Quote:
Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski
My impression is that Luftwaffe never learned how to fight in large formations against large formations.
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Agreed. THIS deserves a gigantic thread and discussion, because Helmut Lipfert, (in his book about the Eastern Front,) talks about the complete lack of combat and operational mentoring (at any level) by the Experts and experienced pilots that he experienced as a new pilot. It was survival of the fittest and luckiest. (His flight of novice pilots didn't even get navigational help on their very first ferry flight to their operational (airfield) duty station. It was a long flight and, if I recall correctly, he was the only pilot to actually find the field. The rest of the flight got lost and some were never seen again!)
The Experts were always off on free hunts, thereby providing no leadership whatsoever, and the experienced combat pilots didn't find it necessary to share their wisdom or experience.
Simply said, the distinct impression one gets from reading Lipfert's book is the Jagdwaffe (in the East) didn't fight and never fought as a cohesive team.
Bronc