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The most effective way to shoot down an enemy aircraft was for the pilot to dive out of the sun at maximum speed and to fire at the closest possible range below and behind his target as he pulled upward out of his dive. Werner Mölders (left) the youngest Kommodore in the Luftwaffe, realized the vulnerability of thight formations to this type of attack and devised the 'pair' formation to overcome it. The leader (1) was accompanied by his wingman (2) who flew lower and on the sun side. The leader was the attacker, the wingman the defender, who watched the sun for an attack; (3) is the second pair's leader and (4) his wingman. If they were attacked from behind they employed a simple 'crossover' turn which simply reversed the previous formation. Alternatively, one pair would wheel to the left, the other to the right. If the attacking pilot followed the pair turning right, the pair turning left completed a full circle and came in behind him and vice versa. See picture #1. |
 #1 |
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At the outset of the battle, the British were still flying in V-formations, usually of three aircraft. They made a tight, vulnerable target, and the pilots of the two outside aircraft had to spend more time keeping formation than searching for the enemy. Then Squadron Leader 'Sailor' Malan (left), an ace pilot and one of Tuck's best friends, revealed his great tactical skill. Instead of dividing his squadron into four sections of three aircraft, he organized it into three sections of four fighters. This seemingly slight rearrangement was in fact of the greatest significance, for when battle was joined each of his three units divided easily and rapidly into two units of two fighters. In this way no pilot was left without support from a comrade. See picture #2. |
 #2 |