Messerschmitt Me.262. Part seven

As the Me.262 was so fast for its time, that German pilots needed new tactics to attack Allied bombers. When performing a head-on attack, the combined closing speed of 720mph (1159km/h) was way too high for accurate shooting, with guns that could only shoot 44 shells per seconds. Even from astern the closing speed was too high to use the quartet of Mk.108 guns to maximum effect. That's why a "roller-coaster" attack was thought. The Me.262s approached from astern and about 1800m (5900ft) higher than the bombers. From about 5km (3.1milles) behind, they performed a shallow dive that took them through the escort fighters minimizing the risk of interception. When they were at about 1.5km (0.93milles) astern and 450m (1480ft) below the bombers, they pulled up sharply to reduce speed so when they levelled off, they were one kilometer astern (1100yd) and facing the bombers at about 150km/h (93mph) well positioned to start the attack.
As the 30mm Mk.108 cannons were short barreled and suffered from low muzzle speed, they became inaccurate beyond 600m (660yd) and the Me.262's speed required to break off at 200m (220yd) to avoid collision with the target, pilots normally started to fire the Mk.108s at 500m (550yd). Gun turret operators from the bombers, found that they had troubles tracking the jets as target adquisition was hard because jets closed into firing range quickly and remained in firing position for a very brief amount of time, using their standard attack profile, which proved more effective.
Eventually, new tactics were developed by German pilots to counter bombers' defences. Me.262 equipped with R4M rockets approached from the side of a bomber formation and, while still out of reach from bombers' machine guns, they fired a salvo of rockets which, just a pair of them could even take down the rough B-17 Flying Fortress. This tactic proved to be effective, however, it came too late to have any real impact in the course of the war and only a very few of them were equipped with the R4M rocket pack. Most of them were Me.262A-1a of the JG.7. This side-attack tactic became the standard one and was going to be perfected with the introduction of the Ruhrstal X-4 airborne guided missile. However, its development was cancelled due to the end of the war.
This tactic was nicknamed as the wolf pack (comparing it with the one used by the U-Boats), as the fighters often made runs in groups of two or three, fired their rockets and then returned to their bases. Apparently, in September 1944 USAAF General Carl Spaatz, expressed his fears that if greater number of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied bomber campaign.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262#Anti-bomber_tactics
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters