WW2 Navy Fratricide

[BreakingBad]

Was watching some WW2 documentaries showing the kamikaze attacking US warships, and wondered if there were many instances of fratricide from accidental ship to ship friendly fire.

When enemy airplanes were high, I imagine the trajectory of bullets from ship would go up, lose their energy then tumble down relatively harmlessly.  But in instances where the airplanes came in low, and particularly between ships, seems gunfire from one ship could possibly have raked a friendly ship.

I imagine they were well aware of this.  I wonder if they tried to prevent this, or if shooting down enemy airplane was so important that accidental friendly fire was just an accepted risk. Or maybe they tried to maintain some set spacing between ships.

[Shuffler]

With that much ord in the air I've often wondered.

[F22RaptorDude]

Remember hearing that in the attack On Pearl Harbor ships were actually laying bullets down on each other in attempts to shoot down the planes

[Shane]

Y'all think the AA gun battery shields were just for show?

I'm fairly certain they had some protocols in place, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn of such situations occurring.

June 4, 1942, Battle of Midway.
All the ships in TF 17 blazed away to defend Yorktown.. On Russell, a 20mm crew keeps firing even though another ship has fouled the range. The skipper throws his helmet at the gunners to make his over-enthusiastic men cease fire.

1945
USS Enterprise (CV-6) damaged by friendly antiaircraft fire, had to withdraw from air operations for 24 hours while repairs to her flight deck took place during a raid on southern Kyushu.

[BreakingBad]

One program I watched on the Pearl Harbor attack showed the bullet riddled car of civilians who were killed from the anti-aircraft fire.  I think it was a father and son if memory serves.  Must have happened often.

[smoe]

This may be why ship guns had armour plating protecting the gunners. Probably intended more for friendly fire.

I do remember it being discussed, possibly in Battle 360, the rule was anything goes. Taking friendly ship-to-ship hits was part of the Navy/Marine job description when enemy planes were inbound.

[Guppy35]

I suggest "Neptune's Inferno-The US Navy at Guadalcanal" by James Hornfischer.

All kinds of incidents of good guys shooting good guys and with more then 20mms.  In the last Battleship to Battleship encounter at Surigo Straights the US ships had to stop firing as a US DD was getting clobbered by friendly fire.

Seems to me I recall the USS Pennsylvania hitting Tennessee with 5 inch fire while shooting at Kamakazis as well.