The Rotte or two-aircraft element was the most basic fighter combat formation.
In the attack, the leader led the assault against the enemy aircraft while the wingman protected the six of his leader.

Since the attack required full attention on the enemy, the leader lost situational awareness and became vulnerable. The wingman became an additional pair of eyes that warned the leader in case another foe threatened him.

When both the leader and the wingman were highly experienced, both aircraft could attack in sequence until the foe had been shot down, otherwise, the leader would carry out the attack until its conclusion.

In defense, the attacked fighter would make a hard break in the direction of the attack. If the enemy tried to follow him, the wingman would also turn in the same direction to sandwich the enemy.

This means that the attacker would be behind his initial target but the wingman would be behind him in turn. The attacker is now vulnerable.