Friendly fire WWII

[Nick Beale]

I thought it was high time this thread was made a sticky. I can't think why we didn't do it before it got to 64 pages!

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi Nick, it was a sticky at a time before activity of the thread went down.

Brian, I think you have a fold3 account now, here are some links on the USN War Diaries section describing friendly fire incidents. These reports are always written from the ship side and do not identify the aircraft involved, but are interesting anyway.

9 June 1944: several Allied aircraft shot down off Normandy by naval Allied AA fire
http://www.fold3.com/image/#276912467

21 June 1944: a PBM shot down by friendly fire off Marianas
http://www.fold3.com/image/#293478421

25 October 1944: a aircraft shot down by friendly AA fire off Leyte
http://www.fold3.com/image/#293478421

2 December 1944: a PT boat strafed by an Allied aircraft
http://www.fold3.com/image/#295371282

[HGabor]

On February 4, 1945 three La-5s fired 39. ORAP recce. Pe-2 at 5300 m over Dunaföldvár, Hungary. Fast speed bomber slightly escaped but observer, Lt. Anatolii Alekseevich Kovyazhin was killed by friendly bullets. Buried at Szabadszállás.

All planes 17 VA, 3rd Ukrainian Front.

Gabor

[Darius]

Hello,

I have here the Information about a friendly-fire incident on 20.01.1944 off Norway.

Following the KTB Skl, about noon that day 8 torpedo aircraft attacked the german minelayer "Skagerrak" with his escorts and AP of 2 fighters and a Bv flying-boat. 3 attackers were shot down, the "Skagerrak" sank following torpedo hit.

In chapter about airwar, there is a notice, that the german CAP shot down two own airplanes.

Do you have any further data about this Action?

Thank you

Darius

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello,

One more case:

Uffz. Gabriel Tautscher of 9./JG 51 was demoted to the rank of Flieger after he has shot down by error the reconnaissance Ju 86 R of 1.(F)/100 (returning from the sortie to the Moscow area) near Vjazma on 9 February 1943. Apparently, Tautscher was not familiar with the recognition chart of a Ju 86 R (which was moreover reported as an enemy aircraft) and had experienced problems with icing of his windshield that further obstracted his view. Nevertheless, after his demotion Tautscher continued to add to his score, was promoted back to Unteroffizier and awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold before being killed by a flak hit east of Osaritchi on 12 January 1944 (with at least 58 kills on his credit).

Source: Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe Part 12/II by Prien et al., pages 72-73.

Ota

[Juha]

Originally Posted by Darius

Hello,

I have here the Information about a friendly-fire incident on 20.01.1944 off Norway.

Following the KTB Skl, about noon that day 8 torpedo aircraft attacked the german minelayer "Skagerrak" with his escorts and AP of 2 fighters and a Bv flying-boat. 3 attackers were shot down, the "Skagerrak" sank following torpedo hit.

In chapter about airwar, there is a notice, that the german CAP shot down two own airplanes.

Do you have any further data about this Action?

Thank you

Darius

Attackers were 4 Torbeaus and 4 escort Beaus from 489 Sqn (RNZAF), none were lost only a couple planes were hit by the AA. One can find a bit more info e.g. from Björn Hafsten's et al Flyalarm. Luftkrigen over Norge 1939 - 1945 (1991) p. 189.

Juha