[sci.military] origin of "dogfighting"

pearce@tycho.yerkes.uchicago.edu (Eric C. Pearce) (06/21/89)

From: pearce@tycho.yerkes.uchicago.edu (Eric C. Pearce)


Does anyone know just why its called "dogfighting" anyway?
--

     - Eric C. Pearce
       Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago.
       
       e-mail: pearce@tycho.yerkes.uchicago.edu, pearce@oddjob.uchicago.edu
       fax:    (414) 245-9805

[mod.note: Ever seen dogs fight ?  It's not unlike the confusion of air
combat.  Maybe someone can shed some light on the actual origins of the
term. - Bill ]

gardiner@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (David Gardiner) (06/22/89)

From: gardiner@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (David Gardiner)
In WW I, people on the ground noted that the aircraft fighting above
looked like dogs chasing each others tails.  The analogy stuck.

At least, this is the story I heard on a VCR I rented (title had something
to do with Aces).

David Gardiner
U of MN CSci Dept.