Friendly fire WWII

[Brian]

Thanks Juha - I have just spent the last couple of hours perusing the net54 forum - fascinating and I have picked up some new info, Many thanks.

Franek - I too am having trouble with my e-mails - I can send but not receive! Hope to sort this out soon, so if you have e-mailed me I trust you'll understand the delay in responding. Look forward to hearing from you.

Brian

[Franek Grabowski]

Brian
I am still experiencing some problems with my e-mail account.
Anyway, I estimate friendly fire took about 20% of combat losses, so quite a substantial problem, never properly analysed to my knowledge. Those incidents involved many famous pilots - s**t happens.
PS I see we have another subject to discuss as well!

[Andy Mac]

Hi Brian - an exciting prospect! I can think of a number of incidents well documented :

1. Dizzy Allen 66 sqn who vociforously describes being shot at by Britisk ack ack over Dover ( and later discovered he had been claimed as a kill by Werner Molders ! )

2. Brian Kingcome 92 sqn being bounced by a Spitfire which cruised past as he prepared to bail out.

3. A deliberate friendly fire incident described by Mr Kingcome in his book ' A Willingness To Die '.

4. Chuck Yeager in his P51 returning over Dover from a sweep and being shot at by British ack ack and saying to his wingman ' Goddamn it let's go down there and shoot back at those sons of b****es '. I think he did as well.

Tally Ho!

[atckyrre]

Brian

I trust you have Bomann's book about air warfare over Sweden during the war. Incredibly detailed covering also the "incidents" where german and allied aircraft were shot down by Swedes.
If you don't have it please let me know.

Kyrre
Harstad, Norway.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi guys

Laurent - among my many failings is an inability to read French very well - are you able to translate for me the incidents mentioned in Arnaud Gillet's book? If this is too great a task, may I ask you to provide further details of the book to enable me to purchase a copy? Many thanks.

Brian

Hi Brian, I have currently connexion problems at home but as soon as possible I will post here a list of the friendly fire occurences listed in the book. Then I will translate details of any case you may be interested in. I will have to translate them in English one day or another anyway.

Here is a case of air-to-sea friendly fire I would like to know more about:

On the night of 1 October 1944 destroyer USS DD-492 Bailey was on picket duty under a full moon off the Palaus, 06°59'N, 134°13'E, when one or more torpedo planes made two severe strafing attacks on her, killing three officers and 6 enlisted men (two of them were BM1C Charles P Mason and Cox William A. Knauss) and wounding 16 other enlisted men. Later reports were that it was Allied pilots who mistook her for an enemy craft (according to a member of the crew). Damage was extensive and she limped back as far as Manus of the Admiralty group where a tender repaired her sufficiently to return to the states, arriving 28 October at to Mare Island for permanent repairs.
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1944.html
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd492txt.htm
http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=dd492
http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=dd492&i=1&a=view
http://www.abmc.gov/searchww.htm
http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=dd492
http://www.abmc.gov/searchww.htm
Veteran registry: http://www.destroyers.org/smrdd/USS_Bailey.html

[Brian]

Thanks Laurent, I look forward to your generous offer.

I regret that I am unable to provide you with the informaion you seek re USS Bailey. Since my study will be in two volumes, I have concentrated most of my efforts to Volume I, which covers the ETO. If and when I find anything useful re your request I will contact you. Apologies for the time being.

Cheers
Brian

Brian

[Smudger Smith]

Regarding “friendly” fire, two that automatically spring to mind, the first is the VC awarded to Flight Sergeant Arthur Aaron, VC, DFM of No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron. He was mortally wounded when the rear gunner of another Short Stirling opened fire on his aircraft while attacking Turin on 12/13th August 1943.

Another example again involved a 218 Squadron aircraft. On the night of 1/2nd January 1945, a damaged Avro Lancaster was returning from a raid on Vohwinkel, Germany when hit by US flak near Namur, Belgium. There was only one survivor.

Two examples, both tragic.

[shooshoobaby]

I have details regarding Mosquito shot down by P - 51s on the August 6,44 Shuttle Mission. let me know if interestd.
Mike

[Brian]

Hi Mike

Yes please, I would like to know what you have. I note that a P-51 pilot from the 309th FS claimed a Me210 - and that this was possibly a Mosquito from 151 Squadron RAF. Any advance on this would be appreciated.

Thanks also, Tundra, for your lengthy contribution - much appreciated.

Cheers
Brian

[drgondog]

I am aware of two in the 355th FG. First was April 26, 1944. Bob Boulet in 354FS WR-E was hit by 'friendly' B-17's and forced to bail to become POW.

The second was September 18,1944 on the Frantic VII mission to drop supplies on Polish underground. Robert Peters was shot down and died of wounds by another 358FS pilot while Peters was shooting down an Bf 109G..

I haven't read through the rest of the thread but John Godfrey of 4th FG was shot down by another 4FG pilot shooting at same a/c on the ground.

Regards,

Bill Marshall