Friendly fire WWII

[Darius]

Originally Posted by Six Nifty .50s

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).

Here´s an article on this accident in CMH:
Report on the Bombing of Our Own Troopsduring Operation “Tractable” 14 August 1944 by Arthur T. Harris:
https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcont...38&context=cmh

Regards

Darius

[Boomerang]

This is a friendly-fire incident that I can't recall seeing here earlier.

In early May 1945, the Australian 19th Brigade (part of the 6th Australian Division) was located at Cape Wom on the north coast of New Guinea. It was moving east to attack Japanese positions at Wewak, as part of the mostly forgotten Aitape-Wewak campaign.

In 'The Proud 6th', Mark Johnston records events on 7 May (page 216): "all Australians on Cape Wom underwent a shocking ordeal. American Lightning aircraft mistook that cape for the Japanese held Wewak Point and attacked the unsuspecting Australians. Eleven were killed...Fifteen...wounded". The American P-38 unit is not identified in the book. Perhaps a forum member may be able to identify it.

Another incident to add to a list that is, sadly, far too long.

Don W

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

See: https://pacificwrecks.com/units/usaaf/crtc/index.html - scroll down to May 7, 1945.

Brief mention (+ maps), in Official History - The Final Campaigns/Gavin Long/Canberra/AWM/1963.pp.345-6 - Download:
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1417188 pp.18-19 of 31 PDF)

Col.