#12: Operation COBRA – Second World War
Operation COBRA aimed to break German lines near Saint Lô in July 1944. Heavy bombers approached from the wrong direction, and the bomb lines drifted backward. Smoke meant to mark friendly positions was misread, placing American troops in the danger zone.
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Bombs fell on U.S. soldiers, killing more than a hundred, including Lieutenant General Lesley McNair. Hundreds more were wounded. The offensive still opened the route into France, but the friendly fire losses remain some of the worst suffered by American forces in the war.