Historic WWII Pacific USN AA friendly fire losses...

[Feinder]

Enterprise damage report March 1945

During a bombing attack on 20 March, a 5-inch, 38 cal. projectile, fired by another U.S. ship in the task group, detonated over 40mm mounts Nos. 5 and 7, on the starboard side of the flight deck. Almost simultaneously a second 5-inch, 38 cal. projectile detonated off the port bow. Shell fragments from the first detonation pierced the belly gasoline tanks of two F6F planes spotted in the vicinity of the hit, igniting gasoline which spread over the flight deck. The burning gasoline ignited two additional planes and initiated the explosive burning of 40mm ready-service ammunition.

[ChezDaJez]

Here's a link with a table of US naval frinedly fire casualties. Don't know if from AA or surface gunfire.

Link: Friendly Fire Table

Chez

[ChezDaJez]

Here's a listing of friendly fire incidents during 1945. Most are from AA fire. I've tried to include sufficient info so that you can determine the cause of the FF.

6 January 1945, Sat. --
Pacific
Japanese suicide plane attacks intensify against Lingayen Gulf invasion force; kamikazes damage battleships New Mexico (BB-40) (killing members of anobserving British military mission) and California (BB-44), light cruiser Columbia (CL-56) and destroyers Newcomb (DD-586) (she is also hit by Friendly fire) and Richard P. Leary (DD-664), 16°20'N, 120°10'E, heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28), 16°37'N, 120°17'E,2 destroyers Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) 16°40'N, 120°10'E, and O'Brien (DD-725), 16°23'N, 120°14'E. Destroyer Lowry (DD-770) is damaged by Friendly fire, 16°40'N, 120°10'E.

9 January 1945, Tue. --
Pacific
Under the overall direction of General Douglas MacArthur, USA, TF 77 (Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid) lands Sixth Army troops (Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, USA) at Lingayen Gulf under cover of heavy gunfire from the bombardment force, TG 77.2 (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) and aircraft from the escort carrier force, TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin). The troops initially encounter little resistance, but Japanese air attacks and assault demolition boats continue to vex the invasion forces off the beaches. Kamikazes crash battleship Mississippi (BB-41), 16°08'N, 120°18'E; light cruiser Columbia (CL-56), 16°08'N, 120°10'E; and destroyer escort Hodges (DE-231), 16°22'N, 120°12'E, in addition to Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, which is finally sent to the rear areas for repairs. Friendly fire damages battleship Colorado (BB-45), 16°08'N, 120°10'E; Japanese assault demolition boats damage transport War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ships LST-925 and LST-1028, 16°20'N, 120°10'E.

11 January 1945, Thu. –
Pacific
Off Luzon, high speed transport Belknap (APD-34) is damaged by kamikaze, 16°20'N, 120°10'E; tank landing ships LST-270 and LST-918 are damaged by shore battery, 16°20'N, 120°10'E; and tank landing ship LST-700 is damaged by Friendly fire, 16°43'N, 119°58'E.

12 January 1945, Fri. –
Off the west coast of Luzon, kamikazes damage destroyer escorts Richard W. Suesens (DE-342) and Gilligan (DE-508), 16°20'N, 120°10'E; attack transport Zeilin (APA-3), 15°23'N, 119°25'E; and tank landing ship LST-700, 14°04'N, 119°25'E; suicide pilots target U.S. merchant ships, damaging freighters Elmira Victory (there are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 27- man Armed Guard) 16°11'N, 120°20'E (Friendly fire also accounts for damage to the ship); Otis Skinner, on board which Armed Guard sailors contribute to fire- fighting efforts, 14°42'N, 119°35'E; Edward M. Wescott off the west coast of Luzon (10 of the 25-man Armed Guards are wounded by flying debris); Kyle V. Johnson, (on board which 129 of 506 Army troops, being transported, die) at 15°12'N, 119°30'E; and David Dudley Field at Subic Bay (Armed Guard gunfire deflects the kamikaze so that it only strikes the ship a glancing blow). Friendly fire accounts for damage to high speed transport Sands (APD-13) and tank landing ships LST-710 and LST-778, 15°00'N, 119°30'E.

1 Feb 1945, Thu. --
Motor torpedo boats PT-77 and PT-79 are damaged by Friendly fire west of Mindoro, 13°55'N, 120°36'E.

19 Feb 1945, Mon. –
Offshore, collisions account for damage of varying degrees to heavy cruiser Chester (CA-27) and amphibious force flagship Estes (AGC-12), 24°13'N, 141°25'E; heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) and ammunition ship Shasta (AE-6) (during replenishment operations); destroyer escort Finnegan (DE-307) and infantry landing craft LCI-627, 22°46'N, 141°19'E; and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67) and heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25), 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Destroyer John W. Weeks (DD-701) is damaged by shore battery, 25°32'N, 141°01'E; hospital ship Samaritan (AH-10) by Friendly fire, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

20 Feb 1945, Tues. –
Off Iwo Jima, light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) is hit by Friendly fire, 25°47'N, 141°15'E;

23 Feb 1945, Fri.—
Friendly fire damages submarine chaser PCS-1461, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

25 Feb 1945, Sun. –
Friendly fire damages seaplane tender Hamlin (AV-15), 24°46'N, 141°19'E;

18 March, Sun. --
Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) planes bomb airfields on southern Kyushu and shipping, attacking convoy KATA-504, escorted by Coast Defense Vessel No.29 and submarine chaser Ch 58, damaging cargo vessel Kiyo Maru and sinking transport Kenyo Maru and tanker No.1 Nansei Maru, and Okinawa-bound auxiliary sailing vessels Kamo Maru and Tenjin Maru off Noma Misaki, 31°24'N, 130°07'E. Off Kyushu, Japanese planes bomb carriers Enterprise (CV-6), 30°50'N, 133°42'E, and Yorktown (CV-10), 30°40'N, 133°49'E, damaging both. Intrepid (CV-11) is crashed by kamikaze and hit by Friendly fire, 30°47'N, 133°50'E.

19 Mar 1945, Mon. –
Japanese planes single out carriers for attack: off Shikoku, Wasp (CV-18) is bombed, 32°16'N, 134°05'E. while Friendly fire hits Essex (CV-9), 32°10'N, 134°20'E. On board Franklin (CV-13) damaged off Kyushu, 32°01'N, 133°57'E, as the ship is rocked by a succession of explosions.

20 Mar 1945, Tues. –
Off Japan, carrier Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by Friendly fire, 30°01'N, 134°30'E

22 Mar 1945, Tues. –
Japanese aircraft attack American shipping in Lingayen Gulf. During the ensuing antiaircraft barrage, Friendly fire damages U.S. freighter Ransom A. Moore; there are, however, no casualties among the merchant crew or the 27-man Armed Guard.

1 Apr 1945, Sun. –
battleship Tennessee (BB-43) is damaged by shell fragments (possibly Friendly fire)

2 Apr 1945, Mon. –
Attack transport Chilton (APA-38) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 25°59'N, 127°17'E; attack cargo ship Lacerta (AKA-29) is damaged by Friendly fire, 26°21'N, 127°43'E.

6 Apr 1945, Fri.—
Near-misses by kamikazes damage small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30), 26°46'N, 129°43'E, and destroyer Harrison (DD-573), 27°05'N, 129°22'E. Destroyer Hyman (DD-732) is damaged by kamikaze and torpedo, 26°45'N, 27°42'E; destroyer Taussig (DD-746) is damaged by near-miss of bombs, 27°07'N, 128°39'E; high speed minesweeper Harding (DMS-28) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26°00'N, 127°00'E. Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship North Carolina (BB-55), 26°41'N, 129°32'E; light cruiser Pasadena (CL-65), 27°00'N, 129°00'E; destroyer Hutchins (DD-476) [from destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663)], 26°00'N, 128°00'E; attack transport Barnett (APA-5) and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26°21'N, 127°43'E; attack transport Audrain (APA-59), 26°22'N, 127°43'E; tank landing ships LST-241, 26°20'N, 127°45'E, and LST-1000, 26°21'N, 127°44'E; and submarine chaser PCS-1390, 26°00'N, 128°00'E. U.S. freighter Logan Victory, carrying 7,000 tons of ammunition, is irreparably damaged by kamikaze off Kerama Retto, 26°10'N, 127°16'E.


9 Apr 1945, Mon. –
Off Okinawa, escort carrier Chenango (CVE-28) is damaged by crash of F6F (VF 25) on flight deck; kamikaze damages destroyer Sterett (DD-407), 26°47'N, 128°42'E; destroyer Porterfield (DD-682) is damaged by Friendly fire, 26°34'N, 128°28'E

11 April, Wed. --
Pacific
Kamikazes damage battleship Missouri (BB-63) and destroyers Bullard (DD-660) and Kidd (DD-661), 26°00'N, 130°00'E; carrier Enterprise (CV-6) (near-miss of two suiciders), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; and destroyer escort Samuel S. Miles (DE-183), 26°12'N, 127°20'E; carrier Essex (CV-9) is damaged by bomb, 26°50'N, 130°30'E; destroyer Hale (DD-642) is damaged by bomb, 26°00'N, 120°00'E; strafing accounts for damage to destroyer Hank (DD-702), 27°00'N, 130°00'E, and destroyer escort Manlove (DE-36), 26°12'N, 127°20'E; attack transport Berrien (APA-62) is damaged by collision with tank landing ship LST-808, 26°22'N, 127°43'E; Friendly fire accounts for damage to destroyer Trathen (DD-530), 27°13'N, 130°15'E, and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26°21'N, 127°43'E

12 Apr 1945, Thurs. –
kamikazes sink support landing craft LCS-33 and damage battleship Idaho (BB-42), 26°26'N, 127°32'E; battleship Tennessee (BB-43), destroyer Zellars (DD-777), destroyer escort Riddle (DE-185), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; destroyers Purdy (DD-734), 27°16'N, 127°50'E, and Cassin Young (DD-793), 27°17'N, 127°50'E; destroyer escorts Rall (DE-304), 26°36'N, 127°39'E, Walter C. Wann (DE-412), 26°17'N, 127°20'E, and Whitehurst (DE-634), 26°04'N, 127°12'E, and light minelayer Lindsey (DM-32), 26°28'N, 127°15'E; minesweeper Gladiator (AM-319) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 26°05'N, 127°35'E. Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship New Mexico (BB-40), 26°31'N, 127°37'E and destroyer Bennion (DD-662); while attack cargo ship Wyandot (AKA-92) is damaged in collision with medium landing ship LSM-312, 26°21'N, 127°44'E.

15 Apr 1945, Sun. –
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyers Wilson (DD-408), 26°03'N, 127°20'E, and Laffey (DD-724), 27°16'N, 127°50'E; Japanese assault demolition boat damages motor minesweeper YMS-331, 26°15'N, 127°36'E; attack transport Berrien (APA-62) is damaged by Friendly fire.

16 Apr 1945, Mon. –
Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink destroyer Pringle (DD-477), 27°26'N, 126°59'E; and damage carrier Intrepid (CV-11), 27°37'N, 131°14'E; battleship Missouri (BB-63), 26°00'N, 130°00'E; destroyer Bryant (DD-665), 27°05'N, 128°13'E; destroyer escort Bowers (DE-637), 26°52'N, 127°52'E; high speed minesweepers Hobson (DMS-26), 27°26'N, 126°59'E, and Harding (DMS-28), 26°42'N, 127°25'E; and oiler Taluga (AO-62), 26°03'N, 127°26'E. Destroyer McDermut (DD-677) is damaged by Friendly fire, 27°30'N, 130°20'E

17 April 1945, Tues. –
Off Okinawa, destroyer Benham (DD-796) is damaged by kamikaze and by Friendly fire, 24°01'N, 132°32'E.

27 April, Fri. --
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; destroyer escort England (DE-635), 26°40'N, 127°40'E; and high speed transport Rathburne (APD-25), 26°26'N, 127°36'E; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged by shore battery, 26°14'N, 127°50'E; destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) is damaged by Friendly fire, 26°21'N, 127°43'E.

4 May 1945, Fri. –
British carrier HMS Formidable [carrier HMS Indomitable is also crashed by a suicider, but her armored deck deflects the attacker into the sea]. In addition, light minelayer Shea (DM-30) is damaged by a Baka, 27°26'N, 126°59'E; minesweeper Gayety (AM-239) is damaged by near-misses of kamikaze and Baka, 26°32'N, 126°58'E; motor minesweeper YMS-327 is damaged by kamikaze and by Friendly fire, 26°32'N, 126°58'E; motor minesweeper YMS-311 is damaged by Friendly fire, 26°00'N, 128°00'E

12 May 1945, Sat. –
Off Okinawa, a kamikaze damages battleship New Mexico (BB-40), 26°22'N, 127°43'E; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged by Friendly fire, 26°22'N, 127°43'E.

13 May 1945, Sun. --
Off Honshu, small carrier Bataan (CVL-29) is damaged by Friendly fire, 30°30'N, 132°30'E; off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Bache (DD-470), 26°01'N, 126°53'E, and destroyer escort Bright (DE-747), 26°21'N, 127°17'E.

24 May 1945, Thurs. –
Japanese aircraft attack U.S. positions and ships at Okinawa; strikes continue on 25 May. Kamikazes damage destroyer escort William C. Cole (DE-641), 26°45'N, 127°52'E; high speed transport Sims (APD-50), 26°00'N, 127°00'E; and large support landing craft LCS(L)-121; Friendly fire damages destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663), 26°20'N, 127°43'E.

25 May, Fri. –
Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink high speed transport Bates (APD-47), 26°41'N, 127°47'E, and medium landing ship LSM-135; and damage destroyers Guest (DD-472), 26°22'N, 127°44'E, and Stormes (DD-780), 27°06'N, 127°38'E; destroyer escort O'Neill (DE-188), 26°20'N, 127°43'E; high speed transports Barry (APD-29), 26°30'N, 127°00'E (see 21 and 22 June), and Roper (APD-20), 26°34'N, 127°36'E; high speed minesweeper Butler (DMS-29), 26°12'N, 127°50'E; and minesweeper Spectacle (AM-305), 26°40'N, 127°52'E. Friendly fire damages destroyer Cowell (DD-547), 26°41'N, 126°50'E.

11 Jun 1945, Mon. –
Elsewhere off Okinawa, a kamikaze crashes alongside U.S. freighter Walter Colton; the ship receives additional damage from Friendly fire of nearby ships in the anchorage. Of the combined complement of 41 merchant sailors, 29 Armed Guards and 11 Construction Battalion men, only three men suffer injuries. Dock landing ship Lindenwald (LSD-6) is also damaged by Friendly fire, 26°17'N, 127°53'E.

9 Aug 1945, Thurs. –
Off Honshu, retaliatory air strikes by Japanese planes result in Friendly fire damage to destroyer John W. Weeks (DD-701), 35°00'N, 143°00'E; kamikaze damages destroyer Borie (DD-704) at 37°21'N, 143°45'E.


Chez

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Thanks for great info guys!


Leo "Apollo11"