[rldunn]

The navy's Air Group 204 used the 4 plane flight experimentally as early as April 1943. This was an individual initiative of its flight leader Lt. Zenjiro Miyano. Other units were slow to adopt the innovation but in early 1944 the 1st Air Fleet (not the P.H. carrier force but a land based air force formed in July 43) adopted the new formation and it soon became standard. Miyano apparently adopted the formation after seeing the American formation in action. It latter gained favor because it was thought only one experienced pilot could lead a flight of 4 whereas previously an experienced pilots was needed for a flight of 3 in the v-formation.

In the army the earliest use of the 4 plane flight was probably by the 59th FR in Feb 43, however, adoption across the JAAF was much quicker than in the navy. By the time the 248th FR got to New Guinea in Nov 43 and saw the US 4-plane flight their pilots commented that the Allies had adopted the JAAF formation. Unlike the JNAF, the JAAF based its 4-plane flight on German practice and called it the 'rotte' formation. It was clearly a flight of 2 pairs whereas the JNAF formation was sometimes merely a 4 plane version of the former 3 plane flight.

RLD