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THE FINNISH FIGHTER TACTICS AND TRAINING BEFORE AND DURING THE WW II
By Heikki Nikunen
CONCLUSIONS
The Finnish fighter tactics differed before the Winter War from almost all other nations` fighter tactics. Only the Germans had during the last phase of the Spanish War began to use the similar tactical principles as the Finns. There was no way to know beforehand how the indigenous fighter tactics would manage in the merciless test of the war. The manyfold Soviet superiority in the numbers seemed completely chrushing. However, there was no hesitation among the Finnish fighter pilots about the defence mission. At least in that sense the training had been successful; it had created a pilot cadre which had a good motivation and self confidence.
During the Winter War the both sides maintained their tactical principles without changes. The Finns had to use their limited fighter force in a very concentrated way and leave big areas in the rear without fighter cover. In the last phase of the war the fighters flew mainly ground attack missions to repulse the dangerous Soviet flank attacks over the sea ice. There were no problems in those missions either, because the basic fighter pilot skills, the excellent handling of the fighter and the accuracy in shooting applied in those actions too.
The Soviets used at first their fighters mainly over the front line area and flew their bombing raids without any fighter escort. After suffering heavy losses they improved their cooperation and also started offensive counter air operations.
After the Winter War both the fighter tactics and the flight training in Finland were considered as successful. The war experiences were used to make a training program for the training squadrons. That gave the new fighter pilots a good readiness for the air combat missions. A remarkable supporter in the fighter training was the elementary flight program which included air combat maneuvers and air gunnery.
The Soviet fighter tactics obviously was criticized after the war but due to the big numbers in the training system it was very slow to take in any changes. The tight formations and the so called Spanish circle remained as standard methods in the Soviet fighter aviation.
Before the Continuation War a type oriented tactics had been developed for the new fighters BW, FA, CU and MS. It emphasized each fighters strong points and minimized the weaknesses. The formation tactics was detailed according to the speed characteristics of each fighter type and the optimum tactics against each adversary aircraft was determined.
When the Continuation War began the Soviet modernization work both in the tactics and in the fighter fleet wasn`t finished. So, the smaller Finnish fighter force maintained the air superiority in the first phase of the war.
During the trench war the Soviets improved their fighter fleet by the western lend-lease system and by their own aircraft production. In 1942 such types as MiG-3, LaGG-3, Hurricane, Spitfire and Tomahawk changed the balance so that from the Finnish fighters only the Brewsters were in the same category in the performance. Also, the other Finnish fighter types still were victorious, but they couldn`t anymore force the enemy to fight; the enemy fighters could escape anytime by using their speed.
During the year 1943 the Brewsters became obsolete compared to the newest enemy La-5 and Yak-fighters. The Soviets had started to develop their tactics and training according to the opponent`s methods.
When the FAF in the spring of 1943 got the Messerschmitt 109 G fighters, the performance balance was once again stabilized, but the Soviet numerical superiority was increasing steadily.
The most air operations concentrated on the Gulf of Finland where the Brewsters still were able to fight successfully by using several divisions stacked high one above another. The pilots took advantage of the potential energy and their good flying skill and shooting accuracy.
The pilots took advantage of the potential energy and their good flying skill and shooting accuracy
The Messerschmitts usually used section formations and the energy tactics.
The effective air surveillance and control system proved essential for the limited fighter force. Also, the radio intelligence played an important role in the ground control and it was able to support the pilots with the real time information about the enemy right in the middle of the air combats.
In the early summer of 1944 the Brewsters had to be transferred to Aunus area to secure the side sector. The new La-5s and Yak-9s dominated the Soviet fighter fleet. The Finnish Messerschmitt 109 G2 and G6 fighters carried the main defensive burden during the Soviet strategic offensive. The numerical disparity between the opponents approached the Winter War situation, but victorious air battles over the Gulf of Finland had, on the other hand, given the Finnish fighter pilots a mental superiority to meet any kind of odds. No new operational or tactical directions had to be given when the Soviet attack began. The Finnish fighter force was ready and after the fierce fighting the situation was stabilized in the middle of July 1944. This was the only strategic attack which the Soviets failed during their advance westward.
It also meant one interesting thing; of all the countries in the European theater participating the Second World War there were only two, which never were occupied: Finland and Great Britain.
The Finnish fighter training concentrated on the right things; the indigenous formation tactics and the individual air combat capability
The Finnish fighter training concentrated on the right things; the indigenous formation tactics and the individual air combat capability. Two domestic aircraft played a remarkable role in the training system; the Tuisku elementary trainer and the Pyry advanced trainer. Tuisku made possible the air gunnery training already in the early phase of the flight program. Pyry was a sensitive wing tip staller, and if the pilot was able to fly Pyry, he was able to fly any airplane.
There are three basic things which made the Finnish fighter force successful:
- The philosophy of loose and broad section and finger four formations which the FAF adopted already in 1935.
- The emphasis on individual accuracy in air-to-air gunnery which was trained for systematically. The Finnish fighter pilots didn`t just shoot at the target airplane, they shot at certain parts of the target airplane.
- The principle to attack regardless of numbers which always gives the advantage of initiative.
The principle of "first see, first shoot" applied to every pilot from the squadron commander to the last wingman
A supporting factor was the individual freedom of action inside the formation. The principle of "first see, first shoot" applied to every pilot from the squadron commander to the last wingman. This increased the effectiveness of the entire formation cutting delays and making every pilot an efficient shooter in a revolutionary way.
The Finnish fighter pilots didn`t have any rotation system; their priority was to stay in the front line squadron. For example, from the ten top aces ( score 94 - 32 ) 6 had started their air combats already in the Winter War. One of those top ten aces was killed in June 1944 when his fighter collided in aerial combat with a debris of a falling airplane. All others fought the war up to the end.
Highest scoring Finnish ace Ilmari Juutilainen with 94 victories
In the fighter aviation the quality proved to be much more important than the quantity. And, the quality of the personnel proved to be the most important factor. The following example (I. Juutilainen: Double Fighter Knight) tells clearly about the importance of the natural skill and good training. The example describes an air combat over the Gulf of Finland after six Finnish Brewsters have attacked on ten Soviet MiG-1s, MiG-3s and Spitfires:
"In front of, and below me were three MiG fighters. I attacked taking the lead plane as my target. My approach went well and I was just about to come up behind it when - BANG! - my engine RPM went down and my speed started to decrease. The agility of my fighter was, of course, gone. The propeller transmission control had failed at the most critical moment!
It seemed that I was totally at the mercy of the enemy. I reported the status of my plane and asked for help, if anybody could afford to do so.
One of the enemy fighters approached my rear sector. I turned as tightly as I could to keep my eye on him. Now he was moving into a good firing position although a little below me. I quickly rolled my fighter inverted above him. My unexpected maneuver apparently frightened him because he broke off and dove away. Maybe he thought that I only pretended helplessness and was now ready to get behind him. I sighed for relief then rolled back into a normal attitude and tried to climb a little with inadequate engine power control. I was trying to make my way back to base if possible.
I was carefully watching the enemy aircraft well above me expecting them to attack at any moment. Sure enough, a Spitfire came down to investigate me. It came in from my rear sector and above, intending that I should be an easy kill. I tried to look as though I didn`t see him. My plan was to act like a fox against a lynx because I was rather helpless.
When the Spitfire came into a good firing range I made a quick, controlled roll standing heavily on my rudder. My fighter slid heavily sideways and I continued with a hard level turn of about 90 degrees. Of course, during my maneuver the enemy couldn`t keep me in his gunsight, and at the end of the maneuver he was so close that he actually slid past me. I quickly turned back to my original heading and the Spitfire was out in front of me pulling up to the right. My speed was gone, but the range was short, about 70 yards. I aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger. My machine guns worked well, rattling sure and steady. The tracers hit the target like a whip. The result was visible at once. The airplane started to smoke heavily and banked. Almost vertically and slightly inverted it crashed into the sea.
Almost immediately another Spitfire arrived to avenge his comrade. I pushed the throttle open and the engine stopped! It was a really nasty feeling. My good old friend BW-364 had failed me at a critical moment! The enemy plane came in from above and behind at high speed so I made a tight turn under its nose. The Spitfire couldn`t turn with me and, after the failed attack, continued its dive toward Lavansaari.
I turned my airplane toward the Estonian coast intending to make an emergency landing there. Then I noticed that when I didn`t put the throttle in a full power setting, the engine would cough back to life. So, I started again to climb back in the direction of our airplanes above me. During my climb a MiG attacked me at an impossible deflection angle shooting as though he were testing his guns. There was no need even to dodge.
I saw a couple of airplanes crashing into the sea almost simultaneously and a third one, a MiG-1, diving steeply toward the water`s surface but pulling up at the last moment. Now it was my turn to be on the attacking side. The MiG didn`t seem to notice me at all, and pulled up right in front of me. I had only to change my nose position ever so slightly to line up the target in the center of my gunsight. Then I squeezed the trigger and sent my bullets into the target.
I found myself wondering if the enemy remembered that he had forgotten to keep looking around, when he saw the glow of the flame from his engine. The airplane rolled over and went into the sea.
When I again began my climb I found our pilots controlling the area and joined them."
The basic fighter pilot`s skills; the excellent situation awareness, the complete handling of the airplane, shooting accuracy and self confidence, are all visible in the action of the pilot.
The well trained fighter pilots represent a valuable strategic resource for a nation. The most important ability in keeping the nation out of crisis is the control of the airspace, and in that mission the fighter force is decisive. The contemporary Finnish fighter pilots with their Hornet fleet and its ACTR (MUTACTS) air combat training system continue the honorable tradition of the war time aces.
Ilmari Juutilainen in a Finnish F-18 Hornet
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Revised: tammikuu 01, 2006.
