Histroical Patrol Sizes per country

[Grimcall]

Greetings I was wonder about patrol sizes per country. Alcartaz and myself if we are Dueling would like to have patrol sizes to be as historically accurate as possible. I live WW2 history and have been reading about the planes of the time period and a question came to me. Histroically how many americans were considered a patrol? That also leads into how many planes made up patrols for the other Countries of WW2.
I know my addiction is starting to show. But I would like to play the game as accurate as possible. Could someone point me in the right direction to find this information out so I can get the right amount of planes per country.
Origins 2013 started this addiction and I am enjoying it so far.

Thank you

[Kaiser]

I don't know about a patrol but the smallest unit was the flight.

The RAF (and all nations exceptr Germany) had 3 aircrafts in a flight flying in V (the Vic) formation.
The German Luftwaffe used the Schwarm in Finger Four formation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_four of four aircrafts.# consisting of two Rotten. Each Rotte had two aircraft.
This formation was later adopted by all countries.

The Japanese flew also in a wing of 3 aircrafts in V formation called a Shotai.

This thread might be useful:
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?8081-Ambush-Spotting-etc

[Baldrick62]

The smallest administrative unit was a flight or national equivalent (having an appointed flight commander), as an example an RAF fighter flight of 6 was made up of 2 sections of 3. However, fighting formations (your 'patrols') varied in size from a section to multiple squadron-sized formations. The only true generalization is that the only time you intentionally launched as a singleton, it was a recce bird.

As Kaiser has said, apart from the Luftwaffe, pretty much everyone else started the war with fighter formations (sections) of 3, while bomber formations of 3 (with 2 x 3 making a 'box') were pretty standard throughout the war. However, as early as 1940 the French were using the 'patrouille legere' of 2 aircraft on some occasions, the USN was using sections made up of pairs pretty much from the start of US involvement in the war and the USAAF went that way by mid-42. In the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942, the Dutch used both pairs and three-ships and the RAF adopted pairs from mid-late 1942, with 112 Sqn in the DAF (containing a significant number of Polish pilots with combat experience back to 1939) as one of the 'trail blazers'.

[Grimcall]

Thank you kindly for the History there. I am sorry using patrol I guess I was using the wrong terminology for it. Know I know they are flights that will help me to be able to interact more correctly with everyone else.
As I said earlier Thank you that information will help me understand how historically the grouping of plane were made up. Now I can make sure I have the right amount of planes for the duels.

Thank you
TBunt

[MoonSylver]

And just to play devils advocate, there were pilots who flew lone wolf (particularly earlier rather than later), chaps who got seperated from the others, etc, so even one-on-one is still historically accurate...;)

[Diamondback]

Typical USAAF and USN fighter practice was either a "loose deuce" or a "finger-four" (two loose-deuces in opposed echelons, like the fingertips of a hand), bombers were usually a Vic.

Obviously there were MUCH larger formations, but these are the basic "building blocks" larger sorties were built from.

[Baldrick62]

For early war USAAF, from FM 1-15 Tactics and Techniques of Air Fighting, published April 1942 - 'For tactical control and to provide greater fighting power and security through mutual support and teamwork, each flight operates in "elements" of two or three airplanes each. Pursuit aircraft in daylight operations never operate singly if it can be avoided. The flight and element are purely tactical Units. They are flexible and can be changed to meet requirements without disturbing seriously the squadron organization. For example, a squadron may operate 3 flights of two 3-Plane elements each; 3 flights of three 2-Plane elements each; or 4 flights of two 2-plane elements each.' http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/utils/getfile/collection/p15040coll1/id/495/filename/496.pdf

For later war USAAF tactical formations and procedures - http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?14977-Combat-Tactics-in-the-SWPA

The USN's adoption of pairs/fours tactics earlier than the USAAF was epitomised by the 'Beam Defense Position' (aka the 'Thach Weave'). The use of the 'Finger Four', emulating Luftwaffe tactics, came later in the war.

'The tactic was first tested in combat by Thach during the Battle of Midway, when his flight of four Wildcats was attacked by a squadron of Zeroes.' 'The maneuver soon became standard among US Navy pilots and was adopted by USAAF pilots.' (Wiki)