by Adolf Galland
Der Oberbefehlahaber der Luftwaffe |
Hq. 3 Sept. 1943 |
General der Jagdflieger |
157th copy of 300 |
The Tactical Regulations of GAF Planning Staff Ia Ops General der Jagdflieger Br. B. Nr. 416/43 is to be destroyed and replaced with the following new material. It is to be distributed down to Staffeln.
(1) It is to be insured with all means that one enemy attack wave and if possible the one that penetrates deepest be combatted with the mass of all fighter formations continuously. For this the most important requirement is the early cooperation between the neighboring and rear Jagddivisionen.
(2) This first requirement for the joint operation of larger formations is to be achieved by the timely assembly of at least two Gruppen and their vectoring onto the enemy along one ‘Y’ Beam. These formations are to be led in the air by their Kommodore on one R/T frequency.
(3) For running orientation of the control commands and of the formations in the air about the strength, location, altitude, and course of the penetrating enemy formations, TE observation aircraft (Fuhlungshalter) will be used. For their operations special regulations are in preparation.
(4) The vectoring-on of all fighter and TE fighter formations without Y-Procedure (Benito) will be accomplished by the newly instituted Reichs Fighter Commentary (Reichsjagerwelle). It is to be continually tuned in by all SE and TE fighters in Defense of the Reich without Y-apparatus, by all night fighters operating by day, by all factory fighter units, and by all operational units of the training Geschwader. Aircraft with ‘Y’ apparatus will tune in on it (the Reichsjagerwelle) only after intermediate landings in the pursuit of enemy formations which have penetrated deep into the Reich.
(5) Upon landing on strange airfields, the senior fighter pilot (officer) must immediately combine all fighter pilots present into one fighter formation, regardless of what units they belong to, and then attend to the quickest possible serviceability of the aircraft.
The operational order is received from the fighter command of the area concerned who is to be kept continuously informed as to the strength of the units.
If communications with the fighter command are lacking, the leader of the formation operates on his own authority. (Taking off on sighting the enemy or on the basis of Reporting Service announcements.) After take off he will use as a call sign the name of the airfield. Reports of the location of the enemy formation will come over the Reichs Fighter Commentary in the clear.
The formation will be dissolved only on order of the fighter command. The released pilots are then turned over to their regular units.
(6) Airfields especially supplied for intermediate landings of fighters are to be marked in on the maps of pilots and are in addition to be so marked that they are recognizable as such from a great altitude.
(7) Kommodores and Kommandeure of the SE and TE fighter units must be constantly informed of the entire weather picture and its influence on enemy activity in the various battle areas.
(1) Every fighter formation (Gruppe to Staffel in size) is to combat mainly one and the same bomber formation. If it jettisons its bombs or is completely broken up it is to be left alone and the next formation flying within visible range is to be attacked.
(2) All leaders in the air, from Schwarm (4s) leaders up, are to be identified in the air by white rudders. Single fighters and separated Rotten (2s) are to form up on these aircraft immediately regardless of which formation they belong to. The leader of the Schwarm or larger unit thus formed must attack without delay the bomber formation again.
(3) The first attack has the purpose of breaking up the enemy formation. After exact division of the target and from a good position, the attack is to be so begun and carried through that the fighters go in close together by Schwärme (4s) with little interval between Schwarme, one after the other, against the same formation. The exit, the direction of which is ordered before the attack, must make possible the quick reassembling of the entire fighter formation.
(4) In repeated attacks, simultaneous attacks by many fighters are always the optimal approach.
(5) The attack from the front is from now on to be the exception, to be flown only in exceptionally favorable circumstances and by fighter formations especially successful in it.
As the standard attack, the attack from the rear with small angle of approach is ordered.
Closing up to effective range is to be supervised by all formation leaders in the air for their formations.
Pilots who without adequate reason do not close in to the ordered minimum range are to be court-martialed for cowardice in the face of the enemy.
(6) From now on, only bombers in formation are to be attacked (without regard to whether they are on the way in to the target or on the way out).
Only when the entire bomber formation is broken up or when there is no more possibility of getting to the bomber formation, are separated or damaged bombers flying alone to be fought to final destruction.
Aircraft mounting the 21 cm. RP are permitted after successful discharge of their RP to destroy single bombers separated from the bomber formation.
Factory fighter Schwärme (4s) and Rotten (2s), night fighters, as well as small operational fighter formations from the training units, may, as long as there is no possibility for them to join up in the air or on the ground into larger formations, attack and destroy single bombers separated from their formations.
ADDITION TO THESE EXCEPTIONS IS FORBIDDEN.
Formation leaders and fighter pilots who disobey this order are to be court-martialed for military disobedience with serious consequences for the safety of the Reich.
For the claiming and allowing of victories the following regulations are in effect:
D.R.d. L.u. Ob.d.L/LP Nr. 14223/43 geh. v. 8 July 1943
D.Ob. d.L./Gen.d. Jagdfl. Nr.4016/43 geh. v. 9 August 1943
(7) Fire will be opened in attacks from the front at most at 800 yards, and in all other attacks at 400 yards. Every case of opening fire sooner means waste of ammunition as a result of lack of courage.
(8) The goal of every attack is one aircraft. Aiming at the middle of the bomber formation or spraying the whole formation with bullets never leads to success.
(9) The aiming point and the tip of the front sight, not shooting according to tracers or smoke trails, leads to victories.
(10)All attacks from an angle of approach of more than 30° are ineffective.
(11)The fighting will be continued even in the strongest flak fire, in flak zones, and in flak barrier barrage areas.
(12)The bomber formation is to be hindered with all available strength and means, even if it has broken through to the target, in the aimed dropping of its bombs.
Distribution:
All SE and TE fighter units down to Staffeln.
Training Fighter Units.
Fighter O.T.Us.
Factory Fighter Units and Fighter Commands
I.A. (signing for Göring)
GALLAND