The aggressive fighting spirit promulgated by the USAAF fighter units could sometimes cause issues with ‘shoot 1st- identify later’ - has anyone seen that P51 gun-camera footage of the Mosquito PRU being shot down? The USAAF had to paint their Mosquito tails red as an ID factor…
From Sqd Ldr [C.O. 80 Sqd - flying Tempests, late 44] Bob Spurdles memoir “The Blue Arena” P.201;
“On Sortie No 551 some USAAF Mustangs jumped us.
Enraged, I turned on my particular tormenter & scared him fartless by firing bursts 1st on one side & then on the other while he twisted & turned helpless against the far superior Tempest. Formating alongside I shook my fist at the stupid jerk & then zoomed away.
We should have hacked a few down to teach them aircraft recognition. We were sick of their trigger-happy stupidities.”
Bob Spurdle continues…
“One of the wing’s pilots painted a white star on his machine adding it to his string of swastikas. He was told to remove it.
The squadron commanders of the wings under the control of A.V.M. Broadhurst were assembled at Eindhoven for a general briefing on future operations & the war’s progress. The A.V.M., in passing , told us that if our aircraft were subjected to any more bouncing by our gallant allies, we could retaliate & no enquiry or disciplinary action would be taken. An extraordinary scene followed - cheering, back-slapping, laughing pilots surrounded our popular commander.
We`d had more than enough of this sort of aggravation.”
Since -by the last year of the war- the USAAF had deleted camo/painting on their planes, & the British hadnt, from Jan 45 the RAF painted prominent yellow rings around the roundel national markings on their planes to make them more easily identified, & the ground attack 9th AF P47s added another white star to their bottom wing for the same reason.
This is the Official Tempest Recognition Film. Made to ensure F/F incidents had no excuse…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKq51LdJ-ZU
Ah, yes, turns out that [140Sqd RAF] PRU Mosquito shot down by the 4th FG 8th AAF P-51s shown in the gun-camera footage was claimed [& credited!] as a Me 410 kill…funny… thing though…wonder why it didn`t use its defensive armament…rear gunner must’ve been too frightened, eh…