Friendly fire WWII

[Laurent Rizzotti]

"Useful" friendly fire !!!

Around the 10th of October 1943 Wensleydale was ordered to first find and then escort the Free French Submarine Minerve (P26) back to port. Ken England remembers that "the submarine was transmitting the morse letter 'A' on a known frequency and by manning our MF D/F set we were able to get a fix on the sub's position". This submarine had been a victim of 'friendly fire' and was unable to dive. A Liberator, piloted by Mick Ensor spotted a submarine about 300 miles west of Brest. The submarine was attacked with eight 5"rockets. One 25lb rocket entered the starboard side just below the external torpedo tubes. Two men were killed. One by the rocket head and another by a fragment of the pressure hull. The submarine was off course and not reported in the area. Pilot Mick Ensor (see Enser's Endevour, by Vincent Orange) was cleared of any blame. The damage to Minerve proved very useful to navy intelligence. Many photographs were taken of the damage, angle of entry etc. The projectile was said to be virtually undamaged, but was unfortunately thrown overboard as it was considered likely to explode.

Source:
http://www.hmswensleydale.co.uk/1943.htm

[Laurent Rizzotti]

How to consider this one: an Allied ship mistaking an Allied aircraft for an Axis ships...

Walrus X9529
19? The aircraft was acquired by the Royal Air Force (RAF).
19? The aircraft was allocated to 293 Squadron.
10Sep1944 The aircraft was sunk while taxying by a Royal Navy MTB which mistook it for a German E-Boat.

Source:
http://www.cnapg.org/walrus.htm

[Brian]

Thanks for that Nokose - I had forgotten that incident - and I was one of the main authors!!

Cheers
Brian (aka B. Cull)

[Juha]

Hello Brian
I haven’t had time yet to search the German book from my attic but by chance came across following friendly fire cases

26 March 1942 a Pe-3 from 95. AP was shot down by a Hurricane from 122. IAD . Kpt. F. G. Kristjakov and St.lt. I. A. Gontsarov both killed
7 Aug 1942 a Yak-1 from 20. IAP was shot down by a I-16 near Vajenka 1 a/f, pilot I. S. Fomin was killed

Source: Hannu Valtonen: Luftwaffen Pohjoinen Sivusta

HTH
Juha

[Brian]

Super stuff, Juha, many thanks.

Cheers
Brian

[Juha]

BTW Brian, in Dénes Bernád’s et al very good From Barbarossa to Odessa Vol. 1, which is in any case well worth of its price, there are a number of “friedly fire” cases.

Juha

[Juha]

Hello Brian
on 25 Dec 1939 SLt Storozhakov from 26 IAP claimed a Gamecock near Lake Suvanto in Karelian Isthmus. Next day it proved out that the downed Gamecock was in fact an I-15bis from 59 IAB, which had made a forced landing in territory occupied by Soviet forces. On the same mission the formation of 8 I-16s also shot at an R-5.

Source: Keskinen - Partonen - Stenman Suomen Ilmavoimat Finnish Air Force 1928 – 40

Juha

[Brian]

Hi Juha

Excellent - that's another beer I owe you! Keep 'em coming!

Cheers
Brian

[PUFF OF SMOKE]

BRIAN, YOUR QUEST FOR FRIENDLY FIRE DETAILS RE THE 414 AND 412 SQUADRONS ARE FULLY DETAILED IN THE ATTACHED ARTICLE. THERE IS A STORY CONTAINED IN THE SAME ARTICLE ABOUT 23 DAKOTAS DOWNED BY NAVAL GUNFIRE IN SICILY

YOU WILL HAVE A LOT FOR AT LEAST TWO BOOKS.

REGARDS,


RON
http://www.legionmagazine.com/featur...tory/07-11.asp

[aclark116]

Hello:

I was lead to this forum by an internet search of s/n NS635, which I believe is the serial number of the DH Mosquito Mk XVI my grandfather flew in WWII (653rd Bombardment Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force at Watton).

I only have his name (Capt. Robert L. Lee), squadron info and a few photos to go on.

A list of USAAF Overseas Accident Reports I came across suggests on 16 Sept 1944 he was involved in a landing crash in aircraft NS635 at Watton, although a post earlier in this thread suggests on 24 March 1945 the same aircraft fell victim to friendly fire, while being flown by a different pilot.
http://www.aviationarcheology.org/sr...y/Sep1944O.htm
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=2670&page=35

Is it possible that these are the same aircraft?

I have several photos of my grandfather standing next to mossies, though only one of these I'm certain is his (he's standing near the nose of the aircraft). Please see attached photo -- the nose art says "Patches". Another photo had him standing near the tail, but the s/n is -632, not -635...





Any input or help would be greatly appreciated. I would really like to determine the correct serial number of the plane he flew.

Many thanks.