Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

210 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
Figure 5-6. The Half-Split (Bogey Attacks Turning Fighter)
back toward his wingman, who continues to extend, turning only to keep
sight of the bogey. This extension "drags" the bogey out and assists the
wingman in positioning for a shot. At time "3" the attacker has closed the
range sufficiently to force the defender to break into his attack; but by this
time the free fighter has achieved a sandwich (time "4"). A barrel-roll
attack commenced at about time "3" may assist the free fighter in gaining
an offensive position.
As with the pure defensive split, the half-split forces the attacker to
commit to one fighter or the other, so that the section can clearly define
the engaged fighter and the free fighter. Separation is increased to allow
maneuvering room for the free fighter, but it is not increased so far that the
defenders are likely to lose sight of the attacker or each other. In addition,
the sandwich usually can be set more quickly with this method than with
the pure defensive split.
One other defensive tactic which deserves mention at this point was
developed by the U.S. Navy early in World War II. For some time after
America's entry into the war, the Navy found their F4F Wildcat fighters
badly overmatched by the Japanese Zero, which could both out-turn and
out-climb the Wildcat. The Wildcat's strong points, aside from a slightly
faster top speed, were better roll rate, particularly at high speeds, heavier
armor, and armament better suited to fighter-versus-fighter engagements
(most models had six .50-cal machine guns as opposed to the Zero's two
20-mm cannon and two synchronized .30-cal-class machine guns).
To survive under these conditions, the Navy adopted hit-and-run tac-