15th AAF fighter escort tactics?

[drgondog]

The 15th, like the 8th, assigned different fighter groupd to escort specifix boxes of a formation of bombers within a Division - on a Ramrod. Timing and navigation were important to co-rodinate R/V point and time.

Variations included two squadrons flying high over an assigned box while a thrird squadron would sweep along the bomber stream to extend coverage and depend on radio alerts between bombers and fighter escort on C-Channel.

Variations for escorting two lead boxes included the same approach except the two squadrons high on either side and the lead squadron several miles out in front. The Zemke Fan was a variation starting with four ship flights ranging in different directions, but Zemke's personal experience of May 12 caused the Fan to send two eight ship sections out in front in perhaps a 60 degree cone while the other two were out to either side and high.

The Luftwaffe tactics eveolved the same way in Sud front as West and USAAF fighters adapted similarly in both theatres. For the longest missions the Mustang Groups were almost always the target escorts with Lightnings performing deep Penetration and Withdrawal.

Before the P-47s attained long range capability, it was always the shorter/mid range penetration/withdrawal and R/V with Lightning and Mustang groups to perform target escort or sweeps.

Offhand i don't recall P-38s deeper than Leipzig, or as far as Munich/Poznan.

I do know P-38s made Ploesti raids.

[Gunther]

Rip Van Winkle here--awaking after another long pause.

Something not generally mentioned about 15AF fighters is that air-air combat almost ceased after Romania capitulated in August 44. There was a brief resurgence in the spring of '45 but that was mainly due to deeper penetrations into the Reich. If you look at the three P38 groups, you see very few aerial claims in the last eight months or so. That's because the '38s were heavily committed to dive bombing and strafing. It's also why the 332nd scored more victories than the Lightnings in that period.