Friendly fire WWII

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Some more cases in October 1944:

2 October 1944
As a result of a "gross error--due to poor navigation, poor headwork and misidentification of target" one group of medium bombers of the 9th Bombardment Division hit the Belgian town of Genck, twenty-eight miles west of the assigned target, on the morning of 2 October 1944, killing thirty-four civilians and wounding forty-five.

4 October 1944
04 OCT 44 A/C: PV-1 Location: AGADIR Strike: NO BUNO: 34796 Cause: AGADIR BOMB & GUNNERY; SHOT OWN TAIL Contributed by Terry pb4y-2@sbcglobal.net [18FEB99]

24 October 1944
Yugoslav Partisan armed ship NB 13 Partizan 40mm, two 20mm, machine-guns Sunk in error 24 Oct 1944 in Olib (Olib I.) by Allied aircrafts. 80t

[Brian]

Hi Nifty

I have been experiencing problems with me e-mail so am not sure if I responded to you or not. Anyway, I would very much appreciate details of the USAAF Mosquito losses to friendly fire that you mention. Many thanks,
Brian

[Brian]

Hi Laurent

I trust you have received my PM (as suggested). Thanks immensely for all the friendly fire incidents you have posted - please keep them coming!

Brian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Yes, Brian, I will mail you details. Until now I have only scanned my existing files (first for the word "friendly", then for "error" the next time), but sending more details will require writing and translating from French sources. Maybe this week-end, or the next one.

Regards

Laurent

[Brian]

Hi guys - I hope I am not pushing my luck or monopolising the forum, but I have some more friendly fire queries:

10 May 1941: Sqn Ldr Meagher of 41 Squadron claimed a twin-engined aircraft he believed was a Ju88 shot down off Whitby at 0015, but then thought it may have been a Blenheim. I can't find any Blenheim or Ju88 losses that fit the bill. Any ideas?

6-7 August 1941: Apparently Beaufighter R2157 shot down by another Beaufighter. Any info on either?

23 April 1942: Two Polish Spitfire pilots attacked a RAF clandestine He115 in error. Who were they?

15 September 1942: During Operation PQ18 convoy to Russia, three Sea Hurricanes from HMS Avenger were shot down by their own ships' gunfire. All three pilots baled out and were rescued but who were they? One was a Lieutenant as I have a photo of him being pulled aboard the rescue vessel. Any ideas?

9 August 1943: B-26 41-31634 of 386thBG shot down by a Spitfire. What was the fate of the crew? Who were they? And who was the Spitfire pilot?

I have many more queries but will save these for next time!! Many thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help.

Cheers
Brian

[Franek Grabowski]

Brian

10 May 1941: Sqn Ldr Meagher of 41 Squadron claimed a twin-engined aircraft he believed was a Ju88 shot down off Whitby at 0015, but then thought it may have been a Blenheim. I can't find any Blenheim or Ju88 losses that fit the bill. Any ideas?

A He 111 perhaps? One of III/KG1 was lost more less at the time.

6-7 August 1941: Apparently Beaufighter R2157 shot down by another Beaufighter. Any info on either?

I have it lost on 5/6 on a defensive patrol over North Sea with 25 Sqn. Crew: F/L TH Worth & Sgt FP Nekludow both killed.

23 April 1942: Two Polish Spitfire pilots attacked a RAF clandestine He115 in error. Who were they?

That should be identifyable, given the place (off IoW?).

9 August 1943: B-26 41-31634 of 386thBG shot down by a Spitfire. What was the fate of the crew? Who were they? And who was the Spitfire pilot?

Someone had a bad day. Any more details?

[Brian]

Here's another that has been bugging me. On 22/11/44, US P-51s shot down an RAF Lysander from 148 Squadron near Venice, presumably having mistaken it for a Hs126. The RAF pilot was killed, as were his passengers, variously described as two British decorated SOE officers/or/ four Italian agents (according to AHB). Has anyone the facts? Who was the errant US pilot?

Cheers
Brian

[Brian]

Has anyone the story behind the USN PB4Y crash at Eniwetok on 9 August 1944 which destroyed dozens of parked aircraft? Not quite friendly fire but the crash certainly wrote off a substantial part of the USN air force in that area!

Brian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by Brian

Has anyone the story behind the USN PB4Y crash at Eniwetok on 9 August 1944 which destroyed dozens of parked aircraft? Not quite friendly fire but the crash certainly wrote off a substantial part of the USN air force in that area!

Brian

MISHAPs: 09 AUG 44 PB4Y-1 LOCATION: (Eniwetok) STRIKE: Yes BUNO: 38766 CAUSE: Reconnaissance flight. Pilot aborted take-off due to darkness, load and rolling runway and cut throttles. Pilot thought he was still on the runway mat, but was actually airborne. With a thirty degree cross-wind plane drifted to left and into and crashed into parked carrier planes adjacent to the runway. Plane hit first row of parked airplanes, caring away wing tips off the folded wings, and canopies and crashing into parking area fifty-yards past end of runway. The plane burned, with fire spreading to other parked aircraft, low order detonation of 9 x 500lbs bombs was instrumental in extending sphere of damage to include the loss or damage of 106 aircraft. Crew: Pilot Lt Romone C. Anderson A-V(N) USNR/Killed, Ens T. M. Pettit A-V(N) USNR/Killed, Ens O. B. Tully A-V(N) USNR/(died of injuries Aug 15th, 1944), AMM1c L. Johnson USN/Seriously inj, Sea1c H. A. Heper USNR/Killed, ARM1c J. W. Chalmers USNR/Killed, ARM3c A. F. Burkhartemeyer USNR/Seriously inj, AOM2c J. D. Rothwell USNR/Killed, Sea1c A. A. Van Winkle USNR/Killed, Sea1c E. Petri USNR/Killed, and AOM3c G. A. Ehinger USNR/Killed. Contributed by Terry pb4y-2@sbcglobal.net [10FEB2002]
Source: http://www.vpnavy.org/vp116_mishap_1940.html

(By the way, http://www.vpnavy.org/mishap_vp.html is THE page to bookmark for any VP and VPB loss in WWII or later)

Well, 106 aircraft hit is amazing

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Date is 23 September 1944

"Another accident at Millville is much different from the others. On September 23rd, 2LT Andrew J. Easterwood was killed in a crash in the Atlantic Ocean. Easterwood was the number three man of a flight of five aircraft on an aerial gunnery mission. On his fifth or sixth pass at the target, his aircraft apparently hit the target cable and began a slow roll to the right. The ship continued forward, rolled on its back and started a spiral to the right. The aircraft crashed into the ocean and was never recovered. Easterwood's aircraft crashed as the result of hitting the ¼ inch cable and not the stabilizing bar.

2LT Asa W. Shuler, one of Easterwood's closest friends, thought otherwise. Shuler had been in pilot training with Easterwood and reported to Millville at the same time. When attending his memorial service in Alabama, Shuler mentioned to a family member that he thought that Easterwood had been shot down. This would have been impossible based on the information in the accident report. All of the airplanes in the flight had fired all of their ammunition, but that same report fails to address possible defects in the airplane and health issues. We can only speculate about the cause of this unusual accident, as Shuler was killed in action in France."

http://p47millville.org/history_accidents.html