British Forces

Thanks “friendly bomb”!

Imperial War Museum

The Squadron Leader Saxby’s Liberator turns for home after dropping its bomb load on the target, the Monfalcone’s shipbuilding yards, despite have being hit by a lot of bombs dropped by another aircraft. Thanks the “friendly bombs” the Liberator KK320 “R” had lost the propeller from its port inner engine (seen here streaming oil) and suffered a large hole rent in the fuselage. The crew managed to fly the aircraft and, safely back to base at Tortorella, near Foggia, Southern Italy, whereupon it was declared to be damaged beyond repair. Another, well know photo, depicts a similar, serious accident occurred at one 8th Air Force’s B-17 over the Germany: half of the tail horizontal plan sheared by a “friendly bomb”. Victor Sierra