Santiago,
Many thanks for your input and welcome.
I guess I can only comment regarding the two actions I was involved in.
On May 24 'Oro' section led by Capt Diaz was in a quite close arrow formation when we intercepted them at low level from the north. I was flying as number two to my squadron CO, Andy Auld, and I remember paying a great deal of attention to the airspace about two miles behind the raid as this was where I expected the escort to be. Had there been an escort of, say, two missile and gun armed Mirage III's we would have had to engage them first and 'Oro' would undoubtedly have got through to the target area.
These would have been our tactics had the roles been reversed.
On June 8 the visibility and light were much worse but a card escort would have posed a critical threat to Dave Morgan and myself as we attacked Hector Sanchez' formation of four A4's.
ES