This air tactic was purely defensive in nature, and could only
be mounted by flights of multiple planes working together. The
tactic involved all members of the defending formation forming a
horizontal circle in the air when attacked. This way, each plane
would theoretically protect the plane in front of him. It was
thought that an attacking fighter would be unable to attack any
member of the formation without coming under fire himself. The
tactic was intended for slower, less capable aircraft when
attacked by aggressive enemy fighters. Luffberry Circles were
most often utilized by bomber aircraft, although some instances
of obsolescent fighters forming Luffberies against more advanced
fighter types also occurred, as a way of avoiding dog fights.
Bomber formation using Luffberies had the added benefit of
defensive gunners that further prevented enemy fighters from
attacking the formation. The tactic appeared very early in the
history of military aviation, at the very dawn of air combat,
and as such was though