Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

228 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE
pilot with considerable time to hammer the leader before having to worry
about the second threat. Time "2" also presents an ideal escape situation
in which the attacker can reverse and dive away, out the six o'clock of both
bogeys (track to time "3").
It is well if you are against odds never to stay long after one machine.
Lt. Colonel W. A. "Billy" Bishop, RAF
Figures 5-6 and 5-7 illustrated the half-split, one of the most effective
counters offered by double attack and loose deuce doctrines against such
an attack. Figure 5-13 shows one technique the attacker can use in response
to the half-split defensive maneuver. Here the initial setup is
identical to that of Figure 5-12. Once again the attack is detected at time
"1," and the target bogey breaks into the attack. Again the attacker should
put a missile in the air at this point, since he has obviously been seen and
no longer needs to worry about the missile smoke giving away his location.
Even if it is fired for effect at this point, a weapon in the air gives the
attacker a great psychological advantage, assuming of course that his
weapons load allows such an expenditure. A target under missile attack
also is likely to dissipate much more energy in its defensive maneuver,
making it less of a threat later on.
The pilot of the southern bogey (the leader in this case], determining
that he is not immediately threatened, extends to gain separation from his
wingman. Rather than pressing for a gun pass on the original target or
breaking away toward the second bogey as in Figure 5-12, the attacker
eases into a lag position on the northern bogey while keeping an eye on the
Figure 5-13. Countering a Defensive Half-Split