Friendly fire WWII

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks for the confirmation Brian.

Any planning for the continuation of the Blue on Blue series ?

[Brian]

Hi Laurent

Yes, the 'Blue on Blue' series is progressing - with this type of subject one never knows when to draw a line!

I'm ever hopeful, so keep watching!!

Cheers
Brian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

A SBD of USN bombing Marine on Gavutu Island on 7 August 1942:
http://missingmarines.com/2012/04/17...ond-leon-bray/

A Marine SBD shot down by US ships off Guadalcanal on 18 September 1942:
http://missingmarines.com/2013/04/19...d-evan-thomas/

[Leendert]

Laurent,

A destroyer (DE-420) was named after Lt. Leland E. Thomas.

Interestingly the accompanying bio on Lt Thomas on history.navy.mil gives this version surrounding the circumstances of his death: Lieutenant Thomas was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 18 September 1942 while launching an aggressive attack on enemy warships.

See http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l5...d_e_thomas.htm

Regards,

Leendert

[Laurent Rizzotti]

That is how the official story is written. By the way the MAG-23 War Diary confirms the loss to friendly fire, and there was no action this day against the enemy by SBDs from Guadalcanal.
http://www.fold3.com/image/279777731/

[vvkj41]

Hi Brian & Guys

Small contribution regarding Royal Yugoslav AF

Cheers
Aleks


Friendly fire – Royal Yugoslav Air Force, April 1941

6 April 1941 - Lockheed Electra YU-S??, Transportation group. Attacked by Messerschmit 109E from 2.Fighter Regiment (2.LP) in central Serbia. Messerschmitt pilot recognized Yugoslav markings and abort attack. Electra was undamaged.

6 April 1941 – Meserschmitt Bf 109E-3 unknown s/n, 2.Fighter Regiment (2.LP). Damaged in combat with Germans over Belgrade try to land at Zemun airfield. Shot down by airfield AA guns. Pilot managed to jump at low attitude, seriously burned.
6 April 1941 – Bristol Blenheim Mk.I 3528, 11. Independent Long Range Recce group (11.SGDI). Shot by Yugoslav AA guns from Fruška Gora Mountain. Blenheim explode during force landing. Crew of three perished: Lt Slavko Zelenika, nvtč Todor Radović and Sgt Blagoje Bakić.
6 April 1941 – Bristol Blenheim, unknown s/n, 1.Bomber Regiment (1.BP). Shot by Yugoslav AA guns over Avala Mountain near Belgrade. Only slightly damaged.
7 April 1941 – Bristol Blenheim Mk.I unknown s/n, 8.Bomber Regiment (8.BP). Shot by Yugoslav AA guns near airfield Novi Sad. Slightly damaged.
7 April 1941 – S.79 „black 12“ unknown s/n, 81.Independent Bomber group (81.SBG). Shot by Royal Yugoslav fleet from Boka Kotorska bay. Crash landed, crew unhurt.
7 April 1941 – Lockheed Electra YU-SBD, Transportation group. Shot by British ships from Preveze harbor in Greece. Crash landed, crew and passengers unhurt.
7 April 1941 – Fieseler Fi156 Storch 1.Recce group. Shot by Yugoslav AA guns over Novi Sad. Wounded pilot land near railway station. On 8 April another pilot was shot by same AA battery. He returned back with 17 shots in plane.

9 April 1941 – Hawker Fury Mk.II unknown s/n, 5.Fighter Regiment (5.LP). Shot down by Yugoslav AA guns near Kraljevo. Pilot jumped, only slightly injured.
9 April 1941 – Rogožarski PVT, unknown s/n, 5.Fighter Regiment (5.LP). Shot down by Yugoslav ground fire near Dulane village. Captain Otokar Sep died in crash.
9 April 1941 – Hawker Fury MK.II, unknown s/n, 5.Fighter Regiment (5.LP). Shot by Yugoslav ground fire near Dulane village. Pilot crash landed near Ćićevac in central Serbia, slightly wounded.
9 April 1941 – Potez 25, unknown s/n, 7.Recce group. Shot by Yugoslav AA guns while landing at Divci airfield near Valjevo. Landing gear collapsed, pilot unhurt.
9 April 1941 – Fieseler Fi156 Storch, unknown s/n, 7.Recce group. Shot by Yugoslav AA guns near Smederevska Palanka. Crash landed. Crew of two unhurt.
10 April 1941 – Potez 25, unknown s/n, 606.Training Escadrille (606.TE). Shot by Yugoslav AA guns near Slavonski Brod. Force landed. Pilot unhurt, mechanic slightly injured.
10 April 1941 – Messerschmitt Bf 110C, Test group (OG). Shot by Yugoslav ground fire while landing at Radinci airfield. Hidraulic pump damaged, pilot manage to land.
10 April 1941 – Potez 25, unknown s/n, 609.Escadrille (609.E). Shot down by Yugoslav AA guns near Čačak in western Serbia. Pilot Lt Ilija Kandić and observer Lt Josip Novaković died in crash.
10 april 1941 – Bücker Bü 131D, unknown s/n, 7.Bomber Regiment (7.BP). Shot down by Yugoslav AA guns near Čačak in western Serbia. Pilot Sgt Alojz Stražišar and mechanic Sgt Zdravko Berisavljević died.
11 April 1941 – S.79 unknown s/n, 7.Bomber Regiment. Shot down by Yugoslav AA guns over Igman Mountain near Sarajevo. Seven Yugoslav aviators perished: 2Lt Miodrag Djordjević, Sgt Branko Tomić, 2Lt Branko Mirić, 2Lt Miodrag Nikolić, 2Lt Aleksandar Hristić, Sgt Vojislav Mećikućić and unknown airmen.
11 April 1941 – Bristol Blenheim Mk.I 3535, 1.Bomber Regiment (1.BP). Shot by British ships from Preveze harbor in Greece. Crash landed near Ioannina, crew of two unhurt.
12 April 1941 – Three Dorniers Do17K from 3.Bomber Regiment (3.BP) bombed own troops near Sokolac in Bosnia. Few wounded soldiers on the ground. No one killed.
15 April 1941 – Hawker Hurricane Mk.I 2337, 2.Fighter Regiment (2.LP). Shot by Yugoslav S.79 gunner during escort to target in Albania. Hurricane slightly damaged landed at Kapino Polje airfield.
15 April 1941 – Dornier Do17K 3348, 3.Bomber Regiment (3.BP). Shot by Australian troops while landing at Menidi airfield. Dornier only slightely damaged.
16 April 1941 – S.79 „white 12“ unknown s/n, 7.Bomber Regiment (7.BP) shot by British ships from Preveze harbor in Greece. Crash landed, some of crew and passengers badly hurt. Minister Marko Daković died shortly after.

All the Best

Aleks

[Brian]

Many thanks Aleks

Your 'small' contribution is in fact a major contribution!

Excellent

Cheers
Brian