Friendly fire WWII

I have the operations record book for that incident, but no mention of a friendly fire incident

[Bruce Dennis]

From CX/MSS/2456:

16 April 1943, 8/JG.2

8/JG.2
Compiled by Pruefmeister AK WESTPHAL
1900 hours 15/4
Received by Feldw. EISENSCHMIDT
Place, date and time of accident: BREST harbour 1414 hours 14/4
Weather situation: no influence
Fw 190-5, werk no. 2643, black 8
Shot down by own ship flak.
A/c crashed in flames. Pilot baled out from about 100 meters. Parachute not completely open when Feldw. EISELE hit the watewr. Engagement with enemy.
Damage 100%. Replacement required.
Have the next of kin been informed? Yes. In writing.
Replacement required? Yes.

NOTE: the name of the ship is not given.
Bruce

[Laurent Rizzotti]

343rd Field Artillery Battalion, US Army, 17-18 August 1944
"As more troops were rushed up to plug the holes left behind the racing T-O boys, the 90th edged toward Chambois, driving and blocking until only one road remained that the battered German 7th Army could even hope to escape through. On 17 August, while moving to a position northwest of Nonant Le Pins, two P-38‘s circling overhead came down to strafe the column. The second came in too low, shearing the tops of four telephone poles and hitting Baker Battery‘s 4th gun section truck with its wing and propeller. Four men were killed and two injured during the strafing. The men killed were T/4 John Burkhart, Pfc. Henry Maul, Pfc. Fred D. Weyl, Jr., and Pvt. Tony A. Vigil. The plane crashed and burned about 250 yards from the road. The pilot was killed in the crash and burned beyond recognition, but his dog tags identified him as an American pilot. The next day Service Battery made a special trip to pick up engineer supplies, which turned out to be one ―maul‖. In the course of getting these ―supplies, the truck was strafed by British Spitfires and the driver was injured."
Source:
http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/His...%20FA%20Bn.pdf

The P-38 that crashed during the attack was possibly of 474th FG. See http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6000

47th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 2 November 1944
The battalion's first entry into Germany occurred at approximately 1360 near Rotgen, Germany, on November 2, where it went into firing positions to support a contemplated assault by CC "A" upon the towns of Strauch, Simmerath and Kesterneck. That afternoon at 1630 the battalion suffered the heaviest casualties it suffered in a single day. A flight of eleven P-38 planes circled the CP buildings and then bombed and strafed the area. The first three planes dropped two five-hundred pound bombs each, the first bomb hitting five yards from the assistant S-3's halftrack. Capt. E. D. Clark, Tec 6 A. G. Baker, Tec 6 Holscher, Tec 3 Nixon, Pfc. Leonard all were instantly killed. M Sgt Cate died of wounds the same day in a nearby hospital. Prompt action by a nearby anti-aircraft unit which fired recognition flares caused the remainder of the planes to pull out and leave the area.
The contemplated operation was cancelled and the remainder of the month of November saw the battalion engaged in firing interdiction, harassing, and some observed missions on the Siegfried Line defenses.
http://www.5ad.org/units/47AFA.html

202nd Field Artillery Battalion, 4 December 1944
"By tragic coincidence, at 1030 hours, the Battalion’s remaining L-4 Grasshopper observation and liaison aircraft was hit by friendly artillery fire and fell in flames near Puberg, Alsace, France. Pilot 1st Lt. Orris E. Herr and Observer 1st Lt. John W. White were killed instantly. A howitzer in “B” Battery was conducting registration fire in the area of Hinsbourg, France when the plane was hit."
http://www.202ndfieldartillery.com/Timeline.html

[Rainer]

Thanks for the identification of the aircraft shot down by GULF OF MEXICO.

Another similar incident happened on 6 June 1942 in the Indian Ocean:
The Norwegian motor merchant INDRA was en route northeast of Ceylon when an aircraft circled the ship several times. As it began to dive towards the ship her AA gunners downed the aircraft. Apparently it was a British Swordfish aircraft (814 Sqn FAA, pilot SubLt Andrew Moore, RNVR), all three crew members were lost.

[Observer1940]

Hello Brian

I have just finished a list, on one list, some files I probably have already mentioned.

AIR 2/3008 Inter-Service Committee on Recognition of Aircraft. 01 January 1939 - 31 December 1940 (some late 1940 references I think)

AIR 14/853 Erroneous attack on British submarines by aircraft of No 83 Squadron operating from Lossiemouth March 1940 Original Reference IIH/241/3/865 BC/S23848

AIR 14/390 Incidents between aircraft and A.A. defences (Home): Reports regarding unidentified aircraft. 01 Aug 1940 - 31 Oct 1940 Original Reference BC/S 22583

AIR 14/389 Incidents between No. 1 Group aircraft and A.A. defences (Home). 01 July 1941 - 31 August 1941 Original Reference BC/S 22583

AIR 14/272 Routeing of bombers: reports on investigation into incident with fighters in the Firth of Forth 21st December 1939 [Original AHB / Bomber Command reference IIH/241/3/847 (BC/S23366)]

AIR 14/273 Incident with Fighters in Firth of Forth 21 Dec 1939 Proceedings of Court of Inquiry (BC/S 23366/1)

AIR 16/11 A. A. fire against friendly aircraft. 01 Oct 1939 to 31 Oct 1940

AIR 16/12 Reports of Naval A. A. fire against friendly aircraft. 01 October 1939 - 31 December 1940

AIR 16/207 Attacks by fighters on friendly aircraft: Policy of courts of enquiry and court martial 1939 Nov to 1940 February. Original Reference HCTD/S/281

AIR 16/355 Interception of enemy by aircraft not under Fighter Command control. 01 August 1940 - 30 November 1941 Original File Reference FC/S20644 [INCLUDES SOME FRIENDLY INCIDENTS]

AIR 20/2217 DIRECTORATE-GENERAL OF ORGANISATION. Aircraft shot down or damaged by our own defences. 01 September 1937 - 30 June 1945 AHB Reference VE/32 [FILE SEEMS INCOMPLETE] mainly later 1940 onward A.A. cases (one sentence per case) with Accident file number (still withheld if they were kept)

AIR 20/2285 to AIR 20/2289 Beaufighter and Other Friendly Fire Attacks and Incidents in 1941

AIR 20/4289 (GENERAL). Rules for opening fire by fighters over the sea at night. 01 Mar 1940 - 30 Nov 1940 [POLICY but has later reference to the Firth of Forth incident]

AIR 35/87 Reports of firing on friendly aircraft by allied A.A. defences. 01 Jan 1940 to 31 Dec 1940

AIR 2/9279 Attack by aircraft of 86 Squadron on Russian submarine: Court of Inquiry. 1 Jan 1944 - 31 Dec 1944

Also a search of “Recognition” as well as “Identification” might yield some files, which might have the odd incident mentioned?

ADM 1/16390 Extracts from minutes of Board of Enquiry into loss of Soviet submarine B1. 01 Jan 1944 - 31 Dec 1944

Original File References quoted by Captain Roskill’s War at Sea HMSO 1954 an official history:-
Admty L.D. 01892/41 - NOT FOUND to date
A.T. 1047/21/2/41 - NOT FOUND to date
S.L. Papers Vol. 7, File 9.
Some incidents found in ADM 205/7 Case file 00261 Volume 7 First Sea Lord’s Records, but not sure if this holds original File 9.

ADM 178/248 Various incidents involving the shooting at Allied aircraft by British personnel 1940 to 1941 (Admiralty 332/41)
[Mainly seems to deal with the shooting down of a Vichy official and possibly some foreign allied a/c]

ADM 1/11917 DEFENCES - UNITED KINGDOM (32): Reports of R.A.F. aircraft being fired on by British land and sea anti-aircraft defences 1941 to 1942 Admiralty 481/42

Other incidents at the UK Coast and at Sea in Naval War History Case volumes and Policy
Also ADM 116 and ADM 199 (Naval ‘War History Case’ volumes) have incidents recorded by R.N. convoys etc., and by UK Defences some can be found first, listed in the huge Digests in ADM 12 along with the original Naval file numbers and/or War History Case volume numbers.

Naval Filing Code 32 was UK Defence
Naval Filing Code 90 was Aviation

To find the odd cases listed amongst the Digests (Naval Indexes in huge heavy volumes), the Digest volumes for 1940 covering these codes 32 (UK Defence) and 90 (Aviation) are:-

ADM 12/1746 covering the code for UK (Home) Defences (32) 1939 to 1940 and
ADM 12/1752 covering the code for Aviation (90) 1939 to 1940.

These ADM 12 files give you a brief description with the original Navy file reference, but some incidents recorded in ADM 12 are very difficult to find in the history volumes!

Regards Mark

[Brian]

Many thanks, Mark

Delving into all these files will keep me busy during my next few visits to TNA!

Cheers
Brian

[ahafan]

Originally Posted by Brian

Many thanks, Mark

Delving into all these files will keep me busy during my next few visits to TNA!

Cheers
Brian

u do some great work brian..
sharon

[NUPPOL]

Another Friendly fire at http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=36509&page=2

[Observer1940]

Hello Brian

A note indicated that the following Whitley and Blenheim accidents were possibly connected (firing / incident?):-

Whitley V, N1367 of 77 Squadron Operating from Driffield landed in a field at Fecamp 3rd January 1940 F/Lt B. S.Tomlin Captain and F/O T. H. Parrott Pilot with "E.F." "L17" being Engine failure on Accident Card. Other crew were R. S. or R. E. Charlton, H. Perry and R. H. Erickson.

An Air Ministry Acc Branch note found for Whitley N1367 accident was in the file of Blenheim L8399 of 604 Squadron Captain Sgt A. W. Woolley with Blenheim L8399 place of accident Thornwood Common, Epping on 3rd January 1940. Other crew were H. J. Crump and A Penn.

I don't have the AM1180 for the Blenheim yet, perhaps a check of both the Squadron and Station ORBs might reveal more?

A 1940 online reference of the Blenheim only states:-

"The New Year got off to a good start with Sergeant Arthur Woolley suffering engine failure and having to force-land Blenheim L8399 in the vicinity of Epping on 3rd January."

Mark

[GuerraCivil]

I have read, that during the Winter/Continuation War Finnish Air Force planes faced very often "friendly" AA fire. As there were much more Soviet airplanes in air, the Finnish AA usually shot everything that flew on the sky. During the Winter War at least one Finnish fighter was shot down by Finnish AA and the pilot was killed (IIRC).

However, the Barking Creek Incident in 1939 as well as the Bodenplatte fiasco in 1945 are in my opinion the two outstanding "classics" when it comes to "friendly" fire in WW2.