TheDigger
15-01-2008, 11:31
"Fractricide" a term used by the US military for a "Freindly Fire Incident"
On June 17, 1968 (During the 2nd Tour of the Hobart she would eventually complete 3) while on the gun line with Yankee Station, off the coast of North Vietnam, Hobart was struck by three Sparrow missiles fired from a USAF 7th Air Force aircraft (one of the three missiles failed to explode). Two crewmen were killed and seven injured.
HMAS Hobart, in company with the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CAG-1), had been in the vicinity of two US Navy Swift Boats (PCF-12 & PCF-19) that were under attack by North Vietnamese Helicopters on 16 June 1968. The initially "unidentified hovering aircraft" had sunk PCF-19, and PCF-12 had been involved with a 2 hour running gun battle with other hovering aircraft.
When US jet aircraft arrived on the scene, hours later, the enemy aircraft had departed, and the US jets attacked the Boston and Hobart. The USS Boston suffered no casualties, and was only slightly damaged in the attack.
Due possibly to both attacks occurring around the hours of midnight, and the enemy's unprecedented use of hovering aircraft (helicopters) to attack allied forces during the war, the two events had somehow been combined into one action, with the concluding official report stating "Fractricide."
Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States military, is fire from allied or friendly forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces or enemy fire. A friendly fire incident (fratricide), is when friendly forces or materiel are attacked and damaged by friendly fire which may be deliberate (e.g. incorrectly identifying the target as the enemy), or accidental (e.g. missing the enemy and hitting "friendlies").
So not even our ships were immune from our Allies the Americans no doubt not the last case of this type of incident and I am sure certainly not the first in Australian Naval History.
On June 17, 1968 (During the 2nd Tour of the Hobart she would eventually complete 3) while on the gun line with Yankee Station, off the coast of North Vietnam, Hobart was struck by three Sparrow missiles fired from a USAF 7th Air Force aircraft (one of the three missiles failed to explode). Two crewmen were killed and seven injured.
HMAS Hobart, in company with the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CAG-1), had been in the vicinity of two US Navy Swift Boats (PCF-12 & PCF-19) that were under attack by North Vietnamese Helicopters on 16 June 1968. The initially "unidentified hovering aircraft" had sunk PCF-19, and PCF-12 had been involved with a 2 hour running gun battle with other hovering aircraft.
When US jet aircraft arrived on the scene, hours later, the enemy aircraft had departed, and the US jets attacked the Boston and Hobart. The USS Boston suffered no casualties, and was only slightly damaged in the attack.
Due possibly to both attacks occurring around the hours of midnight, and the enemy's unprecedented use of hovering aircraft (helicopters) to attack allied forces during the war, the two events had somehow been combined into one action, with the concluding official report stating "Fractricide."
Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States military, is fire from allied or friendly forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces or enemy fire. A friendly fire incident (fratricide), is when friendly forces or materiel are attacked and damaged by friendly fire which may be deliberate (e.g. incorrectly identifying the target as the enemy), or accidental (e.g. missing the enemy and hitting "friendlies").
So not even our ships were immune from our Allies the Americans no doubt not the last case of this type of incident and I am sure certainly not the first in Australian Naval History.