Finger-four
Encyclopedia
The "Finger-four" formation
(also known as the "four finger formation"), is a flight formation used by fighter aircraft
. It consists of four aircraft, and four of these formations can be combined into a squadron
formation.
of four aircraft, composed of a "lead element" and a "second element", each of two aircraft. When viewing the formation from above, the positions of the planes resemble the tips of the four fingers of a human right hand
(without the thumb
), giving the formation its name.
The lead element is made up of the flight leader at the very front of the formation and one wingman
to his rear left. The second element is made up of an additional two planes, the element leader and his wingman. The element leader is to the right and rear of the flight leader, followed by the element wingman to his right and rear.
Both the flight leader and element leader have offensive roles, in that they are the ones to open fire on enemy aircraft while the flight remains intact. Their wingmen have a defensive role — the flight wingman covers the rear of the second element and the element wingman covers the rear of the lead element.
Four of these flights can be assembled to form a squadron formation which consists of two staggered lines of fighters, one in front of the other. Each flight is usually designated by a color (i.e. Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green).
adopted it during 1934-1935. Luftwaffe
pilots developed the formation independently in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War
, and were the first to use it in combat.
Most notable in its development and use in the Luftwaffe
was Werner Mölders
and his fellow airmen. In the German Luftwaffe the flight was made up of two pairs of aircraft. Each Rotte was composed of a leader and a wingman. The aircraft in the Schwarm had greater vertical and horizontal separation, so they were free to scan in all directions for enemy aircraft rather than focusing on maintaining a close formation. This allowed the pilots to maintain greater situational awareness and reduce the chance of being spotted by the enemy due to the looser formation. The two Rotten could split up at any time and attack on their own. The Rottenführer (pair leader) would attack enemy aircraft, leaving his wingman to scan for threats and protect him while he engaged the enemy. The Finnish Air Force's approach was even more flexible by allowing the pilot who spotted the enemy to become the leader of the pair or even the whole flight for the duration of the attack as he had the best situational awareness at that moment in time.
The Luftwaffe continued the use of this formation during the Battle of Britain
, in which its effectiveness was shown to be considerably greater than the standard three-aircraft "Vic" close formation used by the Royal Air Force
(RAF). The RAF and later the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) and Soviet Air Forces adopted this formation and used it themselves against the Luftwaffe. The Finnish Air Force proved the effectiveness by achieving a 16:1 kill ratio with the finger-four during the 1939-1940 Winter War
against the Soviet Air Force, which at the time used the conventional Vic formation and superior aircraft.
The Soviet air force units in the Spanish Civil War
adopted the formation against the Germans but reverted back to the "V" on return to the Soviet Union. The flying ace
Douglas Bader
was the first RAF pilot to adopt the formation in 1940. American Army Air Corps and Naval Aviation began using a concept called "Fighting Pair" from 1940–41. Japan too adopted the finger-four formation during World War II.
. However, it is still used in the "Missing Man Formation" at pilots' funeral ceremonies. The formation performs a fly-by in level flight over the funeral, at which point the second element leader climbs vertically and departs the formation, symbolizing the departure of the person being honored.
Tactical formation
A tactical formation is the arrangement or deployment of moving military forces such as infantry, cavalry, AFVs, military aircraft, or naval vessels...
(also known as the "four finger formation"), is a flight formation used by fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. It consists of four aircraft, and four of these formations can be combined into a squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
formation.
Description
The formation consists of a flightFlight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
of four aircraft, composed of a "lead element" and a "second element", each of two aircraft. When viewing the formation from above, the positions of the planes resemble the tips of the four fingers of a human right hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
(without the thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
), giving the formation its name.
The lead element is made up of the flight leader at the very front of the formation and one wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
to his rear left. The second element is made up of an additional two planes, the element leader and his wingman. The element leader is to the right and rear of the flight leader, followed by the element wingman to his right and rear.
Both the flight leader and element leader have offensive roles, in that they are the ones to open fire on enemy aircraft while the flight remains intact. Their wingmen have a defensive role — the flight wingman covers the rear of the second element and the element wingman covers the rear of the lead element.
Four of these flights can be assembled to form a squadron formation which consists of two staggered lines of fighters, one in front of the other. Each flight is usually designated by a color (i.e. Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green).
History
The formation was developed by several air forces independently in the 1930s. The Finnish Air ForceFinnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
adopted it during 1934-1935. Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
pilots developed the formation independently in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, and were the first to use it in combat.
Most notable in its development and use in the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
was Werner Mölders
Werner Mölders
Werner Mölders was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. Mölders became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 100 aerial victories—that is, 100 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft, and was...
and his fellow airmen. In the German Luftwaffe the flight was made up of two pairs of aircraft. Each Rotte was composed of a leader and a wingman. The aircraft in the Schwarm had greater vertical and horizontal separation, so they were free to scan in all directions for enemy aircraft rather than focusing on maintaining a close formation. This allowed the pilots to maintain greater situational awareness and reduce the chance of being spotted by the enemy due to the looser formation. The two Rotten could split up at any time and attack on their own. The Rottenführer (pair leader) would attack enemy aircraft, leaving his wingman to scan for threats and protect him while he engaged the enemy. The Finnish Air Force's approach was even more flexible by allowing the pilot who spotted the enemy to become the leader of the pair or even the whole flight for the duration of the attack as he had the best situational awareness at that moment in time.
The Luftwaffe continued the use of this formation during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, in which its effectiveness was shown to be considerably greater than the standard three-aircraft "Vic" close formation used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF). The RAF and later the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) and Soviet Air Forces adopted this formation and used it themselves against the Luftwaffe. The Finnish Air Force proved the effectiveness by achieving a 16:1 kill ratio with the finger-four during the 1939-1940 Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
against the Soviet Air Force, which at the time used the conventional Vic formation and superior aircraft.
The Soviet air force units in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
adopted the formation against the Germans but reverted back to the "V" on return to the Soviet Union. The flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
was the first RAF pilot to adopt the formation in 1940. American Army Air Corps and Naval Aviation began using a concept called "Fighting Pair" from 1940–41. Japan too adopted the finger-four formation during World War II.
Missing man formation
The finger-four formation became less common after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, it is still used in the "Missing Man Formation" at pilots' funeral ceremonies. The formation performs a fly-by in level flight over the funeral, at which point the second element leader climbs vertically and departs the formation, symbolizing the departure of the person being honored.
Further reading
- Air power history: turning points from Kitty Hawk to Kosovo
- Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific
- Officers in Flight Suits: The Story of American Air Force Fighter Pilots in the Korean War
- Eagles of the Third Reich - Men of Luftwaffe
- The Luftwaffe Over Germany: Defense of the Reich By Donald Caldwell, Richard Muller