Friendly fire WWII

[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

[BIGVERN1966]

Brian

Clear your PM box please.

Regards

Richard

[Brian]

Hi BigVern

Ready and waiting!

Cheers
Brian

[BIGVERN1966]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi BigVern

Ready and waiting!

Cheers
Brian

Cheers Brian

[Brian]

Hi Richard

In the light of my research, perhaps you should advise your journalist contact not to make the mistake of naming the wrong person. Just a suggestion.

Cheers
Brian

[BIGVERN1966]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi Richard

In the light of my research, perhaps you should advise your journalist contact not to make the mistake of naming the wrong person. Just a suggestion.

Cheers
Brian

Hi Brian

I've already passed on the info you sent with the pilot's name and aircraft serial and code (with the remark that it could have been re-coded) , plus the places to go to research RAF aircraft operations and histories (i.e. Kew, Hendon, IWM, etc).

Cheers

Richard

[Juha]

Hello Brian
I have slowly gone through FAF’s losses chronologically but have not yet find any new friendly fire cases, so to show You that I have not altogether forgot my promise I post this one from summer 44.

June 28 1944 around 14:00 MS-308 from Hävittäjälentolaivue 28 was shot down by own infantry during an air combat between 4 FAF M.S. 406s and 2 Soviet Airacobras in Eastern Karelia at Miinavaara. Pilot luutnantti Yrjö Vilhelm PULLIAINEN *28.4.1918 in Savonlinna was killed.

4 M.S. 406s took off for an interception mission to Juustjärvi at 13:20. The flight met 2 Airacobras and during the air combat Finnish infantry began shoot at a/c and hit with a 20mm anti-tank rifle (malli 20 L/39) Pulliainen’s plane. MS-308 dove straight to ground, exploded and began to burn.

Sources: Jaakko Hyvönen's Kohtalokkaat lennot 1939-1944 Toinen painos (1st reprint) Hämeenlinna 2001 ISBN 952-5026-21-3
Keskinen Stenman Niska: Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406 Caudron C.714. Forssa 1975. ISBN 951-9035-19-2.
Atso Haapanen’s Kesäsota. Suomen Ilmavoimien sotalennot kesällä 1944. Tallinna 2006. ISBN 952-5026-37-X

And to explain the background of the earlier June 11 1944 case.
Soviet Union had began their first Strategic Strike of summer 44, the second was the attack against German Army Group Mitte/Centre which began June 22, an attack against Finnish army in Karelian Isthmus on June 9th, with massive artillery and air attacks using some 1800 guns and some 1550 a/c. So Finns, also the AA units which were trying to protect Finnish field army, were under enormous pressure at that time.

And to add the case. Also 2 out the 3 surviving Do 17Zs of the mission were shot at by Finnish AAA without being hit. DN-63 even twice, by a 40mm gun on way in and by a 20mm gun on way out.
Source: Atso Haapanen’s Kesäsota. Suomen Ilmavoimien sotalennot kesällä 1944. Tallinna 2006. ISBN 952-5026-37-X

And to confirm my side note to Dec. 1st 1939 case. I came across my old note which says that kersantti Rimminen was only slightly wounded and was soon back to action.


Juha

[Nokose]

15Jul41 14:55 Defense of Hango: Ivan Savelyevich Kozlov (Order of Red Banner), Flight Commander of 13 IAP VMF was flying a I-153. Alexei Kasyanovich Antonenko (HSU) and Peter Antonovich Brinko (HSU) observed Kolzlov's plane heading head on towards them and believed it to be a Finnish fighter. They fired at it and Kozlov was shot down and killed. Antonenko was KIA 26Jul41 and Brinko was KIA 14Sep41.

[Brian]

Many thanks Nokose - more 'new' formation for my book.

Cheers
Brian