nt (Krztalizer) wrote in message ...

and it was common
to shoot at stragglers trying to join up with the formation. Especially,
of course, if it was not their own unit. As a straggler was known
to be an easy target for enemy fighters, this was a difficult choice...
for both sides.

Very true and you have to wonder how many US airmen perished because their
aircraft were so damaged that they could not keep up with their own groups -
slowly being overtaken by other formations, edgy and trigger-happy and suddenly
facing an "unfamiliar" B-17 that would 'appear' to be shadowing their
movements. Tragic, but it makes a hell of a lot more sense than the Germans
sending one of their rare war prizes into a situation where it would be fired
upon by literally everyone, with predictable results.

Wow..this floors me. Were aircrews that worried by fake or captured
aircraft that they would shoot at anything not in their formation? I
hope Art is
following this thread and comments because this sounds to incredible
to
believe.