In the section on the question Why do planes sometimes fly in pairs - a leader and a wingman? For example, fighters, attack aircraft, etc. specified by the author Strip the best answer is Optimal quantity. One, as they say, in the field (sky) is not a warrior, but a link - there are already many, it is extremely difficult to hold on, they interfere with each other, as a result of which they cannot cover normally. A pair is the most optimal, as mentioned above - the leader attacks, and the follower covers. This tactic found widespread use during the Second World War. In practice, it quickly became clear that the pair turned out to be stronger than the three in battle (in particular, in the example of two F-4s and three Zeros, even though the Zero was superior in maneuverability to the American).
Answer from Gennady Kashelevich[newbie]
The leader carries out the assigned task, the follower covers the leader’s tail and looks 360 degrees in all planes so that no one sneaks up unnoticed.
Answer from Prosvira[guru]
It's like the presenter is fighting.
And the slave covers his ass.
Although my opinion is that with such a paired flight it is simply easier to train beginners.
The second pilot simply repeats all the actions of the first, more experienced pilot.
(entering a combat course, hitting a target, leaving for a second approach, etc.)
Answer from Tiburon Hyundai[guru]
Fuel saving 😉 One after another flies in the air flow, less fuel is required to overcome air resistance. It’s better to send 12 pieces at once, in bulk =)
Mostly biographies of aces are always described who shot down a lot aircraft , they are recognized with awards and other honors. And it's absolutely deserved. But in this article I want to talk about slaves using the example of the biography of Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko , which provided reliable rear support during World War II leading . They always remained in the shadows, their achievements looked dim in comparison with the main striking force, but were no less important.
The main task slaves - prevent attacks leading to the rear hemisphere. Only very experienced pilots could slaves knock down often aircraft .
The beginning of the biography of Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko no different from ordinary people. Born in 1923, after graduating from school he entered the Transport Institute.
But in 1940 his life changed dramatically. Sergei enters the flying club of the Dzerzhinsky district. After graduation, he enters the Borisoglebsk Flight School, after which Kramarenko serves in the Arzamas reserve regiment.
In June 1942, he was transferred to the 525th Fighter Regiment of the 1st Air Army, where Sergei Makarovich carried out 76 combat missions. Already an experienced pilot in July 1943 was sent to 
19th Red Banner Fighter Regiment, which was only at the formation stage and was created specifically for ace hunters on the initiative of Marshal Novikov. There he undergoes very serious training for six months at the Chkalovsky airfield, near Moscow.
And in January of the following year, under the command of Shestakov, they flew to the First Ukrainian Front. The flights were carried out on airplanes La-5FN. March 19, during the attack on the German aircraft Ju-88 Kramarenko plane was shot down. He managed to leave it, but the pilot's clothes caught fire, one leg was pierced by shrapnel, which is why the entire load of the landing fell on the other leg. It later turned out that it was broken.
The Nazis picked up Sergei Makarovich. It remained unknown what they wanted from him, because they decided not to shoot Kramarenko , and put in a hospital. Most likely, to find out the data. For six days the pilot was on the verge of death. But one day I woke up and heard shots, and people in painfully familiar Soviet uniforms burst into the hospital. To celebrate, they poured the pilot a mug of vodka, which made him lose consciousness again, because he had eaten practically nothing.
The treatment in the hospital was of such “quality” that Kramarenko suffered complications such as pneumonia and typhus. Only at the end of May he managed to get to his feet. When Marshal Novikov heard that the ace was alive, he immediately sent him to the Central Aviation Hospital in Moscow, where Sergei Makarovich was treated all summer.
Receives direction again to the 1st Ukrainian Front. But his native regiment is already in Belarus. At the Tushino airfield, he persuades the crew by hook or by crook airplane DB-3, which was flying to Belarus, take it with you. So he flew to his native regiment in a bomb bay.
At first the regiment commander did not know how to react in such an unprecedented situation. But the aces were very much valued, so Sergei Makarovich managed to sort everything out Kramarenko was added slave Major Kumanichkin.
He took an active part in the Vistula-Wider operation. I especially remember how six of our aircraft attacked 32 Focke-Wulf FW 190s and shot down 16 of them! Here are the names of the heroes, divided in pairs leading - slave : Kozhedub - Gramokovsky, Orlov - Stetsenko, Kumanichkin - and the hero of our article Kramarenko .
Under cover Kramarenko Kumanichkin shot down 12 aircraft , Kozhedub - 1. And although Sergei Makarovich shot down only one during the Great Patriotic War airplane , his presenters They felt behind him like behind a stone wall.
And even the youngest pilot had invaluable practice, since constantly monitoring the safety of another airplane taught how to quickly navigate in three-dimensional space, which Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko was very useful later in Korea, where he shot down 13 aircraft , haven't lost a single one slave , and this is not despite the fact that the battles were fought at an altitude of up to 13 km, and not the usual 1-4 km.
Literature:
1. Aviation and astronautics. "Friends fellow soldiers", Alexander Shcherbakov.
2. Sergey Kramarenko . Against the Messers and Sabers in the skies of two wars.
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§ 141. The pair is a firing unit and forms the basis for constructing combat formations in fighter aircraft and organizing interaction in group air combat.
The striking power of the pair is sufficient to destroy single enemy aircraft. In a favorable tactical situation, the pair can successfully fight small groups and suddenly attack large groups of enemy aircraft.
§ 142. Para-indivisible. Returning partners from a combat flight one by one is a crime. The separation of the follower from the leader and the desire to act independently puts the leader and the follower in a dangerous position and, as a rule, leads to death. When performing a maneuver, the leader must take into account the capabilities of the follower; the wingman must always have a reserve of speed, which ensures the ability to maintain his place in the battle formation.
§ 143. The success of a pair’s fight depends on the teamwork of the pair, the presence of continuous effective fire interaction, mutual understanding and trust.
§ 144. High military and flight discipline, a sense of responsibility for a comrade in battle, mutual assistance up to self-sacrifice are factors that ensure the success of actions as part of a pair.
§ 145. Teamwork in a pair must be practiced so much that the pilots, without giving each other signals or commands, could understand the evolution of their partner’s aircraft and construct the correct maneuver.
§ 146. The harmony of the pair is ensured by the constancy and voluntariness of its selection. An unattached pair is not capable of successfully performing combat missions.
§ 147. High tactical literacy, knowledge of the tactics of one’s fighters and enemy aircraft is a necessary condition for victory. Each new variant (technique) of air combat must be carefully studied on the ground, practiced in the air and imposed on the enemy unexpectedly.
§ 148. The pair performs all flights on combat missions in combat formations.
The order of battle is the arrangement of aircraft in groups and the relative placement of groups in the air, determined by the instructions of the commander.
§ 149. The pair’s order of battle must meet the following requirements:
Be flexible in control and easy to save in battle;
To divert a minimum of pilots' attention from monitoring the air and searching for the enemy;
Allow free maneuver in the horizontal and vertical plane;
Ensure fire interaction between aircraft.
§ 150. The pair carries out combat missions in the “Front” and “Bearing” combat formations (see Fig. No. 20).
Battle formation “Front” (right, left):
Interval 150-200 m;
Distance 10-50 m.
Airplanes fly at the same altitude or with a slight excess of the wingman (5–50 m).
§ 151. The “front” combat formation provides the most complete overview of the airspace in pairs and is used when following to carry out combat missions and when attacking large groups of enemy aircraft, when the threat of attack from enemy fighters is excluded.
§ 152. Combat formation “bearing” (right and left):
interval 25-100 m;
distance 150-200 m.
The "Peleng" combat formation is used before an attack (battle) upon a signal from the commander of the pair. The side of the bearing is determined based on the size of the target, its location, the probable maneuver of the enemy, the direction of attack and exit from it. During the attack, the wingman, based on the current situation, can independently change the direction of the bearing.
§ 153. The combat formations of a pair make it possible, without disturbing them, to change the direction of flight by 90 and 180° in a minimum time equal to the turn of a single aircraft. When the leader of the pair changes direction, the follower, following the shortest path, cuts corners and moves to the other side.
§ 154. A turn in 90s is performed using the command “left (right) march.” When turning towards the follower, the leader makes a turn with some height gain; the follower passes under the leader. When the follower is at the level of the leader, he makes a roll towards the turn and, with a climb, takes his place on the other side.
When turning towards the leader, the follower cuts the corner and, due to the greater roll, takes his place.
§ 155. A 180° turn is made on the command “left (right) in a circle march - according to the “all of a sudden” principle; Each of the pilots independently turns in the same direction, according to the command. As a result of the turn, the follower will be on the other side of the leader (see Fig. No. 21).
§ 156. The pair attacks simultaneously or sequentially, covering each other. The actions of the follower should always be dictated by the behavior of the leader. An independent attack by a follower is possible only in cases where delay threatens the danger of an attack from the enemy.
§ 157. A simultaneous bunk attack of a single bomber of the Xe-111 and Yu-88 type from behind from above at an angle of 1/4-2/4 from different directions in the rear top gunner’s sector is the most effective and ends, as a rule, in the destruction of the enemy. It is better to carry out an attack with an elevation of 600-800 m; Start the transition to a dive when sighting the enemy at an angle of 45° with an initial angle of up to 60°.
At the moment the leader goes into attack, the follower, increasing the distance to 100 m, simultaneously goes into attack from the other side. It is more advantageous to exit the attack by slipping one under the bomber and the other above the bomber in the opposite direction of the attack, to separate from the enemy beyond the limits of his actual fire, followed by a maneuver with a climb to take the starting position for a second attack. (See Fig. No. 22).
The attack is used when there is no threat from enemy fighters.
Positive aspects of the attack:
Ability to fire at extremely close ranges;
Large affected area;
The shooter's fire is dispersed, one of the attackers is beyond fire resistance;
The ability to quickly repeat an attack.
The disadvantages of the attack are:
Difficulty getting out of an attack;
Presence of fire countermeasures.
§ 158. Sequential attack of a single bomber by one under cover the other is used when there is a threat from enemy fighters or when there is uncertainty about their absence. When the leader goes on the attack, the follower, remaining at the same altitude of 400-600 m, intensively monitors the air, follows the leader, being in a position that provides the possibility of repelling an attack on the leader and the possibility of going on the attack if the enemy is not destroyed.
The leader, having left the attack, takes the position of the follower and covers his attack. (See Fig. No. 23).
Exit from the attack must be done by jumping up to the opposite side of the attack, breaking away from the enemy and then turning towards the enemy. The order of the attack is the same as when a single fighter attacks a single bomber.
§ 159. Simultaneous attack by a pair of enemy fighters from behind from above at an angle of 0/4-1/4 it can be if there is superiority over the enemy and there is no immediate threat from enemy fighters.
If a pair of enemy fighters are in the left bearing at the time of the attack, then it is more convenient to attack with the right bearing. (See Fig. No. 24).
The order of the attack is the same as when attacking with a single fighter. The quality of the attack, its advantages and disadvantages are the same as when attacking with a single fighter.
§ 160. Sequential attack by one of a pair of enemy fighters under the cover of another used in cases where there is a need for cover associated with the threat of an attack, or when the enemy, as a result of an attack, may find himself in a more advantageous position to strike back. (See Fig. No. 25).
The order of the attack is the same as when attacking a single fighter from behind from above.
§ 161. Simultaneous attack by a pair of enemy fighters from behind from below after a dive used in the same cases as an attack from behind from above. (See Fig. No. 26).
The starting position, the order of execution, its positive aspects and disadvantages are the same as when attacking a single fighter.
§ 162. Attack by a pair from one direction of a flight (small group) of bombers from behind from above from the side from a 2/4 angle, firing at one or two enemy aircraft is carried out at an altitude of 800-1000 m; entering a dive with an initial angle of up to 60° at the moment of sighting the enemy at an angle of 30°.
The commander of the pair, turning towards the enemy, launches an attack on the leading (wingman), the wingman, increasing the distance to 100 m, launches an attack on the closest wingman or leading enemy aircraft (See Fig. No. 27).
Exiting the attack must be done by jumping over the enemy in the direction opposite to the attack, breaking away, followed by an upward maneuver to take the starting position for a second attack.
§ 163. The commander of a pair, who has decided to attack a numerically superior enemy group, must achieve tactical advantages over the enemy: surprise and superiority; the attack must be carried out quickly, taking into account the possibility of its rapid repetition or separation from the enemy.
Air combat with fighters
Combat properties of German fighters and features of combat with them. Fight with Me-109F and Me-109G fighters
The main type of fighter of the German Air Force is the Me-109 aircraft. Of the various variants of this aircraft, by the beginning of 1943 only two were in service: Me-109F and Me-109G (the German designation of the latter is Me-109G-2). Let's analyze their flight data obtained by testing captured aircraft. The maximum speed of the Me-109F at the ground is 510 km/h, at an altitude of 3000 m - 559 km/h, above 3000 m the speed of the Me-109F begins to fall. The maximum speed of the Me-109F is approximately equal to the speed of an aircraft such as the Yak-1 fighter, and is inferior to its speed at altitudes above 3000 m. The maximum speed of the Me-109G fighter is:
| Me 109G speeds at altitudes | |||
| At an altitude of m | speed km/h | At an altitude of m | speed km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the ground | 505 | ||
| 1000 | 535 | 6000 | 621 |
| 2000 | 564 | 7000 | 650 |
| 3000 | 586 | 8000 | 643 |
| 4000 | 592 | 9000 | 630 |
| 5000 | 593 | 10000 | 503 |
At altitudes above 5000 m, the Me-109G fighter has superior speed over most of our fighter aircraft and is inferior only to the latest types.
It follows from this that in battle it is necessary to minimize this advantage of the enemy. With regard to speed, this must be done in two ways, and the first of them is a cultural attitude towards your car.
In one unit, several pilots complained that their “yaks” did not provide the required maximum speed. When their vehicles were checked, it turned out that due to incorrect alignment of the propellers, the engine did not give the required speed, the landing flaps in the retracted position had a gap of several millimeters with the trailing edge of the wing, the hatch covers and landing gear fairings were poorly fitted and bulged in the air, camouflage the painting of the aircraft was uneven, with tubercles, in addition, the pilots opened the outlet of the water radiator tunnel too much, the pilot's canopy in the air opened and closed with difficulty, as a result of which the pilots did not close the canopy in the air, etc. When all these shortcomings were eliminated , it turned out that the planes not only achieved the required maximum speed, but even exceeded it. Thus, careless attitude towards your aircraft can artificially reduce its maximum speed.
The second way to reduce the enemy's advantages to zero is the correct Tactics of our fighters. The lack of speed, as has been said many times, is compensated by the advantage in height and the ability to increase speed by diving. Being higher than the enemy is one of the most important rules of air combat with fighters. German Me-109 fighters, when meeting even fighters that are clearly inferior in speed (for example, Hurricanes), but located above them, are very reluctant to engage in battle, since they know that speed does not save them from an attack from above.
In addition, you need to keep in mind that the Me-109 fighter can achieve the above maximum speed in horizontal flight only for a very short time (1-2 minutes), after which the liquid in the engine cooling system boils. And this leads to the fact that if a German Me-109 fighter meets our Yak-1 or La-5, which are located with a significant excess over it, then it cannot escape from them due to speed. Therefore, German pilots also try to start the battle from above, and their attacks in the overwhelming majority come down to a short attack from above, leaving after the attack with a steep “slide” upward.
Rate of climb. The Me-109F fighter reaches an altitude of 5000 m in 5.4 minutes. When comparing these data with the data of the Yak-1 fighter, it is clear that the Me-109F fighter has a better rate of climb to an altitude of 3000-3500 m, and the Me-109G fighter, which has a higher altitude engine, is even higher. New types of our fighters have a climb rate better than the Me-109G, up to an altitude of 4000 m, and some types - at all altitudes.
The rate of climb, as well as the speed, is very dependent on the excess. If the fighter is at the top, then after a dive attack it can give a huge rate of climb for a short period and go up an extremely steep “slide”.
This, by the way, creates a misconception among some pilots about the actual data of the German Me-109 fighter. A pilot, seeing an Me-109 rushing past him at high speed and flying upward, sometimes does not take into account that all this is achieved not so much due to the qualities of the aircraft, but due to tactics, due to the advantage in altitude, which gives for a short period a sharp increase in speed and rate of climb. Under the influence of personal impression, such a pilot often attributes non-existent, imaginary advantages to the Me-109 - fabulous speed and rate of climb.
The combat experience of many pilots has shown that the Yak-1, La-5, LAGG-3, Kittyhawk, Azrocobra, Hurricane and the like fighters, fighting Me-109 aircraft at an altitude of several hundred meters, are excellent deal with them. At Stalingrad in the fall of 1942, even Chaikas were excellent at shooting down Me-109Gs. The battle is decided by the correct tactics, in particular the ability to take an advantageous position from above for battle.
Maneuverability. The Me-109 fighter's horizontal maneuverability is low. Controlled by an experienced pilot, it makes a turn in 20-21 seconds, but it is difficult to perform steep turns on it - the plane easily buries itself in a turn, and therefore a steep turn on the Me-109 is rarely seen.
German pilots do not fight on turns, because they know that those who take a turn lose the initiative in battle, giving it to the one who fights on a vertical maneuver. Initiative, as has already been said, is of great importance for air combat, so the transition to combat with maneuver in the horizontal plane cannot be recommended for our pilots either.
If for some reason a battle on turns does break out, then it is more advisable to carry it out on the right turns, since most of our cars make the right turn better than the left, and many German pilots, especially young ones, do not know how to make good right turns. Every fighter pilot must master the technique of performing a right turn. You should avoid moving from one turn to another if there is an enemy behind you, because at the moment of changing into another turn the plane is a very convenient target.
The Me-109 fighter dives well, quickly picks up speed and easily breaks away from our fighters during the dive. In most cases, chasing a diving Me-109 is unprofitable; it is better to stay at the top (lowering the nose of your plane only enough so as not to lose sight of the enemy) and attack the Me-109 after it comes out of the dive.
The Me-109 fighter has a large aircraft draft when recovering from a dive. A steep dive with a low altitude recovery is difficult for the Me-109 fighter. Changing direction during a dive and generally during an attack at high speed is also difficult for the Me-109 fighter; if the attack requires making a significant turn, then the Me-109 stops the attack and goes up in order to repeat the attack again. This feature of the Me-109 is used in combat by some types of our fighters.
Armament. The Me-109F fighter is equipped with two machine guns and one cannon, and the Me-109G fighter has three cannons and two machine guns, all for firing only forward. The amount of ammunition on the Me-109F fighter is 500 rounds per machine gun and 200 rounds per cannon, on the Me-109G fighter - 500 rounds per machine gun and 200 rounds on the central cannon and 140 rounds on the wing guns.
In a battle with a bomber, the gunner is prevented from approaching close range, but in a battle with an Me-109 fighter, the attacker’s fire does not prevent him from getting closer. Of course, it is best to open fire on an enemy fighter only from the shortest ranges, but this is only possible if the enemy does not see the attacker and gives him the opportunity to get closer.
The faster the approach is made, the less likely it is that the attacker will be noticed. Hence the attacker’s desire to approach the intended target as quickly as possible.
During a battle, the enemy can come under fire at a wide variety of ranges and from any angle. This means that the fighter must be in a position for open fire from behind from a short range, but if this fails, he must be able to fire from a greater distance.
If an attacking fighter is spotted, then, of course, the attacked will not wait until it is shot down, but will try to get out of the fire by some maneuver. But no matter what maneuver he uses, he will not be able to immediately give his plane a large angular movement - at this moment our fighter will still have the opportunity to hit the enemy plane and we must not miss the opportunity to fire a burst at the enemy plane.
When attacking from the front hemisphere against a Me-109 fighter (especially the Me-109G), one should take into account its strong forward fire. Attacks along the longitudinal axis from above the front can be carried out without opposition only in a steep dive, but they provide too little probability of hitting the enemy. A shallow dive directly in front gives the enemy the opportunity to lift the nose of the aircraft and meet the attack with fire. Considering that it will take the enemy more time to change direction in the horizontal plane than to change direction in the vertical plane, it is much better to conduct a front attack from the side at an angle of 1/4-2/4 from a gentle dive.
Using PCs against fighters is possible, but accurate shooting can only be achieved during the first attack, and then only under the condition of a covert approach to the enemy. Subsequently, combat with fighters takes on such a fleeting and changeable character that PC shooting, which requires precise adherence to the firing range and proceeds from the assumption that the target is inactive, gives little hope of getting a hit. In addition, PCs have significant weight and drag and, therefore, degrade the flight characteristics of the fighter. It makes sense to use PCs on I-16 and I-153 fighters, but they should be fired not one or two at a time (as with bombers), but in salvoes of four projectiles with different tube deceleration settings (at intervals of 0.2 or 0. 4 seconds).
Ramming an enemy fighter is possible. This is evidenced by the fact that one Me-109 was rammed on July 4, 1942 by Lieutenant Potapov. But such examples are still the exception.
Location of vulnerable spots and reservation of the Me-109. The weak points of the Me-109 fighter - the engine, the pilot and the gas tanks - are located close to each other in the front of the fuselage. The entire front half of the fuselage can be considered a weak spot. The only weak points in the wings are the water radiators. The area that these places occupy is significantly less than the area of the bomber's vulnerable spots, so the range of actual fire on a fighter should be considered for a 20 mm cannon and a 12.7 mm machine gun to be no more than 300 m. The normal firing range, providing a good probability of a hit, is - no more than 100 m. When firing from an angle greater than 0/4, the area of vulnerable spots increases, but not as much as that of a bomber.
The armor of the Me-109F fighter is shown in the figure. Against armor-piercing shells and large-caliber armor-piercing bullets, armor is practically ineffective and can be ignored.
The armor of the Me-109G fighter is no different from that of the Me-109F, except that behind the gas tank there is a solid 18 mm thick partition made of several layers of duralumin designed to remove the incendiary composition from incendiary bullets. This partition cannot be considered armor, since bullets pass through it freely. In addition, during testing it was discovered that the partition does not achieve its goal and, on the contrary, only improves the effect of incendiary bullets.
The thickness of the Me-109G cockpit armor is as follows:
Headband 9.4 mm
Back 4.4 mm
Seat 8.0mm
The armor protects the pilot from attacks directly from above (from the rear hemisphere) to a dive angle of 45°, from below to an angle of >5°. The pilot is poorly protected from attacks from the rear; already at a side angle of 0°, the armor only partially covers the pilot. The armor of the Le-109G fighter is penetrated by a medium-caliber armor-piercing bullet from a range of 100 m and by a large-caliber armor-piercing bullet (12.7 mm) from a range of up to 400 m. Transparent armor on the pilot's visor protects only from medium-caliber bullets, bullets from a 12.7 mm machine gun they break through it.
The gas tank of the Me-109F fighter holds fuel for a flight lasting up to two hours, the gas tank of the Me-109G fighter can hold fuel for one hour when flying at economic speed. At maximum speed and in combat, fuel is consumed very quickly - in a combat flight, the fuel on the Me-109G fighter runs out in 40-45 minutes. The protector on the gas tank covers up to 20 bullet holes of medium caliber and 5-6 holes of 12.7 mm caliber. An incendiary bullet hitting the space above the fuel level ignites gasoline vapors and ruptures the tank. The frost resistance of the tread turned out to be poor: in frosty weather the tread freezes, crumbles and does not heal bullet holes.
Visibility is the weak point of the Me-109 fighter. It is not without reason that this aircraft is considered the most “blind” of all types of fighters. The cockpit of the Me-109 fighter is narrow, the canopy does not open in flight, and the armored headrest takes up a very large space at the rear. The most difficult part for the Me-109 pilot is to look straight back and back down. The Me-109 pilot cannot see the enemy who has entered the tail.
The tactics of German fighter pilots are based on the properties of the aircraft. Poor visibility from the Me-109 aircraft forces the Germans, in order to better view the space from behind, to use wide battle formations, in which from one flank it would be possible to see what is happening behind the other flank.
The Germans try to make attacks from above, short, with a steep climb upward, usually ending the “slide” with a bend or a turn of 90-180° to see the air.
In 1941, Me-109 fighters avoided battles at high altitude and tried to delay the battle to the most advantageous altitude for them - 1500-2500 m. In 1942, the Me-109G fighter, equipped with an engine with increased altitude, entered service with the German Air Force (7000 m), which increased the number of battles at high altitude. Fights with the Me-109G fighter began to be observed at altitudes of up to 8000 m. If, in addition, we take into account that both belligerents well understood the meaning of superiority in battle and strive to be at least part of their forces above the enemy, then this gives us the right to assume that the battles between fighters at high altitude will occur more often than in 1942. Hence the conclusions for fighter pilots: you need to constantly and on any flight be prepared for combat at high altitude; have open oxygen cylinders and a fitted oxygen mask, weapons constantly ready for battle, etc.
In addition, it is necessary to speed up the training of young pilots for high-altitude combat.
The Germans use the Me-109G fighter for “hunter” operations, which usually operate in pairs against individual aircraft and block front-line airfields with attacks on aircraft taking off or landing.
When attacked by our fighter, the attacked Me-109 tries to get out of the attack by sliding, turning, diving, “slide”, sometimes by turning over or some other maneuver. At the same time, one or more other aircraft from the group turn towards the attacker in order to attack him themselves, which usually can only be done in pursuit after our fighter leaves the attack. To prevent this maneuver, it was necessary to introduce cover for the attacker.
An attack by a pair is carried out in a combat formation of bearing, the distance between the aircraft before the attack increases to 300-100 m at an interval of 20-50 m. During an attack from behind, the wingman, after the leader dives, also dives after his commander (otherwise he will lose him), but dives not cool enough to stay above the leader; output starts simultaneously.
Such an attack requires good alignment of the bunk, which is achieved by constancy of the pair and training. It is impossible to carry out an attack from a short distance within a pair, since in this case the follower does not have the opportunity to repel the enemy’s attack on the leader.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the view of the Me-109 fighter, we can assume that for the purposes of secrecy it is advantageous to attack from behind from below or from behind at approximately the same height. However, how to catch up with the Me-109 in such an attack and how to get out of it, and whether such an attack does not contradict the requirement to maintain superiority, which would seem to dictate the need to carry out attacks from behind from above, is shown in the figure. An attack from behind from above makes it possible to maintain your superiority, but it is inconvenient because there is little time for aiming and firing, the aiming point has to be placed significantly in front and, as a result, the attacker’s fire will not be particularly accurate. In addition, to attack, you need to get quite close to the enemy aircraft and approach and attack in a direction that is more or less clearly visible to the enemy, which does not ensure a smooth attack.
An attack from behind at approximately the same height does not have these disadvantages. It provides secrecy, gives enough time for aiming and does not require moving the aiming point, which simplifies the conditions for firing and therefore makes the fire more accurate. Is it possible to somehow combine the advantages of both types of attacks described above? It turns out that to a certain extent it is possible if you perform the attack as shown in the figure.
This attack is called an attack from behind after a dive. It combines the advantages of attacks from above from behind and from behind at the same height. Its main and, perhaps, only disadvantage is the difficulty of the technique. If the dive is carried out too far from the enemy aircraft, then by the time the Me-109 fighter catches up, the speed of the attacking aircraft will be extinguished and a good “slide” for going up will not be made. If the transition from a dive to a horizontal flight is made too close to the enemy aircraft, then the pilot of the attacking aircraft, barely having time to take aim, will be forced to abandon the attack. Exiting the attack too late leads to the fact that the attacker can jump forward and expose the tail of his aircraft to the enemy. Exiting the attack too early means missing the enemy.
Your plane will not always be in a position where an attack from behind after a dive is possible. An attack from above is better in this regard, since it does not impose such strict requirements on the moment of its initiation. Therefore, you need to be able to do both types of these attacks: an attack from above and an attack from behind after a dive. These attacks, especially the attack from behind after a dive, require special training for the pilot. To determine the moment of transition to a dive, you have to take into account the magnitude of your excess (if the excess is large, you can start diving earlier) and the enemy’s speed (the greater the enemy’s speed, the closer to the enemy you need to start diving). To correctly exit an attack, you need to take into account the speed of your aircraft and the enemy aircraft. All this obliges air unit commanders to provide pilots with good training in performing the described attacks, since otherwise such attacks will be of little use.
What can the enemy counter to such attacks? Most likely, such an attack will be noticed before the attacked by one of the pilots, located on the other flank of the battle formation and observing the space behind the attacked aircraft. This pilot will obviously try to prevent the attack. To paralyze opposition, the following technique is recommended: a simultaneous attack on both flanks of the enemy’s battle formation. In this case, the following situation may arise: the right-flank and left-flank Me-109 fighter, each individually, will see a threat to their colleague, but will not see the danger hanging over themselves, which, of course, will only benefit the attackers. Enemy pilots can, of course, warn each other about the danger by radio, but this will take some time, although measured in seconds, but the expenditure of seconds in an air battle often decides the outcome of the battle.
To make it difficult for the enemy to counter, an attack from above or from behind after a dive should be carried out against the rear aircraft. If enemy planes are echeloned in altitude, then the top planes must be destroyed first.
Attacks from above and from behind after a dive are not the only possible types of attacks used by fighters in air combat. In combat, attacks are possible from the most seemingly incredible positions, for example, from an upside-down position at an enemy caught from a 4/4 angle. The fighter pilot must be prepared to carry out all sorts of attacks, but nevertheless he must try, if possible the opportunity to carry out attacks, especially the first one, exactly as described above.
Above, we mainly considered only the beginning of the battle, only the first attack. It is impossible to predict how the battle will develop in the future, what situations may arise and how to act in these situations.
The given descriptions of many battles serve as a clear illustration of the complexity and variety of battles and the impossibility of any textbook to provide for all possible situations and say what should be done in each of them. A pilot's actions in air combat are based on his intelligence. We can only give general rules that should be followed in air combat. Some of them have already been listed (“stay above the enemy”, “try to attack from behind after diving”). Here it remains to add the following. We oppose enemy tactics as one of the most important rules of combat - our cohesion, mutual support, complete subordination of the interests of an individual pilot to the interests of the entire group.
Fighters must strictly adhere to the order of battle established by the group commander, not chase individuals, and not break away from the group. Crews attacked by the enemy are obliged to structure their maneuver in such a way as not to leave the group, but, on the contrary, to bring the enemy under fire from their comrades. If for some reason part of the group breaks away and some aircraft find themselves alone, you must join the group at all costs. In this case, the follower does not necessarily have to look for the leader whom he followed before the start of the battle. You have to fit in with the first plane you come across, as long as the plane is your own, as long as the group is together.
First of all, the enemy aircraft that threatens a comrade must be attacked. Every fighter pilot in battle may experience the following situation: he finds himself in an advantageous position in relation to some enemy aircraft and is sure that in a few seconds he will shoot it down, but at that time he notices that behind his comrade’s plane, in his tail , another enemy fighter comes in and is also about to shoot down our fighter. What to do in this case? Should you shoot down the enemy, who finds himself in a position convenient for attack, and leave your comrade in danger, or should you abandon the sure prey and help out your neighbor? If we take into account the moral significance of comradely support for faith in our comrade in battle and take into account the high value for us of the life and safety of our own, Soviet pilot, the pilot must unconditionally follow the rule that has become an immutable law of air combat: give up everything, but help out your comrade, attack first of all and without any delay of one who is dangerous to his neighbor.
To comply with this rule, you must comply with the following:
a) continuously monitor the situation; even during an attack, you need to watch and know what is happening around you, and not watch the enemy plane that is being attacked;
b) do not break away from the group; pursue enemy aircraft leaving the battle only at the command of the commander;
c) all aircraft in the group must have well-established radio communications with each other, observe radio discipline in combat, and make all commands and reports short and clear;
d) the commander of the group conducting the battle must, before others, notice a threat to one of his pilots and organize counteraction to the threat with the help of other aircraft or his own attack; in order to be able to observe the battle, the commander does not get involved in any pursuit or protracted battle, but tries to use only short attacks with an upward exit.
The enemy fighter must be monitored not only by the fighters themselves, but also from the ground to warn the fighters by radio about the approach of the enemy. To guarantee against a surprise attack by the enemy, fighters assign a cover group, which is located on top. It is also used for short attacks in areas where the situation is not in our favor, or in areas that decide the outcome of the battle. Thus, the cover group performs two tasks - reserve and security.
Fighter forces should not be scattered. If fighters fly in small groups, then they must be united by flexible control that connects all groups into one whole. This requires well-organized, absolutely reliable radio communication between groups in the air, and communication between fighters and the ground.
During the battle, tactical mistakes are possible on both sides. Sometimes the enemy in battle himself comes under fire from our planes, there is nothing to be amazed at, but we must skillfully take advantage of each such opportunity and shoot down the enemy who made a mistake. The mistakes of young enemy pilots will be especially frequent, so at the very beginning of the battle you can feel who you are dealing with - an experienced pilot or a young one.
You must not only take advantage of your opponent’s mistakes, but also make them as little as possible yourself. Necessary conditions for this:
a) good tactical training of pilots, which is achieved not only through lectures and reading textbooks, but mainly by analyzing the battles and replaying the actions of fighters in various positions of air combat;
b) continuous, well-organized air surveillance during the battle;
c) correct control of the battle on the part of the commander.
From the above it is clear how great the importance of the commander is for the outcome of the battle. The commander must be protected and protected in every possible way, and the commander himself must not flaunt his courage, not unnecessarily get involved in battle, abandoning control of his subordinates for this time. This especially applies to the squadron commander and regiment commander, whose task is not to increase the count of enemy aircraft shot down by them personally, but to control the battle of their subordinates and increase the count of enemy airplanes shot down by the squadron or regiment.
The commander who, in pursuit of an extra star on the fuselage of his plane, leaves his subordinates without control, to the mercy of fate, acts badly. The commander of a squadron or regiment will sometimes, of course, have to carry out attacks himself, but this should be done in such a way that after the attack he can again take control of the battle into his own hands as quickly as possible.
It is also necessary to take into account the role of the commander and the enemy; in battle, notice the aircraft on which the commander is located (this will most often be the leader of the lower or covering group), try to destroy it first and, perhaps, even allocate a special part of the forces to destroy it or at least not give him the opportunity to control the battle.
Where should you turn during a fight? The battle cannot take place in one vertical plane; the battle will have to unfold, and it doesn’t matter where.
The armor is made of individual plates with a thickness of 5 to 10 mm; the location of the armor is shown in the figure. The crew is not protected from attacks from the front from the side and from the front from above. When an Me-110 aircraft is attacked from behind, the armor does not protect it from armor-piercing shells and armor-piercing 12.7 mm bullets.
The peculiarity of the Me-110 fighter's armament makes it most convenient to attack it from behind or from the front side. The technique for carrying out these attacks is basically the same as for the Yu-87 bomber, which has similar weapons for firing at the rear hemisphere, and on the Me-110 fighter the rear firing is more limited than on the Yu-87 bomber. When attacking a Me-110 fighter from behind, you cannot jump ahead of it, since in this case the attacker exposes his plane to the fire of the enemy’s front cannons and machine guns. The exit from the attack should be done downward, without overtaking the Me-110. The forward fire from the Me-110 is quite strong, and attacking it directly head-on is not recommended.
The Me-110 aircraft dives well, so German pilots flying the Me-110 often use dives to avoid our fighters in a low-level flight in order to use the ground to cover the most vulnerable direction from attacks from behind from below. Against a Me-110 aircraft flying at low level, the same combat techniques are used as when fighting bombers - attacks in pairs on the gunner and then on the engines.
A group of Me-110 fighters, in terms of their armament, has the same qualities as a group of bombers. The tactics of fighters fighting the Me-110 must also be appropriate. However, it should be borne in mind that Me-110 fighters cannot, like bombers, rely only on the fire of their shooters, so they will try to turn around to attack with their front weapons. But since the maneuverability of the Me-110 aircraft, its speed and rate of climb are low, our fighters can always escape from the attacks of the Me-110. Care must be done upwards. You cannot be lower and ahead of the Me-110. After attacking from behind and from below, going down, you need to move to the side and quickly gain altitude again.
Me-110 fighters, in a difficult position for them, often form a “defensive circle”, and attacks in this circle from above from the inside are difficult due to gunfire. RSs work well against the “defensive circle” of the Me-110. The following technique is also used: our fighters go to the side and immediately return in order to catch the enemy while leaving the “circle”, when the Me-110s will be stretched out in a chain and the rear aircraft will be in a very advantageous position for them.
conclusions
1. The outcome of the battle is decided not so much by the qualities of the aircraft, but by the ability to use them, i.e. tactics. At the same time, the fighter pilot must be able to get from the aircraft the maximum rate of climb, maximum flight speed, maximum climb on the “hill” and minimum turn time.
2. A fighter is not suitable for passive defense, so you must always act first, achieve surprise, at least the first attack, and retain freedom of action.
3. Correctly build a battle formation, echeloning it in height. It is necessary to allocate a cover group, using it as security and reserve.
When combining several types of aircraft in one combat formation, high-speed aircraft should be higher in altitude separation, and maneuverable aircraft should be lower.
4. Superiority in combat increases speed and rate of climb and thereby ensures freedom of action and initiative for fighters.
To be higher than your opponent, you must:
Correctly echelon the battle formation in height;
Figures associated with loss of height should be used only as a last resort;
Use every second in battle to gain additional height;
Before the fight, maintain the required speed.
If an unexpected meeting with enemy fighters with a height advantage on their side is possible, you should maintain a higher speed. Near the front, when flying well below cloud cover, you need to maintain a speed close to maximum; in other cases, you should not waste fuel and overstrain the engine by walking at high speed.
5. Continuously monitor the air. Having noticed planes in the air, you must first determine whether they are your own or someone else's. While the planes are not identified, build your maneuver as if meeting an enemy. If it turns out that enemy fighters have been encountered, you need to:
Determine the type of aircraft and their number; look around to see if there are any other enemy aircraft in the air;
Quickly assess the situation and make a decision;
Notice the area where the battle began;
Don't forget to set the screw to a small pitch;
If there is time, report to the ground about the meeting with the enemy (type and quantity, where, at what altitude and what he is doing).
6. Try to make attacks (especially the first one) from behind after a dive. When performing an attack, take into account the excess and speed - yours and the enemy's. Try to approach the enemy unnoticed and quickly in order to open fire at point blank range. If the position for attacking from behind after a dive is awkward, attack from behind from above.
7. The fighter must always be ready to attack from any position. First of all, you need to attack the one who threatens your comrade, who is behind or above, and the flanks of the enemy group.
8. The battle must be fought with short, swift attacks, without allowing the enemy to pin you down. Repeat attacks quickly one after another with skillful camouflage by the sun and clouds. Don't let the enemy come to his senses.
9. When attacking as a pair, the leader - the commander of the pair - must fire and shoot down the intended enemy; the wingman covers his commander and attacks only the one who threatens the commander. Before the attack, open up to a distance of 300-400 m and an interval of 20-50 m.
10. Do not get involved in battle on turns, so as not to lose the initiative. If a fight does occur on turns, try to fight it on the right turns. Do not move from one turn to another when there is an enemy behind you, ready to attack.
11. Do not chase a diving aircraft, it is better to stay at the top and hit the enemy from above after he comes out of the dive or at the top of the “slide” if the enemy ends up coming out of the dive “slide”.
12. Continuously monitor the situation. Even during your attack, know what is happening around you. Notice when the enemy is just about to attack in order to avoid the attack in time.
13. Maneuver in battle in such a way as to be able to conduct an attack without being under threat.
If you find yourself under enemy fire, immediately get out from under the fire with a sharp maneuver. Make U-turns:
Taking into account the position of the sun and clouds;
- “aiming at the enemy”;
So, in order to bring the enemy under fire from our other fighters or to delay the battle further away from enemy territory and, if possible, under the fire of our anti-aircraft artillery.
14. In battle formations, stay together, do not break away from the group, pursue only on the orders of the commander.
15. Do not form a “defensive circle”; if you find yourself in a difficult situation, then defend yourself together with your comrades, knocking the enemy out from under each other’s tail, on a collision course.
16. Observe the following rules of fire:
Save ammunition, open fire only after taking good aim;
Try to fire at an enemy fighter from short ranges, but, if necessary, be able to hit the target from long ranges;
Fire at angles less than one quarter to conduct accompanying fire, at an angle of about one quarter, when aiming, use sliding in the direction of the enemy's flight, at an angle of more than one quarter, conduct barrage fire;
Place the route in the middle of the target (altitude) or place the route so that the enemy will inevitably pass through it;
Be confident in your sight, zero the weapon yourself, take care of your zeroing and check it more often.
17. Take advantage of every enemy mistake, every incorrect maneuver. Don’t make mistakes yourself, continuously learn from your own battles and the battles of your comrades.
18. Identify the enemy group commander and try to destroy him first.
19. Maintain discipline on the air, do not interfere with the commander’s control of the battle, make all radio reports as short as possible.
20. The commander leading the battle is obliged to:
Hold control over the actions of subordinates in your hands, direct the course of the battle according to your will, and not as the enemy wishes;
Avoid getting drawn into battle yourself, so as not to leave your subordinates without control.
21. Commanders of regiments and divisions and their headquarters are obliged to:
Ensure numerical superiority of your fighters in every battle;
Achieve superiority not by flying large groups of fighters, but by flexible control of groups in the air;
Organize reliable and simple communication with aircraft in the air;
Keep a reserve on the ground in readiness for a quick takeoff;
Organize reliable notification, allowing you to timely send support to fighters, warn them about the enemy and direct your fighters at the enemy;
Study the experience of battles and teach your pilots from this experience.
(Tactics of fighter aircraft of the Red Army Air Force DSP, 1943 edition)
The fate of the pilot. Guided by Alexandra Pokryshkina. September 23rd, 2014
October 5, 1941 55IAP
Major Ivanov clarified the task, emphasizing that it was necessary to reconnoiter the approach of new enemy forces. He gave specific instructions to complete the task.
- You'll fly as a couple. Komlev will go with you as a wingman,” Viktor Petrovich finished.
- Komlev? But he has not yet truly returned to duty after returning from the hospital.
- Maybe we can go back to Baryshnikov? I talked to him very seriously.
- No! You cannot fly on reconnaissance missions with such a wingman.
- You know that all experienced pilots are involved in assault strikes.
- All clear! Allow me to go and prepare for departure!
The appointment of Stepan Komlev as a wingman worried me. The young pilot was shot down in an air battle in Moldova and was wounded. He was treated for three months. All this, of course, affected the flight form. I also believed that he had not yet fully recovered from the psychological shock he suffered in the battle. He should be given the opportunity to restore his aircraft piloting technique, as well as fly on combat missions as part of the sixes.
(from the memoirs of Alexander Pokryshkin)
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/pokryshkin-1/07.html
On this flight, the scouts met a group of Messerschmitts, and as a result of a short air battle, Stepan Komlev did not return from the mission - most likely, he was shot down by enemy fighters.
Presenter Alexander Pokryshkin was unable to accurately reconstruct the picture of the air battle and the fate of Stepan Komlev, since he himself made an emergency landing at the location of his troops and, together with ground troops, towing the plane by car, made his way to his airfield.
One can only regret that such an experienced pilot as Alexander Ivanovich could not notice what happened to his wingman, but this is important for the good name of Stepan Komlev himself - whether he burned out in an air battle, fighting the enemy, or the outcome was to others. All that remains is to believe that he did not chicken out when he saw the “mass” and fought the Nazis to the death...
There is nothing special in the fact that Stepan went on reconnaissance with Pokryshkin. During this period, they did not take into account who would be the leader and who would be the follower - flights and groups were completed each time immediately before departure. It also happened that the pilot made one flight as a leader, and on the next he was already a wingman. Of course, this did not apply to young pilots, but only to the “old men” who had already completed front-line school and of whom there were not many left.
Along with Alexander, I, the author of these lines, was supposed to fly on a combat mission, but on Stepan Komlev’s plane - my fighter was faulty and was under repair. But Komlev decided differently, not wanting to hand over his plane - he will go on this flight instead of me, and then I will fly in his place as soon as my plane is restored. They decided on that, but he didn’t return...
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/karpovich_vp/09.html
The pain in the wound became more and more noticeable. I didn’t have to look for the hospital for long: it was right there, on the square..... The doctor asked how I got injured. After listening, he ordered a bandage and an injection for tetanus. The nurses, while doing the bandaging, mentioned that yesterday a wounded pilot was also brought to them. He sat down near the Canopy.
- What’s his last name, where is he now? - I asked. One of the sisters went to look at the book of the wounded in the emergency department.
“It was junior lieutenant Komlev,” she said. - In the evening he was sent to the rear.
- Do you know him? - asked the doctor.
- This is my partner. It turns out that Stepan and I both got it.
- Your comrade was slightly wounded and listened to us and went to receive treatment. “But you are stubborn and don’t want to lie down,” they reproached me.
No. 49 Stepan Komlev - missing.
Junior Lieutenant Stepan Kirillovich Komlev was born in 1918 in the village of Kodukovo, Bushevsky district, Vitebsk region, my fellow Belarusian, friend and fellow student in the Minsk Aero Club and Borisoglebsk Military School, which he graduated from in 1938. We had to serve together in air units, in the same squadron; It so happened that, being bachelors, we had to live in one room in a private apartment. Stepan took part in battles from the first day of the Great Patriotic War, fought the enemy boldly and daringly. During two and a half months of hostilities, he made about a hundred combat missions, participated in air battles, he personally shot down two planes, and was wounded. Stepan was considered one of the brave pilots; seniors and juniors flew with him with confidence, and it was no coincidence that he was a frequent partner of Alexander Pokryshkin. For successful military operations he was nominated for the Order of the Red Banner, but was not awarded only because he did not return from a combat mission and went missing. No one saw the last minutes of his life, how his burning plane headed towards the ground and crashed into it, burying his merits along with the pilot, but he remained forever in the memory of his comrades.
(from the memoirs of Vikenty Karpovich)
When I returned to the regiment, the pilots and technicians immediately surrounded us and asked us to tell us about the ordeal. I had to mentally go through the days and nights of this difficult week again and talk about what I had experienced. I remember, and I myself think about the slave. Do they know anything about him? I couldn't stand it and asked. But the regiment knew nothing about Stepan Komlev.
(From the memoirs of Alexander Pokryshkin)
