Volume 12 , Issue 41

WWII Memorial - Death by Friendly Fire

January 16, 1944, Staff Sergeant Elmo A. Hagen, Gunnery Instructor, dies by friendly fire, on a high altitude formation gunnery training mission over the Bay area, near Galveston, Texas.

2nd Lt. Ryan J. Lancaster's crew of nine, plus a gunnery instructor in B-17F, 42-30761, took off from Galveston Army Air Field, second in line with six other B-17s from Ardmore Army Air Field. After reaching altitude, they formed up to participate in a high altitude formation gunnery training mission over the Bay area. They were to fire at sleeve towed targets from an echelon 'up to the right' stacked formation. Lt. Lancaster's aircraft was in the Number 2 position off the right wing of the lead aircraft at approximately 10,000 feet altitude.

When the signal was given to fire, all gun positions except the ball and top turrets fired when the towed target was in an advantageous position to their station. When the gunners of 42-30761 had fired approximately 1,000 rounds, the target towing aircraft came in low at a 7 o'clock position passing directly under Lancaster's aircraft. At this time, Lt. Lancaster felt a pull on the controls and thought his aircraft might have received 50-caliber fire from another aircraft.

In a few minutes, Sgt. Herschell L. Moore, flight engineer, came forward to report that S/Sgt. Elmo A. Hagen, gunnery instructor, had been severely injured from at least one stray bullet. S/Sgt. Hagen, who was shot in the back, had been standing between the ball turret and waist guns. The incident happened approximately 100-miles south of Galveston Army Air Field.

Lancaster immediately left the formation and landed at Galveston at approximately 1805-hours Central War Time (CWT). The aircraft was met by an ambulance and Sgt. Hagen was transported to the Infirmary where he was pronounced dead. It was apparent that he was deceased soon after the bullet struck him.

Lt. Lancaster's aircraft received at least ten hits to the wing, gas tanks and fuselage; damaging and cutting cables to the rudder and elevator in the central control cable. Gunners in each of the other aircraft in the formation were questioned as to whether they might have been responsible for the accident. No one accepted responsibility for the damage to 42-30761 and death of S/Sgt. Elmo A. Hagen. Since there was no definite proof and no admittance by any of the gunners of the aircraft, the accident was declared to be accidental or due to carelessness.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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