Fighter Combat

224 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONEeliminate one of the bogeys before the section knows what hit it. If he hasbeen successful and is still favorably positioned, the attacker may chooseto take on the remaining bogey one-versus-one, or simply dive away anddisengage at high speed. If the first attack is unsuccessful, the disengagementoption is usually called for. Depending on weapons and environmentalconsiderations, other attacks may also be viable or even preferable,but the high, diving approach has been most successful.If you have to fight with the eyes only, not with using instruments [such] asradar . . . then the first thing that I do is I go to the sun and I come from thesun as I start my attack. . . . Always with your eyes fly into the sun and neverhave the sun in your backdoor. . . . That's very dangerous.Colonel Erich "Bubi" Hartmann, GAPWhen preparing to engage a section offensively, the singleton pilot ispresented with the choice of which bogey to attack first. Generally the bestchoice is the more vulnerable bogey, which is usually the one behind inechelon or trail formations. The rear hemisphere of this "sucked" bogey isprobably least well guarded visually, making surprise easier. In addition,the "acute" bogey, the one ahead in the formation, will require some timeto get turned around and into position to support the wingman. Figure 5-11depicts the preferred method of attacking an echelon pair.This figure shows a section of bogeys in echelon formation. At time "1"the singleton closes on the wingman from very nearly six o'clock, probablyin a dive to increase closure and take advantage of sun position for surprise,and to provide greater attack speed for possible escape if the attack isdetected or is not successful. High six o'clock is a very difficult area todefend, but it may not be optimum for environmental conditions (e.g., highovercast clouds that may highlight the attacker) or weapons, so a climbingFigure 5-11. Attacking a Section in Echelon