List of U.S. friendly-fire incidents since 1945 with British victims explained

This is a list of friendly fire incidents by the U.S. Military on allied British personnel and civilians.

Korean War

• 23 September 1950: During the "Battle of Hill 282", three United States Air Force F-51 Mustang aircraft attacked a position held by the British Army's 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, with cannon fire and napalm, killing 17 and wounding 76.^[1] This was a result of an improper radio contact by British ground forces with the F-51s and the pilots not being informed by several British forward air controllers of proper air recognition panels.^[2]

Gulf War

• 26 February 1991: Six British soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and ten members of the attached Company of Queen's Own Highlanders were killed and further three injured after their Warrior armoured vehicles were hit by Maverick missiles fired by two U.S. A-10 ground attack aircraft.^[3] An Oxford inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killings.^[4]
• 27 February 1991: Two British soldiers of the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars were injured when their Scorpion armoured vehicles were fired on and hit by U.S. M1 Abrams tanks.^[3]

Iraqi no-fly zones

• 14 April 1994: Two British officers were among the 26 Coalition personnel killed in the 1994 Black Hawk shootdown incident caused by two USAF F-15s.

Iraq War

• 23 March 2003: A Royal Air Force Tornado jet was shot down by a U.S. Patriot missile which identified the aircraft as an anti-radiation missile, killing two crewmen.^{[5] [6]} Investigations showed that the identification friend or foe system indicator had malfunctioned and hence it was not identified as a friendly aircraft.^{[7] [8]}
• 28 March 2003: British Lance-Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed by U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft as well as five others wounded in the 190th Fighter Squadron, Blues and Royals friendly fire incident.
• 6 April 2003: During the Battle of Debecka Pass, BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson and members of his crew were injured when a bomb dropped from a U.S. F-15 aircraft hit a friendly Kurdish and U.S. Special Forces convoy, killing 15 people, including BBC translator Kamaran Abdurazaq Muhamed.^{[9] [10]}

War in Afghanistan

• 5 December 2006: Royal Marine Jonathan Wigley died by gunfire from a U.S. F-18 Hornet aircraft.^[11]
• 23 August 2007: A bomb dropped by an F-15 killed three soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment and wounded a further two.^[12] During the subsequent inquest, issues such as inadequate communication equipment and incorrect coordinates from a British forward air controller were raised.^[13] The coroner finally stated it was due to the "flawed application of procedures" rather than individual errors or "recklessness".^[14]
• 21 December 2009: A British soldier was fatally shot by a US helicopter crew in Afghanistan who thought they were attacking an enemy base. Gunfire from the helicopters left 11 injured on the ground.^[15] The coroner criticised the British commanders for the fact Patrol Base Almas was not marked on military maps, for the 'unprofessional' use of grainy images and for insisting there were no friendly forces in the area to the Apache crew.^[16]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Friendly Fire on Hill 282. britains-smallwars.com. 16 August 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100919150051/http://britains-smallwars.com/korea/hill282.html. 19 September 2010. dead.
2. Book: New Zealand and the Korean War: Combat operations. Ian C. McGibbon. Oxford University Press. 1992. 47. 9-7801-9558-3434.
3. Web site: Friendly Fire Incidents . 24 July 1991. 19 November 2020 . . 195 . cc704-7W.
4. Web site: Soldiers' Deaths (Gulf War) . 19 May 1992 . 2009-09-07 . . 208 . cc147-52.
5. News: Two die as Patriot missile takes down RAF jet . . 24 March 2003 . 25 May 2011.
6. News: Pilot 'dreamed of RAF career' . BBC News . 26 March 2003 . 8 May 2010.
7. Lester Haines 20 May 2004 Patriot missile: friend or foe? theregister.com
8. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article424174.ece Tornado crew shot down after friend-or-foe system failed
9. News: The Iraq friendly fire incident. BBC News . 7 November 2003 . 8 May 2010.
10. News: 'This is just a scene from hell' . BBC News . 6 April 2003 . 8 May 2010.
11. News: Pilot error led to marine death . 2011-02-15 . 15 May 2009 . BBC .
12. News: 'Friendly fire' kills UK soldiers . BBC News . 24 August 2007 . 8 May 2010.
13. News: 'Grid mix-up' before Afghanistan 'friendly fire' deaths . 2011-02-15 . 15 December 2009 . BBC.
14. News: 'Flawed' actions led to fatal 'friendly fire' bombing . 2011-02-15 . 26 April 2010 . BBC.
15. News: Christopher Roney in US 'friendly fire' Afghanistan death . BBC News . 3 September 2012.
16. News: US pilots who killed British soldier thought they were attacking Taliban. The Guardian. London. Jamie. Doward. 4 September 2012.