Friendly fire WWII

[Ruy Horta]

RAF 320 Sq Royal Dutch Naval Service

B-25C-10-NA FR142 NO-F

26-4-44 Hit by English fighter aircraft, emergency landing near Headcorn, Kent.

You'll probably have this one already. May be able to get more details from a couple of printed sources if you haven't.

[Brian]

Thanks Ruy

Yes, I do have that one well recorded, but it's nice to know that you and others are still contributing to my quest for friendly fire incidents.

Thanks again and Happy New Year

Brian

[Franek Grabowski]

A C-46 cargo transport was misidentified by a Spitfire pilot as a FW-200 "Condor" and shot down near Ireland during WWII (it was carrying 300 P-38 speed flaps modifications. The next P-38 shipment came by ship and it was sunk by a u-boat!)

Never heard of it.

[Juha]

Brian
there were some Finnish plane losses to own ground fire, for ex. HC-459 (Hurricane Mk I) on 2 July 41, Finnish AA hit it but it got back to base but catch fire during landing and was written-off and on 11 June 44 DN-56 or -61 (Do-17Z), cannot remember which was shot down by Finns and which by Soviets, in both cases pilot and observer KIA and gunner and W/O survived.
There are also other cases for example the second FAF pilot KIA was shot down by own AA near Viipuri/Wyborg on 1 Dec. 1939 in FR-77 (Fokker D.XXI).

[Brian]

Hi Franek and Juha

Thanks for the latest gems - I am not aware of any of these so please provide more info if possible.

Thanks
Brian

[Juha]

Hello Brian
I'm rather busy now but I'll try to write down a few cases now and then.

So a bit more on the 1. Dec 39 case
Unit: Lentolaivue 24, the main fighter laivue/Gruppe of FAF at that time.
Pilot: kersantti( Sergeant ie 3 chervons) Matti Ensio Kukkonen *8 Nov. 1917 in Lahti
Kukkonen had scrambled with his leader vänrikki (the lowest officer rank) Puhakka (later one of FAF's top aces) from Immola at 14:00. Cloud base was at 300m and visibility was poor but the pair had succeeded to open fire several times towards SBs (Soviet twin engine bomber a bit like Blenheim). Because they were running short of fuel Puhakka decided to land nearer Suurmerijoki base. When they descented through clouds near Viipuri, Finnish AA opened suddenly fire and got a direct hit to FR-77 which plunged onto ice at Ronkaanlahti. The plane was crushed and Kukkonen died instantly. Crash-time 15:20.

The Winter War had began a day earlier and Finnish troops were nervous at that day, hitting 5 own planes on that day, one other pilot was wounded, kersantti Rimminen, but IIRC Rimminen was only lightly wounded.


On 17 May 1942 Kapteeni/Captain Antti Olavi Naakka * 21 Aug 1913 in Viipuri from Lentolaivue 30 was leading 6 Fokker D.XXIs in FR-164 to cover military funerals in Kotka (an important port in SE Finland).
After flying over Kotka the formation continued southwards and then turned left almost through 180 degree and so approached Kirkonmaansaari (an island on which there was IIRC a coastal artillery fort) from South. Suddenly Finnish 40mm AAA opened fire hitting FR-164 at rear fuselage and the Fokker crashed on the island and burned. Naakka died. Crash-time 12:15.

When the accident was investigated it appeared that the AAA troop had not got info on the flight but even so Fokker D.XXI was easy to recognize with its fixed landing gear.


Source: Jaakko Hyvönen's Kohtalokkaat lennot 1939-1944 Toinen painos (1st reprint) Hämeenlinna 2001 ISBN 952-5026-21-3

HTH
Juha

[Brian]

Many thanks indeed, Juha - excellent material. Completely new to me and an overlooked area of conflict on my part.

I appreciate the problem with finding time, but please don't forget!!

Best wishes
Brian

[Juha]

Hello Brian
More info on HC-459 (Hurricane Mk I) on 2 July 41
The plane was hit over Vainikkala , at the Finland's SE border.
Unit: the plane had belonged to 1./Lentolaivue 30, which had on 1st of July moved to Utti (in SE Finland) and transferred to Lentolaivue 32 as Osasto/Detachment Kalaja (Kalaja was the CO of 1./Lentolaivue 30), so on 2nd July it belonged to Osasto Kalaja/Lentolaivue 32 or more simply to Lentolaivue 32.
Pilot was kersantti/Sergeant (>>>) L. Suominen who was injured.
Source: KESKINEN STENMAN NISKA Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 12 Englantilaiset Hävittäjät. Forssa 1985

Luutnantti (second lowest officer rank) Eino Luukkanen had to make a force landing on 18 Dec 1939 after he had got a rifle calibre hit on fuel tank while flying over Finnish Saarenpää coastal fortress. The transport and repairs of his Fokker D.XXI FR-104 took 1½ months. The story is told in his memoirs Hävittäjälentäjänä kahdessa sodassa on pp. 32 - 35 but because the book is published also in English as Fighter over Finland. The Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot (1963) I''ll not try to translate it. Anyway IMHO it's a good book and a good read. And Luukkanen was 3rd ranking Finnish ace who flew 441 combat sorties, more than any other Finnish fighter pilot. He was also the CO of the first Finnish Bf 109 unit.

Other cases next time
Juha

[Brian]

Thanks again, Juha, most interesting.

Cheers
Brian

[Juha]

Hello Brian,
haven't have much time but checked the Dornier Do 17 Z case on 11 June 44. It was most probably DN-61 which was shot down by own AA. DN-61 was one of 6 Do 17Zs ordered to bomb attacking Soviet forces in Carelian Istmus in poor weather, claudbase 300m and visibility was poor. 3 Dorniers was lost. The two other to Soviet AA.

DN-61 of Pommituslentolaivue 46. Time around 14:00 at Kivennapa.
Pilot: luutnantti GRUNDSTRÖM, Kari Johannes Somero * 30.11.1911 Helsinki
Observer: vänrikki HOLMBERG, Keijo Aatos *12.8.1922 Nurmi
W/O: alikersantti KOLPPO, Jouko *25.12.1923 Kouvola
Gunner: alikersantti TERVO, Esko *19.4.1923 Oulu

In Hyvönen's book duties of Kolppo and Tervo are other way round as in Hämälänen's book lost list but because in Hämäläinen's book Tervo says that he was the gunner and Kolppo the W/O and also according to Hyvönen's book it was Kolppo who jumped from upper hatch (the way out for W/O, others used the lower hatch) I decided to put them to given positions.

Just before bombing the plane got several hits and fuel tanks caught fire. Pilot pulled the plane to steep climb and smoke filled the cockpit an some flames penetrated from the left wing into the cockpit. When W/O Kolppo openned the upper hatch as preparation for his jump flames filled the upper part of the cockpit. Tervo tried to open the lower hatch but it was stuck. Observer Holmberg came to help, he pulled the handle when Tervo jumped on the hatch. It opened and Tervo fell out. Both Kolppo and Tervo landed near each other between the lines. Tervo had slight burns but Kolppo's hands and face were badly burned and he was also wounded by groung fire while descending under parachute. But both were rescued by a infantry search party. Kolppo was send to hospital but Tervo went back to his unit and was flying missions within a few days time. Grundström and Holmberg didn't get ot and died when the Dornier crashed.

The Dornier was shot down by one of the 20mm Breda AAA troops of ItR 12 (AA Regiment 12). Hämäläinen writes that it was DN-61 which was shot down by own AA even if Hyvönen writes that DN-61 was hit by 40mm fire and that DN-56 was shot down by a 20mm hit into cockpit. Biaudet confirms that it was a 20mm Breda troop which shot a Dornier down and tells how the gun crew was at first satisfied when they hit the low flying "enemy" bomber but when the plane began to turn they saw the Finnish national markings on its wings and were horrified. I believe that Hämäläinen has checked the case, which should be possible because the Dorniers attacked singly and the error was noticed immediately and reported to the regiment. So most probably the friendly fire case was DN-61 even if there are some contradictions.


Sources: Jaakko Hyvönen's Kohtalokkaat lennot 1939-1944 Toinen painos (1st reprint) Hämeenlinna 2001 ISBN 952-5026-21-3
Bob Biaudet's Ohiampujat. Ilmatorjuntamiesten kokemuksia Jatkosodan ratkaisutaisteluissa. Juva 2002
Matti Hämäläinen's Pommituslentolaivue 46. 1. painos. Hämeenlinna 2005.

Juha