Late War German Fighter Formations

[Pips]

I know that for most of the war the Germans flew in Kette's, the equivalent of the British Vic. But did the GAF start experimenting with more open formations towards the end of the war?

The reason why I ask is that I'm reading a book on the Bf 109 by Jerry Scutts. In the chapter that deals with the Bf's use in the Spanish Civil War he mentions that the Legion Condor pilots started experimenting with a more open formation of two and four aircraft, based on late WWI experience.

This statement by Scutts is interesting on two counts. First simply because it refers to a variation of flight formations used/experimented? with by the GAF in late WWI. Secondly this experimentation of what became known as the Rotte and Schwarm occurred in early 1937 when Gunther Lutzow was leader of the 1 Staffel- well before Molders flew in Spain. And it is Molders that seems to get the credit for the creation of the above combat formations.

Any comments?

[Romani]

I have found similar references that the Rotte of 2 airplanes was used late in the war, my books are in Spanish so my back translation into english will not be an exact mach, but close enough

Source: The Flying Tigers , Ballantine books, Ron Heiferman

Chennault in his book The Role of Pursuit Aviation (textbook for the AVG) suggested the employ of fighters in couples, opposed to individual action in air combats. He based it on the good results obtained by the German aces in World War I, Oswald von Boelcke(sic) and the baron Manfred von Richthofen. Chennault pointe dout that the tactic based in pairs of airplanes was more effective than individual pursuit or the action of a large group

Mike Spick in Luftwaffe Fighter Aces says the following

A trick of fate determined the course of the fighter tactics of the Condor Legion, and later on, the Luftwaffe. The initial delivery (of the Bf109B) was of only six airplanes, and the following deliveries were delayed... added to maintance problems...kept low the number of Bf109s for a long time. Lützow and his Staffelkaptain, Joachim Schlighting, from I/J88 had to improvise.

With the available airplanes it was difficult to form Ketten (sections of three fighters) and often it was a waste of resources. With four operative airplanes a Kette of three airplanes could be formed with one in reserve. It was a more convenient solution to form a Rotte (pair) of two planes forming with two Rotten a Schwarm (a section of four machines)

So there are two contradictory statements, Chennault claims he inspired in WWI German Aces, while the other account says it was just a chance discovery.

I thought perhaps that Chennault was basing his conclusions by observing German tactics in 1939-40, but a web search yielded that he writed a book called The Role of Defensive Pursuit in the 1930s, I found the following text interesting in one such website

http://www.afa.org/magazine/march2002/0302tiger.asp

Tired Tactics

Chennault, for all his interest in the Great War, had no intention of flying like a World War I American pursuit pilot. On arrival at ACTS, he was dismayed to find that pursuit instructor Clayton Bissell still taught the dawn patrol and fighter sweep tactics of 1918.

Chennault's prime interest lay in building on German air tactics developed in the middle of the war by German ace Oswald Boelcke. He was impressed with Boelcke's pioneering discovery: "Two planes could be maneuvered to fight together as a team." Chennault thereafter spurned all tactics of individual dogfight pilots seeking kills at the expense of tactical success for the whole formation.

What about the Condor Legion pilots? Spick in the following page tells that Mölders is credited with the invention of the four fingers formation and the crossing turn, but this was used by the Royal Air Force in 1918 and appeared in the training manual for 1922. So I reckon the tactic of flying in Rotten
was known and used in the first war, but then was forgotten. It would not be the first time that innovations are discarded in favor of standard doctrine.

[Pips]

Fascinating post Romani, many thanks for the info.

"Mölders is credited with the invention of the four fingers formation and the crossing turn, but this was used by the Royal Air Force in 1918 and appeared in the training manual for 1922."

The RAF actually used this formation? Was it during the war or after?

[Romani]

I am sorry, it was bad writing on my part. Mölders DID invent the 4 fingers formation, but the crossing turn was already known to the RAF in 1918 and appeared on the 1922 training manual for use with a V formation of five airplanes, but it later fell in disuse due to the difficulty and danger in doing it by a formation multiple with intervals between airplanes as small as 30 meters

Now, back to the original Rotte tactic. I think it could have been adopted by some German units in WWI by the same reason it was tried by the Legion Condor, specially in 1918 with shortages of airplanes and everything. Also I read that the usual tactic of the Germans was to hang back high covering the leader while he did his attack run, ready to dive on anybody that attacked the leader from the rear. In the Osprey book about JGII Berthold there's an account of this method applied even with just 2 fighters. So maybe that's what led to the modern leader and point method, but ask some more knowledgeable, I am just making an educated guess!

[Romani]

Bump.
Browsing through the archives I found the answer to our query in a thread from 2001

Rotte, kette and schwarm

Dan_San_Abbott
23 January 2001, 04:33 PM
Volker:
If I may, I wish to make a correction, Rotte (element of two aircraft) is a term that came into use prior to WW2 by the Luftwaffe, I believe during the Spanish Civil War.
The two formations in use by the Luftstreitkräfte in WW1 were: Kette (chain) and Schwärm(swarm). I have a translated document writen by Ltn Hasso von Wedel, Führer of Jasta 71 dated 12 August 1918 in which he illustrates and defines a Kette as an element of two aircraft flying in "duck flight". No.1 leads and no.2 follows in close echelon and higher. Further he states in his instruction the no.1 aircraft attacks and the no.2 follows and protects no.1 from attack. Where there are 3 aircraft in close echelon, a Kette, no.3 protects no.2, no. 2 protects no.1. No.2 is Deputy leader and can also attack. Ltn. von Wedel terms 2 Ketten as a wedge, (keil).
In the HANDBOOK OF GERMAN MILITARY AND NAVAL AVIATION (WAR) 1914 - 1918 issued by The Air Ministry. (A.1.2.) on page 62 From instructions on the use of pursuit flights by the OHL., footnote, *Schwarme=two or three chains. Ketten= three or four airplanes.
Blauer himmel,
Dan-San Abbott

[Pips]

Good find Romani. So from Dan Sans post am I correct is reading that a Kette can consist of two OR three aircraft?

And do you know if the Von Wedel of jasta 71 was also (in later life) Professor Von Wedel who was shot down over England (and taken prisoner) in the Battle Of Britain? At that time he was supposed to be writing an official history of the battle for the Luftwaffe, and made a flight in a Bf 109 to get a closer look as it were. He certainly managed that!