Case Studies in the Achievement of Air Superiority - Air Force ...

AIR SUPERIORITY
In other words, the Russians attacked with eight welded wings flying
in trail or echelon. The intended “sandwich” maneuver was a basic tactic
in which the welded wings formed the bread of the sandwich and the unfortunate
victim or victims, the meat, contrasted with the more sophisticated
“fluid pair” approach in which each slice of bread was represented by a
single machine. Having “got in behind,” the Israelis were in a perfect position
to shoot and, no doubt, they did so.
The Mirages, flying top cover, now swooped down, turning the action
into a classic m&lke, with:
planes turning and twisting around and firing guns and rockets [missiles] at each
other. Breaking hard, I succeeded in getting my sights on a MiG. He had guts and
turned into the fight but 1 quickly realized he was inexperienced. He made elementary
mistakes. Diving down to 2,000 m [6,561.68 feet.], I cut him off and soon locked
on my radar-then we had time. It was clear that he could not get away. At a range
of 1,000 m [three quarters of a mile] we fired a missile. The MiG exploded into a
flaming ball.79
With the Phantom on his tail, the Russian had to turn into or out of the
fight; sensibly he turned into it, where there was always the possibility of
another MiG getting a shot at his pursuer. One of his mistakes may have
The A-4 Skyhawk, the IAF’s workhorse
during the War of Attrition.
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