[Six Nifty .50s]

This list covers attacks by American aircraft on ground and surface targets:

July 1943
During one week of operations in Sicily, Combat Command 'A' of the 2nd Armored Division lost 14 vehicles and 75 casualties to USAAF air attacks. General Maurice Rose ordered his command not to fire on friendly aircraft but a P-38 Lightning was shot down in self-defense. The pilot bailed out safely and evidently the Air Force made some adjustments because the misdirected air strikes stopped for the duration of the campaign. See p.175-176, Houston, Donald Eugene. Hell On Wheels: The 2d Armored Division (Novato, CA:Presidio, 1977).

July 1943
The U.S. Navy torpedo boat PT 166 was strafed and destroyed in error by USAAF B-25 bombers off the island of New Georgia. Two other PTs were hit and one Mitchell was shot down by the return fire, splashing into the sea about five miles away. The crew of PT 166 and three survivors from the B-25 were picked up by PT 164 and PT 168. See p.119-120, Bulkley, Robert. At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy (Washington, D.C.: Naval History Division, 1962).

January 1944
USAAF P-40 Warhawks accidentally strafed an RAF airfield near Trigno, Italy. Amount of damage and casualties if any were unspecified. See p.111, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Friendly Fire: Accidents in Battle from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

March 1944
USAAF bombers accidentally hit Allied troops during a raid on Cassino, causing about 300 casualties. See p.251, Gooderson, Ian. Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support in Europe 1943-45 (London, Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 1998).

April 1944
The U.S. Navy torpedo boats PT 346 and PT 347 were destroyed in error by U.S. Navy fighters off New Britain. See p.233-234, Bulkley, Robert. At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy (Washington, D.C.: Naval History Division, 1962).

June 1944
A Sherman tank of 'A' Squadron, 4th/7th Royal Dragoons was moving inland when it drove into a hidden depression and rolled on its side. The crew was standing near the overturned tank when they were seen and strafed in error by a USAAF Thunderbolt. Yellow smoke was released and the P-47 pilot stopped the attack. See p.70-71, Dunphie, Christopher & Garry Johnson. Gold Beach: Inland from King June 1944 (London: Leo Cooper, 1999).

June 1944
Members of the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, were strafed by USAAF P-47 fighters near the causeway above Carentan. Fortunately no one was hit. See p.139, Bando, Mark. The 101st Airborne at Normandy (Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1994).

June 1944
USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts accidentally bombed paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division who were guarding the water crossings over the Douvre near Brevands. One man was killed and three wounded. Two wooden bridges were destroyed in error by the Thunderbolts, possibly due to the lack of radio communications with the planes. See p.148, Rapport, Leonard and Arthur Norwood. Rendezvous with Destiny:History of the 101st Airborne Division (Fort Campbell, KY: The 101st Airborne Association, 1948).

July 1944
During Operation GOODWOOD, a stray bomb dropped by a USAAF B-26 Marauder hit 'B' Squadron of the 23rd Hussars, British 11th Armoured Division. Two men were killed and one wounded. See p.69-70, Regimental Committee. The Story of the 23rd Hussars, 1940-46 (Aldershot: 1946).

July 1944
USAAF bombers hit US troops in error during an abortive airstrike near St. Lo, causing about 155 casualties. See p.138, Blumenson, Martin. The Battle of the Generals (New York: William Morrow, 1993).

July 1944
USAAF bombers remounted their raid from the previous day. This time Operation COBRA was not cancelled, but US positions were again plastered by bombs causing about 600 casualties including Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, the commander of Army Ground Forces who was killed. Another 200 men were battle fatigue cases and at least one US tank was knocked out, an 'A' Company Sherman of 70th Tank Battalion. See p.139, Blumenson, Martin. The Battle of the Generals (New York: William Morrow, 1993). See p.75, Hall, Chester. History of the 70th Tank Battalion, 1940-46 (1946).

July 1944
USAAF P-47s bombed elements of the US 2nd Armored Division near Canisy. Identification panels and yellow smoke were used to signal the planes, although the Germans were reported to be using orange smoke for the same purpose. Losses if any were unspecified. See p.216, Houston, Donald Eugene. Hell On Wheels: The 2d Armored Division (Novato, CA:Presidio, 1977).

July 1944
USAAF P-47s attacked the US 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion near Periers. Losses if any were unspecified. See p.20, Battalion Committee. The 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion (1945).

August 1944
USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts strafed elements of the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry of British 11th Armoured Division, near Vassy. Yellow recognition smoke was released to signal the planes, but this was either ignored or not seen. Losses if any were not specified. See p.84, Delaforce, Patrick. The Black Bull: From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division (Stroud, UK: Alan Sutton, 1993).

August 1944
USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts bombed, rocketed and strafed various elements of the British 11th Armoured Division. At least one man was killed, some vehicles of the 8th Rifle Brigade medical unit were hit and a half-track was destroyed. See p.88-89, Delaforce, Patrick. The Black Bull: From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division (Stroud, UK: Alan Sutton, 1993). See p.100, Regimental Committee. The Story of the 23rd Hussars, 1940-46 (Aldershot: 1946).

August 1944
USAAF heavy bombers hit Allied troops in error during Operation TOTALIZE. 83 vehicles and seven field guns were knocked out, although there seems to be a discrepancy in the casualties reported. Roughly 375-460 depending on whose figures you believe. See p.121, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Air War Normandy (London: Leo Cooper, 1994). See p.251, Gooderson, Ian. Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support in Europe 1943-45 (London, Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 1998).

August 1944
USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts shot up elements of the Grenadier Guards of British Guards Armoured Division near the Vire-Estry Road. Three men were killed and one wounded. See p.99, Nicolson, Nigel, and Patrick Forbes. The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945, Two Volume set (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1949).

August 1944
Elements of US 3rd Armored Division were attacked near Ranes."...One of the unfortunate incidents of war occurred when a P-47, attempting to attack German forces one field ahead of American tanks, accidentally dropped a bomb short. Several GI's were wounded seriously and one killed outright. Another bomb fell within fifty yards of General Hickey's command post, also injuring a number of soldiers. Faulty release mechanisms on the airplanes were believed to be the chief reason for these occurences..." See p.79, Divisional Committee. Spearhead in the West, 1941-45: The Third Armored Division (Frankfurt am Main-Schwanheim: F.J. Henrich, 1945).

August 1944
USAAF P-38 Lightnings attacked the Seaforths and the Camerons of 51st Highland Division on several occasions near the River Vie. See p.166, Salmond, James Bell. The History of the 51st Highland Division, 1939-1945 (Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1953).

August 1944
Units of Combat Command 'A' US 3rd Armored Division were driven out of Fromentel by USAAF P-38 Lightnings, which had been dropping bombs too close for comfort. When CCA returned to the village, they were again bombed by P-38s and the men began to duck for foxholes whenever they saw the twin-boom fighters approaching. See p.80, Divisional Committee. Spearhead in the West, 1941-45: The Third Armored Division (Frankfurt am Main-Schwanheim: F.J. Henrich, 1945).

August 1944
USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts dive-bombed and strafed the British Columbia Regiment of 4th Canadian Armoured Division, fatally injuring Major Jack Worthington and Trooper A. Hallmark. See Chapter VI, Regimental Committee. The Story of the British Columbia Regiment 1939-1945. Undated with no author, publisher or page numbers listed. Probably printed in Vancouver in the 1940s.

September 1944
USAAF P-47s strafed a group of Americans from the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Lt. Col. Robert Cole (Medal of Honor for action in Normandy) ran out into a field to signal the attacking planes and was killed by a German sniper. See p.35, Bando, Mark. The 101st Airborne, From Holland to Hitler's Eagles Nest (Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1994).

September 1944
USAAF P-38 Lightnings attacked the US 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion near Brest. Losses if any were unspecified. See p.22, Battalion Committee. The 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion (1945).

September 1944
USAAF P-47 strafed elements of the US 602nd Tank Destroyer Battalion near Bathlemont. No one was hit and the pilot broke off his attack after passing over the column. See p.12, Oliver, Bertrand. History of the 602nd Tank Destroyer Battalion: March 1941 to November 1945 (East Lansing, MI: 602nd Tank Destroyer Association, 1990).

December 1944
USAAF bombers accidentally dropped short on the Ardennes town of Malmédy, which was apparently hit more than once. Up to 300 civilians and an unknown number of Americans were killed. See p.13-14, Pallud, Jean-Paul. Ardennes 1944: Peiper and Skorzeny (London: Osprey Publishing, 1987).

December 1944
"...there were a few occasions when American planes had attacked (the 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion) and it was never determined exactly whether they were being flown by American pilots..." See p.69, McGrann, Roy. The 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion: April 10, 1942 to December 7, 1945 (Elizabeth, PA, 1946).

December 1944
USAAF P-47s bombed and strafed elements of the US 101st Airborne Division as they attacked German units in Marvie. As he jumped into a foxhole, Colonel Bud Harper saw that some colored recognition panels had been on display but these were either ignored or undetected by the pilots. See p.526, Rapport, Leonard and Arthur Norwood. Rendezvous with Destiny:History of the 101st Airborne Division (Fort Campbell, KY: The 101st Airborne Association, 1948).

December 1944
USAAF P-47s bombed and strafed elements of the US 740th Tank Battalion and 119th Infantry Regiment of US 30th Division. One tank from the 740th was knocked out and three men were slightly wounded. See p.70 and p.240-243, Rubel, George Kenneth. Daredevil Tankers: The Story of the 740th Tank Battalion, US Army (1945).

January 1945
USAAF P-47s strafed a group of Americans from the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Lt. Col. John Stopka was killed in the attack. Ironically, Stopka had replaced Lt. Col. Robert Cole, who was killed by a sniper following a friendly fire accident with P-47s. See p.121, Bando, Mark. The 101st Airborne, From Holland to Hitler's Eagles Nest (Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1994).

March 1945
USAAF P-51s of the 359th Fighter Group attacked a German train which, in this case, was carrying some 220 Allied PoWs on their way to Stalag IIB. In one of life’s little ironies, a downed pilot of the 359th was aboard this train. He asked some of the prisoners to wave hankerchiefs out the windows of the boxcars to signal the fighters, which may have been noticed because the strafing passes stopped. See p.134, Smith, Jack. Mustangs & Unicorns: A History of the 359th Fighter Group (Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Publishing, 1997).

April 1945
USAAF bombers accidentally hit Allied troops during Operation BUCKLAND, causing about 160 casualties. See p.251, Gooderson, Ian. Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support in Europe 1943-45 (London, Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 1998).

April 1945
USAAF aircraft knocked out an M5 Light Tank of the British 17th/21st Lancers, near Gallo, Italy. Two men were killed. Two other armoured regiments in the area were also attacked by the same group of aircraft. A few days later, the crew of a Sherman Firefly from the 17th/21st Lancers misidentified and opened fire on a US tank near Pilastrello, Italy. Fortunately the 17-pounder gun missed the target and by coincidence that proved to be the last shot expended by the regiment during World War II.

See p.222-223, ffrench Blake, Robert Lifford Valentine. A History of the 17th/21st Lancers:1922-1959 (London: MacMillan, 1962).