Skip to content
A soldier blows a bugle at the American cemetery at Castelfiorentino, Italy, during a service for the fallen of the 10th Mountain Division (Click photo to view larger)
Within the combat history of Company L of the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, friendly fire incidents appear in the historical record with alarming frequency. These incidents caused a considerable percentage of the casualties sustained during the company’s four months of combat operations. They cannot have been unique to this unit, and L Company of the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment can thus serve as one piece of data indicating how common a thing friendly fire was during the Second World War.
During L Company’s combat operations, which span 115 days from January 8-May 2, 1945, there are seven documented friendly fire incidents. It is likely that there were others that were either not reported, or were unknown to the participants. At least one veteran’s account of a man being killed nearby contains a supposition that it may have been friendly fire. The following are the confirmed and documented incidents:
January 25, 1945 – In their first prolonged firefight, an L Company outpost in a fortified farmhouse was attacked during the night from two directions by enemy patrols. The Germans captured a series of foxholes in front of the building. As a reinforcing squad moved to recapture the foxholes, the first L Company man to be killed in combat was shot in the back by a round from a Thompson submachine-gun fired by one of his friends inside the outpost. The man who fired the round was very much affected, and was removed from combat duty. Read more about this fight HERE.
February 20, 1945 – L Company conducted its first major offensive operation as part of the attack on Monte Belvedere and a series of other heights. As L Company skirted around the peak of Monte Gorgolesco, all other attacking elements fell behind their attack schedules. L Company continued its attack until it was far in advance of any other Allied unit, where it was mistaken for the enemy by a supporting element of the Air Corps. A 500 pound bomb was dropped on the advancing column by an American P-47, killing one man and wounding four others.
March 3, 1945 – While marching toward an objective, L Company came under friendly artillery fire. Battalion Surgeon, Albert Meinke recalled that,
Several men from L Company who came through the aid station that afternoon had suffered particularly severe shell fragment wounds. These included huge, gaping flesh wounds and multiple open fractures. Later we learned that these wounds, and also several deaths, had been caused by short rounds from our own artillery. After comparing them to wounds inflicted by enemy shells, I concluded that our shell casings were thicker, and that the larger, heavier fragments caused larger and more serious wounds.
The number of casualties may be as high as one killed and three wounded, but only one of the wounded can be positively identified as receiving his wound during this barrage, and not during the battle at the objective. For purposes of analysis, I will only count that one wounded man for this incident, despite the certainty that there were others.
March 4, 1945 – While holding a static position, L Company came under friendly artillery fire which killed two men, and wounded three others.
March 5, 1945 – Friendly artillery fire continued to hit L Company’s position. All efforts to identify the source of the friendly fire and put a stop to it failed. One man was killed, three were wounded.
March 6, 1945 – Still in their static positions, friendly artillery fire during an artillery duel killed one man.
April 22, 1945 – As L Company advanced across the Po Valley, far in advance of where they were expected to be, using a variety of captured and civilian vehicles, their column was attacked and strafed by a group of American P-38s, which broke off their attack immediately upon the release of yellow smoke, indicating friendly troops. No casualties resulted.
While the frequency of friendly fire incidents is surprising, their relative cost is absolutely shocking. Casualties caused by those seven known incidents (not including those of March 3rd who cannot be positively identified), amount to six killed, and eleven wounded. When compared to the total company combat loss of 28 killed, 127 wounded, the extent of the loss becomes terribly apparent. Almost nine percent of those wounded from L Company were wounded by their own forces, and over twenty percent of L Company’s killed in action were killed by friendly fire!
Nothing like a definitive study of the percentage of World War Two deaths resulting from friendly fire has been done. Estimates range anywhere from 2% in a study conducted by the US Army, to 21% in a study done by the American War Library. We may never know the real number, but L Company of the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment stands as a data point at the high end of that range.
This blog is part of a larger body of research culminating in the publication of the book ‘Heroes in Good Company: L Company, 86th Regiment, 10th Mountain Division 1943-1945’ which is available in select bookstores and on amazon.
