[Six Nifty .50s]

Brian, thanks for the info. What follows represents much of what I have on World War II air-to-ground incidents, including some involving PT boats because I don't remember if all were covered by Paul Kemp. This list includes attacks by British and Commonwealth aircrews. Apologies in advance for any typographic errors that I may have missed.

May 1940
The crew of an RAF Whitley from No. 10 Squadron not only bombed the wrong country, they bombed their own country! Sent to attack an airfield in Holland, but due to a navigational error the Whitley instead bombed the RAF station at Bassingbourn. See http://www.etherington.demon.co.uk/1940/may/27.htm >

January 1941
RAF aircraft strafed General Savory's 11th Indian Brigade in Eritrea, North Africa. The exact number of losses was not mentioned. See p.141, Regan, Geoffrey. Blue on Blue: A History of Friendly Fire (New York, NY: Avon Books, 1995).

February 1941
Six RAF Spitfire pilots flew an air show at Salisbury Plain, a live firing exercise to demonstrate the latest 20mm cannons. A group of trucks was lined up and strafed for a crowd of dignitaries. The last plane to make a firing pass shot up the spectators -- killing five officers including two generals and wounding about 20 others. Photographs taken by the War Office were confiscated and the witnesses were sworn to secrecy. See p.77, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Friendly Fire: Accidents in Battle from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

November 1941
RAF aircraft bombed the 1st Essex Regiment during Operation CRUSADER, causing about 40 casualties. See p.141, Regan, Geoffrey. Blue on Blue: A History of Friendly Fire (New York, NY: Avon Books, 1995).

June 1942
RAF Wellingtons pummeled Allied troops near Mersa Matruh, North Africa. One of the victims was the 4th County of London Yeomanry, British 7th Armoured Division. Data given on losses was vague, although it was said much damage was caused. The regimental historian thought it was worth mentioning that the officers mess vehicle was destroyed with its priceless whiskey. One soldier earned a medal by saving some of the vehicles from the fires. See p.65, Graham, Andrew. Sharpshooters at War: The 3rd and 4th and 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry, 1939-1945 (London: Sharpshooters Regimental Association, 1964).

The British 3rd Hussars were also hit, apparently in the same raid, but their total losses were not specified. See p.95-96, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Friendly Fire: Accidents in Battle from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

The aftermath of RAF raids at this time were also seen by the Germans: "...The RAF had bombed their own troops, and with tracer flying in all directions, German units fired on each other. At 0500 hours next morning 28th June, I drove up to the breakout area where we had spent such a disturbed night. There we found a number of lorries filled with the mangled corpses of New Zealanders who had been killed by the British bombs..." Quote by Erwin Rommel. See p.238-239, Liddell-Hart, Basil Henry. The Rommel Papers (New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich, 1953).

October 1942
During the second battle of El Alamein, the RAF bombed British troops during a four hour raid. The British 10th Hussars were among the victims and they did not know the proper distress signal to call off their planes. See p.4, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Friendly Fire: Accidents in Battle from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

October 1942
After a series of mistaken attacks by the RAF Desert Air Force, the commanding officer of 1st South African Division was prompted to say that "...if you've got to bomb my trucks, you might at least hit them! You've missed them every bloody time..." See p.4, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Friendly Fire: Accidents in Battle from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

March 1944
Two US Navy torpedo boats (PT 121 and PT 353) were destroyed in error by RAAF Kittyhawks of 78 Squadron, along with an RAAF Beaufighter of 30 Squadron. A second Beaufighter crew recognized the vessels as PTs and tried to stop the attack, but not before both boats exploded and sank off the coast of New Britain. Eight American sailors were killed with 12 others wounded. See p.232-233, Bulkley, Robert. At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy (Washington, D.C.: Naval History Division, 1962).

June 1944
RAF fighters bombed and strafed the HQ of 3rd Parachute Brigade, British 6th Airborne Division. Several men were killed or wounded, including Brigadier James Hill, who said that the planes appeared to be Spitfires though it was later discovered that the attacking aircraft were Typhoons. See p.108-109, Shilleto, Carl. Pegasus Bridge & Merville Battery: British 6th Airborne Landings in Normandy 6th June 1944. Battleground Europe series (London: Leo Cooper, 1999).

June 1944
RAF Lancasters bombed the German artillery battery at Merville, but succeeded only in killing most of the British reconaissance party and devastating the town. They also mistakenly bombed Drop Zone 'V ' of the 6th Airborne Division -- total losses there was not specified. See p. 101-102, Gregory, Barry. British Airborne Troops 1940-45 (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1974). See p.99, Bernage, Georges. Red Devils in Normandy, 6th Airborne Division, 5-6 June 1944 (Bayeux: Editions Heimdal, 2002).

June 1944
LCT's of 77 Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers were about 20 yards from Sword Beach when they were bombed by four RAF aircraft. See p.93, Delaforce, Patrick. Churchill's Secret Weapons: The Story of Hobart's Funnies (London, UK: Robert Hale, 1998).

June 1944
RAF Typhoons bombed, rocketed and strafed the 175th Infantry Regiment, US 29th Division on the Isigny Highway, causing 24 casualties. Officers on the scene were furious but ordered their men to avoid returning fire, hoping that pilots would recognize their mistake, but this gesture apparently had no effect. In the aftermath one company commander told his men that in the future they should open fire on any plane that attacked. See p.169, Balkoski, Joseph. Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy, 2nd Edition (Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1999).

July 1944
The RAF Bomber Command raid on Caen killed a large number of French civilians, some 5,000 people by one estimate, with untold numbers wounded. See p.213-215, McKee, Alexander. Caen: Anvil of Victory (New York: Dorset Press, 1962).

July 1944
RAF fighters bombed the 4th Dorsets, 43rd Wessex Division during the battle for Hill 112 in the Odon Valley. Several men were wounded and one man was killed. See p.66, Saunders, Tim. Hill 112: Battles for the Odon. Battleground Europe series (London: Leo Cooper, 2001).

July 1944
The 4th Dorsets were assailed by RAF fighters for a second time during the battle for Hill 112. At least two men were seriously wounded as Typhoon rockets exploded around them. See p.118, Saunders, Tim. Hill 112: Battles for the Odon. Battleground Europe series (London: Leo Cooper, 2001).

July 1944
At about 1845 hours on 31st July, RAF Typhoons rocketed the staging area of the Grenadier Guards, British Guards Armoured Division. See p.82, Nicolson, Nigel, and Forbes, Patrick. The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945. Two Volume set (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1949).

July 1944
At 2200 hours on 31st July, RAF Typhoons attacked the Grenadier Guards for the second time. 1st Squadron tanks were near their objective when the Typhoons dropped sixteen bombs on them, followed by eight aircraft firing rockets. Evidently none of the vehicles were hit. See p.82, Nicolson, Nigel, and Forbes, Patrick. The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945. Two Volume set (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1949).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons attacked several half tracks of the British 43rd Wessex Division near Jurques. Two men were wounded. See p.63, Essame, Hubert. The 43rd Wessex Division at War:1944-1945 (London: William Clowes & Sons Ltd., 1952).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons of the 2nd TAF assisted U.S. ground forces in stopping a German armored attack between Sourdeval and Mortain on August 7th. The air support from RAF fighters was welcomed by US troops in some places at the front, but that was not always the case. Lt. Tom Springfield of the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion said, " The only time we saw a Typhoon is when they hit us ". As commander of a road block at L’Abbaye Blanche, his tank destroyer platoon was engaged with elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division. Even after Springfield's men put out recognition markers and fired yellow smoke, several Typhoon rockets exploded near two of his towed 3-inch guns, killing one man and wounding others.
See p.129-137, Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944 (Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998). See p.61, Gill, Lonnie. Tank Destroyer Forces WWII (Paducuh, KY: Turner Publishing, 1992).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons attacked the Cannon Company of 120th Infantry Regiment, US 30th Division, near Mortain although losses if any were not mentioned. See p.135, Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944 (Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons shot up the Service Company of the 120th Infantry Regiment, US 30th Division, causing several casualties, including Major James Bynum who was killed near Mortain. The officer who replaced him was strafed by another Typhoon a few minutes later and seriously wounded. See p.135, Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944 (Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons strafed a squad from ‘F’ Company, US 120th Infantry Regiment, near Hill 314. Two men were killed. See p.111-112, Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944 (Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons rocketed two Sherman tanks from ‘C’ Company, US 743rd Tank Battalion near Mortain. Number of crew casualties was unclear but the resulting inferno and smoke subsequently attracted fire from nearby US artillery units. See p.56, Folkestad, William. The View from the Turret: The 743rd Tank Battalion During WWII (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 2000).

August 1944
Two Shermans from 'A' Company, US 743rd Tank Battalion were set ablaze by friendly planes near Mortain. It was not specified whether this was caused by RAF Typhoons or USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts. One tank crewman was killed. See p.56, Folkestad, William. The View from the Turret: The 743rd Tank Battalion During WWII (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 2000).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons strafed ‘B’ Company, US 120th Infantry Regiment on Hill 285, killing the driver of a weapons carrier. US troops reported that Typhoon pilots had trouble telling the difference between live German tanks and dead ones. British planes constantly attacked vehicles that had been knocked out by US guns earlier in the day. See p.135-136, Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944 (Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons shot up units of the British Columbia Regiment and the Algonquin Regiment, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, near Quesnay Wood during Operation TOTALIZE. Later that day, the same units were mistakenly fired upon by tanks and artillery of the 1st Polish Armoured Division. See p.80-83, Cassidy, George. Warpath: The Story of the Algonquin Regiment, 1939-1945 (Toronto: Algonquin Regt. Veterans' Association, 1948).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons fired rockets at Shermans of ‘A’ Company, US 743rd Tank Battalion, causing damage to one tank. See p.58, Folkestad, William. The View from the Turret: The 743rd Tank Battalion During WWII (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 2000).

August 1944
RAF Typhoons attacked ‘B’ Company of the 4th Wiltshires, British 43rd Wessex Division near La Villette. Losses if any not specified. See p.80, Essame, Hubert. The 43rd Wessex Division at War:1944-1945 (London: William Clowes & Sons Ltd., 1952).

August 1944
RAF heavy bombers hit Allied troops in error during Operation TRACTABLE causing about 490 casualties including 112 dead. The bombings also wiped out 265 Allied vehicles, 30 field guns and two tanks. In retaliation, British anti-aircraft guns opened fire on the RAF bombers. See p.122, Bickers, Richard Townshend. Air War Normandy (London: Leo Cooper, 1994).

August 1944
Between August 14-18, the South Alberta Regiment of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division was attacked six times by RAF fighters and other units had similar experiences. A number of vehicles were set ablaze and in some cases the yellow smoke used for signalling friendly planes was ignored by RAF pilots. Out of frustration, an officer of the South Albertas wanted his Crusader AA tanks to shoot at the Spitfires attacking his HQ. See p.122-138, Graves, Donald. South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War (Toronto: Robin Brass Studio, 1998).

August 1944
The 51st Highland Division was jumped by RAF fighters near the River Vie: "...and then the usual trouble began. The Camerons actually had to stop advancing because Spitfires had knocked out every wireless vehicle in their establishment..."

See p.166, Salmond, James Bell. The History of the 51st Highland Division, 1939-1945 (Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1953).

August 1944
"...The 5th Camerons had to abandon their attack...because the Spitfires had knocked out every wireless vehicle they possessed and they were unable to communicate with brigade, their companies, or the gunners. Against such an emergency we had each been provided with a triangle of yellow silk, the idea being that the forward troops should lay them out and draw attention to themselves. The triangles, however, were by no means foolproof, because the man who was being shot up was usually much too busy taking cover to have time to display one; whereas all the troops a mile behind him, fearing that they would be the next victims, immediately rushed to display theirs. The pilot then took the triangles to be the front line and then continued to harry those in front -- if he saw triangles at all... which...was doubtful..."
Capt Alastair Borthwick
5th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders
British 51st Highland Division

See p.89, Windrow, Martin. The Soldier‘s Story: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 2001).

August 1944
RAF fighters shot up elements of British 7th Armoured Division and caused about 20 casualties, including the intelligence officer of 8th Hussars who was severely wounded. The colonel riding along was badly shaken when their jeep crashed. See p.224, Verney, Gerald Lloyd. The Desert Rats: The History of the 7th Armoured Division 1938 to 1945 (London: Hutchinson, 1954).

August 1944
RAF fighters attacked the Norfolk Yeomanry anti-tank regiment of British 7th Armoured Division. Three guns [probably M-10 Tank Destroyers] were knocked out and other vehicles were set on fire. See p.224, Verney, Gerald Lloyd. The Desert Rats: The History of the 7th Armoured Division 1938 to 1945 (London: Hutchinson, 1954).

August 1944
RAF fighters attacked troops of the Queen's Royal Regiment, British 7th Armoured Division, near Lisieux: "...The battalion's few casualties were caused mostly by our own Spitfires, which twice strafed the main Livarot road..." See p.378, Foster, R.C.G. History of the Queen's Royal Regiment, vol.VIII, 1924-1948 (Aldershot: Gale & Polden Ltd., 1953).

September 1944
By this time the British Guards Armoured Division feared RAF fighters more than German fighters:

"...Intoxicated with excitement though they were, the citizens of Beauvais were sufficiently level-headed to notice that the Grenadiers kept glancing up towards the sky. This puzzled them, and one elderly Frenchman tackled an officer on the subject. ‘Why’ he asked, ‘are you so worried about being attacked from the air when you have air superiority?’ The reason was simple. Bitter experience had taught the Battalions that friendly planes, especially in forward areas and during swift advances, were often to be feared more than those of the enemy... the troops had learnt that a Typhoon attack was far more nerve-wracking than anything the Luftwaffe could produce..."

See p.104, Nicolson, Nigel, and Forbes, Patrick. The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945. Two Volume set (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1949).

September 1944
"...The afternoon had passed quietly near Arras, disturbed only by two British fighters, which machine-gunned the area and set a Welsh Guards lorry on fire. 'Vive la RAF' had been chalked on several vehicles by overjoyed civilians: After this incident the divisional commander's ADC, Capt. the Hon. A. D. Tyron, walked over to his scout car and added the words 'except two Spitfires'..."

See p.107, Nicolson, Nigel, and Forbes, Patrick. The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945. Two Volume set (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1949).

September 1944
RAF Typhoons shot up a column of Irish Guards, Guards Armoured Division, while enroute to Tourneau. Your correspondent forgot to record the source of this incident, but it came from an Irish Guards unit history and I recall going through more than one title pertaining to this regiment.

September 1944
RAF Typhoons destroyed two Sherman tanks of the Governor General's Foot Guards, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, in the vicinity of Maldegum:

"...While so deployed the tanks were suddenly attacked, in mistake, by several Typhoon aircraft. Lt. Middleton-Hope's tank was badly hit, killing the gunner Gdsm. Hughes, and the tank was set on fire. Almost immediately Sgt. Jenning's tank was similarly knocked out by Typhoon rockets. Meanwhile the Typhoons continued to press home their attack with machine guns and rockets, and, while trying to extricate the gunner, Lt. Middleton-Hope was blown off the tank. In this tragic encounter Gdsm. G.E. Baker, Barter, and Cheal were seriously wounded..."

See p.144, The Regimental History of the Governor General's Foot Guards (Ottawa: 1948). Author unknown, possibly A. R. Jessup, or written by committee.

Another description of the same incident was found:

"...Unfortunately the Typhoons’ targets were two Foot Guards tanks working their way up on a highway about 400 yards to our right...the Guards lost two men killed and two Shermans 'rocketed out of this world'..."

See p.204, Graves, Donald. South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War (Toronto: Robin Brass Studio, 1998).

January 1945
RAF fighters strafed the assault gun platoon (105mm Sherman tanks) of US 743rd Tank Battalion, near Sart-Lez-St.-Vith. See p.88, Folkestad, William. The View from the Turret: The 743rd Tank Battalion During WWII (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 2000).

* * *

p.s. There is some interesting commentary about aircraft rocket attacks quoted on p.116 of Ian Gooderson's Air Power at the Battlefront, and I think it is worth mentioning here:

"...Interrogation of German prisoners has shown without question that German tank crews are extremely frightened of attacks by RP... Crews are very aware that if an RP does hit a tank, their chance of survival is small. It is admitted that the chances of a direct hit are slight; nevertheless, this would hardly be appreciated by a crew whose first thought would be of the disastrous results if a hit were obtained..."

According to the footnotes, those remarks were extracted from an RAF tactical bulletin, dated October 1944. However, based the number of crew losses from Allied tanks known to be hit by Typhoon rockets, the assumption that an RP hit was almost always fatal to a tank crew member might be an exaggeration. More to follow.