[drgondog]

Kurt - to some of your questions

Red - always lead. The position of flights varied but usually went like this:

Formation and climb out - lead squadron climbing out with other squadron in trail below. For weather climb out each flight and a/c within flight would separate to minimise mid air collision,

As to position of Green, Yellow, Blue (and White and Purple for augmented missions - usually when an A and B Group was sent out), it varied but for 355th FG but usually Yellow was right and Blue/Green on left or in trail and above...(I need to check on this) - in a finger four left position looking at each flight as one of your left hand fingers - This assembly was strictly for purpose of tight formation.

Escort positions usually had Red and Yellow up front and Blue/Green in trail and above

The standard mission for 8th AF fighters was usually four flights of 4, with spares also fying to 'fill in', and for long missions a Radio Relay team of two would fly near French Coast to relay radio traffic.

When a 'standard profile' escort mission was flown the squadrons would vary lead from one mission to another but positioning varied based on perceived threat. more often than not the lead squadron would take the high front position and stagger the other two on middle and trail position depending on strength of other fighter groups in the area or whether this group was only escort in area.

The High Squadron was usually the designated 'Bouncer', but of course the Luftwaffe had their say in this tactic from time to time, depending on where they attacked. Typically the Lead Squadron would range in front to protect against head on attacks, depending on the spacing between bomber wings

Usually each squadron would split up into two sections of 8 and 'S' across the top of the bombers, each section ranging away, then back across each other.. this is where actual flights varied in finger four left or right positioning within section and flight. Within the section, the flights would spread out and the trail flight would again position high, in trail to protect the lead flight.

'Break' discipline was usaully based on positioning within the flight. If close formation, finger four left, the left pair in trail would break left and lead would break right to keep from turing into each other.

Regards,

Bill Marshall