Fair comment John, but I don’t think your opening post really said that.
You referenced the fighting of WWI and went on to imply if not outright state that therefore the British should have simply continued in that vein.
I actually disagree with your characterisation of air combat in the last years of WWI, although it holds true for the early years. In 1917 and 1918 large formations were the norm unlike the lone hunters of the early years. Yes a melee may have developed and maintaining formation integrity have been impossible but it did not mean every man for themselves as you seem to suggest. Fighters would provide cover for other fighters from their own side albeit perhaps not in a formal structured sense.

With regard to the attack formations developed by the RAF I think these actually show that staff officers and others were trying to devise effective tactics to combat large co-ordinated bomber formations that were the expected opposition.
We should remember the RAF didn’t expect to be facing manoeuvrable but shorter ranged fighters based in France when defending Britain in any engagement with Germany.

That the attack formations were ineffective and did indeed negate the principal positive attributes of the British fighters is undoubtedly true, however many of the best ideas have been seen to rather lacking once confronted with reality.