Box Formation (Civ6)/Civilopedia

During World War I, primitive bombers operated in ones, twos, and threes; so the formation they adopted wasn't really significant, although having overlapping fields of fire to the rear was beneficial. But, the mass bomber raids of World War II were another matter; formations helped defend against enemy fighters, deliver the most bombs on target, and kept the bombers from running into each other. With losses among the first USAAF daylight missions over occupied Europe reaching staggering numbers, Colonel Curtis LeMay developed the combat box formation in August 1942. By December 1942, while losses were still high, these had dropped substantially. In short order, the "Javelin Down" combat box formation was adopted by both the Americans and British for all bombing operations.