Military1968

Suspected DMZ 'helicopters' lead to friendly-fire strike on HMAS Hobart

When: 17 Jun 1968
Where: Con Co Island, Vietnam
Sources: 2 public sources

HMAS Hobart departing for Vietnam service; she was struck by U.S. aircraft in June 1968 RAN Public Relations, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

On 16-17 June 1968, U.S. Air Force jets whose pilots took the radar returns of allied ships for enemy helicopters attacked several ships near the Vietnam DMZ, hitting HMAS Hobart and killing two sailors. In 1973 USAF chief Gen. George Brown described the episode as a series of UFO sightings.

Sources

OfficialFriendly Fire (opens in a new tab)Australian War Memorial, Places of Pride / 2019-08-01
OtherAustralian Naval History on 18 October 1973 (opens in a new tab)Naval Historical Society of Australia

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