USAAF Fighter Battle Formation - how did it work?

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Cees Steijger

The USAAF used the four finger formation in combat, composed of a Flight Leader, a Flight Wingman, an Element Leader and an Element Wingman.
What was the numbering? For example: Red 1 would be the flight leader, but than: Red 2 the Element Leader, or was Red 2 the Flight Wingman. I quess Red 4 would be the Element Wingman?

Who knows the practise?

--Cees

If you want to go a little further, an excellent account of USAAF fighter tactics including the finger four formation and how it worked including element leader and wingman behaviour in different circumstances is in chapter 7 of Jay Stout's "Fighter Group". I've found this to be one of the very best as it covers virtually all aspects relating to USAAF fighter units and how they worked, even down to radio procedures and which channels were used for which communications. Invaluable book and to top it off, very readable.