View Single Post
  #727  
Old 14th March 2017, 00:23
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Paris, France
Posts: 2,917
Laurent Rizzotti is on a distinguished road
Re: Friendly fire WWII

343rd Field Artillery Battalion, US Army, 17-18 August 1944
"As more troops were rushed up to plug the holes left behind the racing T-O boys, the 90th edged toward Chambois, driving and blocking until only one road remained that the battered German 7th Army could even hope to escape through. On 17 August, while moving to a position northwest of Nonant Le Pins, two P-38‘s circling overhead came down to strafe the column. The second came in too low, shearing the tops of four telephone poles and hitting Baker Battery‘s 4th gun section truck with its wing and propeller. Four men were killed and two injured during the strafing. The men killed were T/4 John Burkhart, Pfc. Henry Maul, Pfc. Fred D. Weyl, Jr., and Pvt. Tony A. Vigil. The plane crashed and burned about 250 yards from the road. The pilot was killed in the crash and burned beyond recognition, but his dog tags identified him as an American pilot. The next day Service Battery made a special trip to pick up engineer supplies, which turned out to be one ―maul‖. In the course of getting these ―supplies, the truck was strafed by British Spitfires and the driver was injured."
Source:
http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/His...%20FA%20Bn.pdf

The P-38 that crashed during the attack was possibly of 474th FG. See http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6000

47th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 2 November 1944
The battalion's first entry into Germany occurred at approximately 1360 near Rotgen, Germany, on November 2, where it went into firing positions to support a contemplated assault by CC "A" upon the towns of Strauch, Simmerath and Kesterneck. That afternoon at 1630 the battalion suffered the heaviest casualties it suffered in a single day. A flight of eleven P-38 planes circled the CP buildings and then bombed and strafed the area. The first three planes dropped two five-hundred pound bombs each, the first bomb hitting five yards from the assistant S-3's halftrack. Capt. E. D. Clark, Tec 6 A. G. Baker, Tec 6 Holscher, Tec 3 Nixon, Pfc. Leonard all were instantly killed. M Sgt Cate died of wounds the same day in a nearby hospital. Prompt action by a nearby anti-aircraft unit which fired recognition flares caused the remainder of the planes to pull out and leave the area.
The contemplated operation was cancelled and the remainder of the month of November saw the battalion engaged in firing interdiction, harassing, and some observed missions on the Siegfried Line defenses.
http://www.5ad.org/units/47AFA.html

202nd Field Artillery Battalion, 4 December 1944
"By tragic coincidence, at 1030 hours, the Battalion’s remaining L-4 Grasshopper observation and liaison aircraft was hit by friendly artillery fire and fell in flames near Puberg, Alsace, France. Pilot 1st Lt. Orris E. Herr and Observer 1st Lt. John W. White were killed instantly. A howitzer in “B” Battery was conducting registration fire in the area of Hinsbourg, France when the plane was hit."
http://www.202ndfieldartillery.com/Timeline.html
Reply With Quote