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Re: Friendly fire WWII
Don't remember if this was already said here:
“ On 20 August 1944 in Normandy First Canadian Army produced a report listing 52 separate instances of attacks by fighter bombers — Spitfires, Typhoons, Mustangs, and USAAF Lightnings — against its forward troops that occurred between 16 and 18 August and which had killed 72 and wounded 191 officers and men and destroyed or damaged twelve vehicles. Some of these attacks had been made despite yellow smoke being released, and in one case despite an Air Observation Post (AOP) artillery spotter plane attempting to ward off the offending Typhoons. Not surpringly, First Canadian Army called for all possible steps to be taken to reduce such occurences, warning that otherwise the provision of air support would soon become a deterrent to ground operations rather than the stimulant of which it was potentially capable of being.”
First Canadian Army Report, Attacks by Allied A/C on Own Tps -18 and 19 Aug. 1944 (20 August 1944) PRO WO 205/232.
72 killed in three days to friendly air attack seems huge to me (even if that is less than 2 per attack). I have a French book about Operation Paddle (the offensive of 1st Canadian Army from 16 August 1944) and I remember RAF attacks on the troops were evocated, but certainly not so high casualties.
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