Strange friendly fire incidents in military history

During the fighting between the English fleet and the Spanish Armada, English ships tried to hold loose formations while firing broadsides at close range. Smoke quickly covered the water, and some English gunners fired at friendly ships they could barely see through the haze.

Signals were hard to read and wind shifts changed everyone’s positions. A few vessels drifted too close to the action and were mistaken for Spanish targets. The battle still ended in an English win, but confusion on the water added to the chaos.