There have been many thousands of friendly fire incidents in recorded military history, accounting for an estimated 2% to 20% of all casualties in battle. [1] [2] The examples listed below illustrate their range and diversity, but this does not reflect increasing frequency. The rate of friendly fire, once allowance has been made for the numbers of troops committed to battle, has remained remarkably stable, and unimproved, over the past 200 years. [3]
It has been estimated that there may have been as many as 8,000 friendly fire incidents in the Vietnam War; [2] [290] [291] [292] one was the inspiration for the book and film Friendly Fire .
During the 1982 Lebanon War, the worst friendly fire incident in the history of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) took place. On 10 June 1982, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) mistook a column of IDF Nahal Brigade forces for a Syrian commando unit. An IAF F-4 Phantom attacked members of Battalion 931, advancing in open Armoured Personnel Carriers in south-eastern Lebanon with cluster munitions. The unit suffered 24 soldiers killed and 108 wounded, with a further 30 soldiers shell shocked. [319] [320] [321]
Zuikaku was the second and last Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before the beginning of the Pacific War. Zuikaku was one of the most capable Japanese aircraft carriers of the entire war.
USS Mackerel (SS-204), the lead ship of her class of submarines, was the first ship of the United States Navy named for the mackerel. Mackerel and her near-sister Marlin were prototype small submarines which the Navy was exploring to replace the aging S-class submarines.
USS Growler (SS-215), a Gato-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy named for the growler.
USS Grayling (SS-209) was the tenth Tambor-class submarine to be commissioned in the United States Navy in the years leading up to the country's December 1941 entry into World War II. She was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grayling. Her wartime service was in the Pacific Ocean. She completed seven war patrols in the following 20 months, and is credited with the sinking of over 20,000 tons of Japanese merchant shipping and warships. Grayling received six battle stars for her World War II service. She was declared lost with all hands in September 1943. Of the twelve Tambor-class submarines, only five survived the war.
USS Searaven (SS-196), a Sargo-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sea raven, a sculpin of the northern Atlantic coast of America.
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1944:
USS Gunnel (SS-253), a Gato-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gunnel.
USS Grouper (SS/SSK/AGSS-214), a Gato-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grouper.
USS Cero (SS-225), a Gato-class submarine, was the first submarine and second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cero.
USS Lapon (SS-260), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named after the lapon, a scorpionfish of the Pacific coast of the United States.
USS Mingo (SS-261) — a Gato-class submarine — was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the mingo snapper.
The first USS Spadefish (SS/AGSS-411), a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the spadefish. Although she was commissioned late in the war and spent only one year in the Pacific war zone, she was able to run up a record of 88,091 tons in 21 ships and numerous trawlers sunk.
USS Piranha (SS-389/AGSS-389), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the piranha. Piranha conducted six war patrols during World War II, receiving five battle stars. She was scrapped in 1970.
USS S-13 (SS-118) was a second-group S-class submarine of the United States Navy.
USS S-17 (SS-122) was a second-group S-class submarine of the United States Navy.
The second USS Sapphire (PYc-2) was a patrol boat in the United States Navy.
Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 245 (VMSB-245) was a dive bomber squadron in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. The squadron, also known as the "Red Mousie Squadron", operated from Midway and Makin Atolls, Majuro and Ulithi while overseas. The squadron was decommissioned on 17 November 1945, shortly after the end of the war.
The action off Cape Bougaroun, or the Attack on Convoy KMF 25A was a Luftwaffe operation against an Allied naval convoy off the coast of Algeria during World War II. The convoy of American, British, Greek and Dutch ships was attacked on 6 November 1943 by 25 German land-based aircraft. Six Allied vessels were sunk or damaged and six German aircraft were destroyed. German forces achieved a tactical victory, though the Allied warships involved received credit for defending their convoy and reacting to their losses quickly. The quick response led to the rescue of over 6,000 servicemen and civilians without further loss of life.
VPB-109 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 109 (VB-109) on 2 August 1943, redesignated as Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 (VPB-109) on 1 October 1944, and disestablished on 12 October 1945.
VPB-29 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Pacific Air Detachment on 17 January 1923, redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 (VP-14) on 29 May 1924, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1-Naval District 14 (VP-1D14) on 21 September 1927, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1-B (VP-1B) on 1 July 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1-F (VP-1F) on 15 April 1933, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1 (VP-1) on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 21 (VP-21) on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1 (VP-1) on 30 July 1940, redesignated Patrol Squadron 101 (VP-101) on 3 December 1940, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 29 (VPB-29) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 20 June 1945.
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