pcctccl. \\'c h:ld /I1,t Llidccl his hlle of
R:dl:1l11 .mcl [ felt he would prob.iblv hit b.rck to S~I\T facc,
f kill'\\' he would :,trike around noon hcc.ru..c he had ah\a\'S
hit th is \H,ll-(lefc]](led sector .uouud noon before. j''ro;n
intelligence rcporh we kill'\\' hc h.ul :1 considerahle uumbcr
of clive homhcrs .md fighters av.ul.rblc, .u«] since it \I':IS c.i-.ilv
assulllcd the Lirget would hc om couccut r.i tiou of shippin~
at ()LI RI\' ~Ind BIIlI!. 1 figmcd he wouk] send all the clive
h()]llhcrs he could get off,
"J coulc] mnl«: ~I st~lh .rt the altitude bee.ruse we knew his
clivc lxnulxr, :d\\':I\s CIllle in he!lH'l'n I ;.()()() .md I ';'.()()()
teet on the bst le~ iuto thc LIr;:;et , His tT~ICk\I'~ISsilllibrh'
flgmccl hcrn u:,c .r]] Llich from Rub.ml to this Lngct C;C11l'Ll1h'
c.u uc the s.uu« \V:I\', SO. when the tcller reported the fir