Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?
As far as the formation:
The concept is the same as with the WW2 bombers that the scene is based upon. Large gaps would allow fighters to get in between and wreak havoc. In the case of TLJ, the idea was sound, but in practice the gunners were either not skilled enough to deal with the TIEs, or there were too many. Flawed strategy for that reason, but the tight formation was purposeful. And much more sensible than the 3 TIEs in the Death Star trench, which was a bit like three motorcycles riding side by side in one lane down a highway.
As far as arming the bombs early, watch the scene again. A bomber is shot down and explodes prior to arming happening, and then, after arming when several more bombers are shot down/crashed into, look at the explosions. Not wildly different, as it would be if arming the bombs would turn them from inert spheres into weapons.
An alternative source of detonation, from either FO blaster fire or the TIE crashing into one of the bombers in this case,
could make the explosive ordnance on board explode just as well whether the bombs had been armed or not. Nothing in canon indicates that the bombs in question are like plastic explosives, which, while a bit more resistant to exploding due to external forces, are still not impervious to it. A TIE crashing into the bomber could set of a chain reaction of explosions, especially when the TIE crashed directly into the bottom of the bomber’s magazine, or “clip.” (Canon term, not mine.)
Since we don’t know exactly how vulnerable the material in these bomber would be to outside forces, we’re left looking for other clues. And in the film, as mentioned above, the bomber that explodes before the bombs are armed doesn’t seem to explode any differently than those that are shot down after arming.
To demonstrate:
Before arming:
and after arming:
In short: it fails spectacularly as a plan, that much is undeniable. The reason for that is because the story demanded that it happen. But it’s not as stupid of a plan as it might seem at first glance.