Quote:
Originally Posted by aceofdaves
I don't know about the historical fact but the '90s series 'Piece of Cake' seemed to imply that, in the RAF at least, the convergence was something like 750 yards at the outset of war but that the savvy pilots would get their crews to set it much closer.
I rewatched that series recently. It's highly recommended if you haven't seen it!
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IIRC fighter tactics at the outbreak of the war were large formation wing efforts with weapons tuned to around 800-1200 yards (depending on armament). Combat pilots realised quickly that this was a foolhardy setup, and most flights implemented a buddy system (wingman) with weapons retuned to very close range (300-400 yards). THis was so pilots could get in close, fire off a single burst and disengage. Hurricane pilots were most noted for this, as the gunners on German aircraft were deadly and no hurri pilot wanted to hang around trying to "aim" at longer ranges.