Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

374 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS
Figure 10-16. Double Lead-Around or Pincer and Trail
of defensive potential. Figures 10-16 and 10-17 are examples of lead-around
and pincer attacks adapted to divisions of four fighters.
Visual Considerations in Ait Combat
One of the secrets of air fighting was to see the other man first. Seeing
airplanes from great distances was a question of experience and training, of
knowing where to look and what to look for. Experienced pilots always saw
more than the newcomers, because the latter were more concerned with
flying than fighting. . . . The novice had little idea of the situation, because
his brain was bewildered by the shock and ferocity of the fight.
Air Vice-Marshal J. E. "Johnnie" Johnson, RAF
The importance of surprise in air combat is illustrated by the fact that
about nine out of ten air-to-air victims are not aware of their imminent
danger until they are actually fired on. It stands to reason, then, that
considerable thought and planning should be devoted to achieving and
maintaining sight of the enemy in a visual air combat arena and, conversely,
to avoiding visual detection by the opponents. Some attention has
been devoted to this topic throughout this book. This section reemphasizes
some of the aforementioned techniques for maintaining and
avoiding visual contact and introduces a few others. Although they are
presented here in the context of radar intercepts, most of these considerations
and techniques are equally relevant to all phases of air combat.
The visual scan is the system used by a fighter pilot to search for and find
other aircraft. The sky can be an amazingly big place, and airplanes incredibly
small and elusive targets. A fighter pilot just cannot expect to look out
and see enemy aircraft at useful distances consistently without a great deal
of training, practice, and discipline. In addition, although bogeys are probably
the most important things he can see, the fighter pilot has other visual
responsibilities, such as keeping track of wingmen, navigating, monitoring
aircraft performance, etc. To accomplish all these tasks effectively
requires a method or scan pattern.
It is always the one you don't see that gets you.
Major Thomas B. "Tommy" McGuire, USAAF
First of all, these tasks must be made as simple as possible, so that they
can be accomplished quickly and efficiently. The spacing and arrangement