Falaise Gap: Friendly fire (not from the air)

[Crewman]

Hi,

I think that majority of the MLU users know very well the facts when misdropped Allied bombs hit also Allied troops and AFVs in the Falaise Gap and similarly misfired Allied rockets attacked also Allied ground troops.

I propose other and rather rare, in my opinion, subject. I mean all cases of the land battles friendly fire between ground troops in the Falaise Gap where a mix of the international units fought in the closest neighborhood sometimes without good wireless communication.

For better thread development let's start from the quotation:

Originally written by Maj. R. L. Rogers

At 1 p.m., 17th August, orders were received to leave the capture of Falaise to the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions (in fact, the city had been almost completely cleared by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division by noon); the 4th Canadian Armoured Division was to move farther east and south to complete the closing of the Falaise Gap in company with the 1st Polish Armoured Division, by linking up with troops from the V United States Corps advancing northwards from Argentan. The Regiment was to move to Point 104, about three miles due north of Trun, by way of the valley behind the hill overlooking Falaise, east to Morteuax-Coulibeuf, where civilians were met in a battle area for the first time, east to a small road at Barou, down that road to Les-Moutiers-en-Auge, and thence across dirt tracks to the hill-top. Unfortunately direction was temporarily lost among the minor roads and the Command Post went 1000 yards too far, until it had a brush with the troops of the 1st Polish Armoured Division who did not appear to be particular with whom they fought so long as they fought somebody. The Regiment retired to a point near the position allotted to it and halted there for the night; the Poles turned their attention to the South Alberta Regiment.


Source:
R. L. Rogers
History of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment
Anthony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham 1954
pages 154-155

Hmmm,
"… the 1st Polish Armoured Division who did not appear to be particular with whom they fought so long as they fought somebody".




Well, do you know the other cases form the Falaise Gap land battles when, for instance, the Canadian tanks or troops attacked the British tanks or troops or vice versa? Or maybe the US GIs or the French Armoured Division attacked somebody in the Falaise Gap by mistake?

As always I would be grateful for interesting cases and discussion.


Best regards

C.