History Main / TrialByFriendlyFire

* Parodied in {{WebComic/EightBitTheater}} when Black Mage orders Fighter to attack a dragon they planned to blast with spells.
-->'''Red Mage:''' Won't Fighter get caught in the blast radius?

->Note: "Maxim 5" in ''[[BigBookOfWar The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries]]'' states "Close air support and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart." Should be, yes. But sometimes you need to call in an air strike on your own position, just to be sure.

* The Skaven in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' are the only faction allowed to shoot into close combat, because they don't really care about their expendable Mooks.

* Also a stock-standard maneuver in ''FinalFantasyTactics'', where non-SummonMagic spells hit anyone caught in the blast zone regardless of allegiance. While sometimes you might want to get away from a targeted enemy to avoid damage to your adjacent units, you might also decide to weather the damage if it will take out the enemy. In fact, two favorite techniques among players are to target ''your own unit'' with a spell, then send it rushing into the thick of enemy forces, or just going ahead and blasting everyone in the battlefield with a Calculator. Protecting them with magic-absorbing equipment is optional.

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* ''Averting'' this was one of the great innovations in artillery tactics pioneered by the Germans in the First World War. By 1916 the Germans had successfully implemented artillery 'creeping barrages', used to keep the enemy's heads down while the infantry advanced on their positions and began assaulting them. However, this tactic was not as effective as many Generals had hoped. The retired artillery reservist officer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Bruchm%C3%BCller Colonel Georg Bruchmüller]] discovered why: far too many shells landed 'short' (by tens of metres or more!) and would hit the infantry if they followed the barrage too closely. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Yet, the barrage was what was protecting them from enemy fire.]] So Bruchmüller worked on getting their trust back by using only the most reliable artillery pieces for the barrage. For a start he started having guns tested for their accuracy, having the ones with over-worn barrels (resulting in lessened accuracy) assigned to other duties. But his true genius was only using 'medium' howitzers (artillery pieces with high firing arcs), the most accurate type of gun, for the barrage. With this move, and a very thorough series of personal lectures and question-and-answer sessions with all the artillery and infantry commanders involved at every level of these operations, he earned the infantry's trust. And in the ''Riga'' (Baltic/Northeastern Front, 1917) and ''Michael'' (Western Front, 1918) offensives, among others, it showed.

-->'''Capt. Harris''': Snakebite leader, Bravo Six, for the record, it's my call. Dump everything you got left ON MY POS. I say again, I want all you're holding INSIDE the perimeter. ''It's a lovely fucking war.'' Bravo Six Actual and Out.

* During the climax of Film/FlightOfTheIntruder, [[Creator/WillemDafoe Lieutenant Commander Virgil "Tiger" Cole]], already badly wounded, realizes that a nearby NVA antiaircraft vehicle knows where he is and is using him to lure the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter into their kill zone. He pops smoke, then radios the [[DeathFromAbove AD-1 Skyraiders]] circling overhead to blast his position off the face of the Earth.
--> '''Cole:''' ''"Sandy Lead, this is Cole, 505. I'm all screwed up. Been shot, my back's broke. I'm sitting on a ZSU, they're usin' me for bait. I'm poppin' smoke. Everything ya got, lay it on me...I'd do it for you. Alpha mike foxtrot..."''

** In a notable example, AudieMurphy did this several times during his most famous RoaringRampageOfRevenge/YouShallNotPass moment. The Germans advanced to within twenty yards of his position, so he ordered more fire missions ''on'' his position. When the artillery director asked if they were really that close, Murphy replied, "Hold the phone for a minute and I'll let you talk to one of the bastards!" The only reason he stopped calling artillery on his own position was that the artillery itself severed his field telephone line. Oh, and he did this all while exposed on top of a burning M10 tank destroyer, cutting down Germans left and right with its .50-caliber machine gun. It was indeed a CrowningMomentOfAwesome in case you were wondering, one he was awarded the Medal of Honor for. Oh, and he managed to do an UnflinchingWalk when heading back to what was left of his unit as the Tank Destroyer exploded seconds after he exited it, peppering his ass and legs with shrapnel. He then reorganized his unit and led a counterattack that sent the numerically-superior Nazis running.

* The US military radio jargon for this is "danger close",[[note]] 600m for most stuff, but up to 2000m for MRLS rockets[[/note]] which is shorthand for, "we're extremely close to the blast radius but do it anyway because the shit is ''really'' hitting the fan, and [[GodzillaThreshold it's not like this could get any worse]]!"

* During the climax of Film/FlightOfTheIntruder, [[Creator/WillemDafoe Lieutenant Commander Virgil "Tiger" Cole]], already badly wounded, realizes that a nearby NVA antiaircraft vehicle knows where he is and is using him to lure the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter into their kill zone. He pops smoke, then radios the [[DeathFromAbove AD-1 Skyraiders]] circling overhead to blast his position off the face of the Earth.
--> '''Cole:''' ''"Sandy Lead, this is Cole, 505. I'm all screwed up. Been shot, my back's broke. I'm sitting on a ZSU, they're usin' me for bait. I'm poppin' smoke. Everything ya got, lay it on me...I'd do it for you. Alpha mike foxtrot..."''

** In a notable example, AudieMurphy did this several times during his most famous RoaringRampageOfRevenge/YouShallNotPass moment. The Germans advanced to within twenty yards of his position, so he ordered more fire missions ''on'' his position. When the artillery director asked if they were really that close, Murphy replied, "Hold the phone for a minute and I'll let you talk to one of the bastards!" The only reason he stopped calling artillery on his own position was that the artillery itself severed his field telephone line. Oh, and he did this all while in a burning tank destroyer, cutting down Germans left and right with its .50-caliber machine gun. It was indeed a CrowningMomentOfAwesome in case you were wondering, one he was awarded the Medal of Honor for. Oh, and he managed to do a UnflinchingWalk when heading back to what was left of his unit as the Tank Destroyer exploded seconds after he exited it, peppering his ass and legs with shrapnel.

* During the climax of Film/FlightOfTheIntruder, [[Creator/WillemDafoe Lieutenant Commander Virgil "Tiger" Cole]], already badly wounded, realizes that a nearby NVA antiaircraft vehicle knows where he is and is using him to the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter into their kill zone. He pops smoke, then radios the [[DeathFromAbove AD-1 Skyraiders]] circling overhead to blast his position off the face of the Earth.
--> '''Cole:''' ''"Sandy Lead, this is Cole, 505. I'm all screwed up. Been shot, my back's broke. I'm sitting on a ZSU, they're usin' me for bait. I'm poppin' smoke. Everything ya got, lay it on me...I'd do it for you. Alpha mike foxtrot..."''

-->'''Tyrol:''' [[TheChainsOfCommanding ...All hands: seal off... all bulkheads 25-40... it's an order.]]

** In a notable example, AudieMurphy did this several times during his RoaringRampageOfRevenge/YouShallNotPass moment. The only reason he stopped calling artillery on his own position was that the artillery itself severed his command line. Oh and he did this all while in a burning tank destroyer, firing its machine gun. It was indeed a CrowningMomentOfAwesome in case you were wondering, one he was awarded the Medal of Honor for. Oh, and he managed to do a UnflinchingWalk when heading back to what was left of his unit as the Tank Destroyer exploded seconds after he exited it.

* At various times in LawAndOrderSVU, Liv and Stabler have each been in a position where their partner is being used as shield by the bad guy. In all cases, the one being held hostage always actively encourages the other to shoot to kill the bad guy with no concern for their own safety. Liv and Elliott ALWAYS TakeAThirdOption, sometimes with disastrous consequences when their hesitation allows the bad guy to escape.

* In ''armageddon'' of TheSalvationWar, during the final major battle in Hell (the humans against Beelzebub's army) several Russian BMP's called for artillery on their own position. Turned out better than expected for them since the incoming shells were full of sarin gas and a fully locked down BMP is gas tight (no air in). On the other hand, [[FateWorseThanDeath it didn't work out so well for those who didn't get the radio message]].

** In a notable example, AudieMurphy did this several times during his RoaringRampageOfRevenge/YouShallNotPass moment. The only reason he stopped calling artillery on his own position was that the artillery itself severed his command line. Oh and he did this all while in a burning tank destroyer, firing its machine gun. It was indeed a CrowningMomentOfAwesome in case you were wondering, one he was awarded the Medal of Honor for.

* ''Averting'' this was one of the great innovations in artillery tactics pioneered by the Germans in the First World War. By 1916 the Germans had successfully implemented artillery 'creeping barrages', used to keep the enemy's heads down while the infantry advanced on their positions and began assaulting them. However, this tactic was not as effective as many Generals had hoped. The retired artillery reservist officer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Bruchm%C3%BCller Colonel Georg Bruchmüller]] discovered why: far too many shells landed 'short' (by tens of metres or more!) and would hit the infantry if they followed the barrage too closely. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Yet, the barrage was what was protecting them from enemy fire.]] So Bruchmüller worked on getting their trust back by using only the most reliable artillery pieces for the barrage. For a start he started having guns tested for their accuracy, having the ones with over-worn barrels (resulting in lessened accuracy) assigned to other duties. But his true genius was only using 'medium' howitzers (artillery pieces with high firing arcs), the most accurate type of gun, for the barrage. With this move, and a very thorough series of personal lectures and question-and-answer sessions with all the artillery and infantry commanders involved at every level of these operations, he earned the infantry's trust. And in the ''Riga'' and ''Michael'' offensives, among others, it showed.

* In the First World War the British weren't overly concerned with averting this trope when copying the Franco-German 'creeping barrage', largely because using more reliable artillery pieces for the barrage (in the German mold) was a seen as a reversal of 'the natural order of things': [[HonorBeforeReason medium artillery pieces were for targets a medium distance away, and the barrage was to be fired at relatively close targets, so light artillery pieces would be used. Even if they were less reliable.]] ** The British version of the barrage had a twist: the British were the only power to manufacture the notoriously expensive and unreliable 'Shrapnel shells'. These exploded ''forward'', not outward, a bit like flying shotguns battering the ground in front of them; and the trick was to keep pace with the airbursts as the gunners shifted their aim, so they occurred right over your head and the ground in front of you was made unlivable. In fact, it was considered good form to hug the barrage so close that you received a few own-goals, because if you lost the barrage's protection, you would expose yourself to even more murderous losses from German machine-gun fire.

* ''Averting'' this was one of the great innovations in artillery tactics pioneered by the Germans in the First World War. By 1916 the Germans had successfully implemented artillery 'creeping barrages', used to keep the enemy's heads down while the infantry advanced on their positions and began assaulting them. However, this tactic was not as effective as many Generals had hoped. The retired artillery reservist officer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Bruchm%C3%BCller Colonel Georg Bruchmüller discovered why]]: far too many shells landed 'short' (by tens of metres) and would hit the infantry if they followed the barrage too closely. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Yet, the barrage was what was protecting them from enemy fire.]] So Bruchmüller worked on getting their trust back by using only the most reliable artillery pieces for the barrage. For a start he started having guns tested for their accuracy, having the ones with over-worn barrels (resulting in lessened accuracy) assigned to other duties. But his true genius was only using 'medium' howitzers (artillery pieces with high firing arcs), the most accurate type of gun, for the barrage. With this move, and a very thorough series of personal lectures and question-and-answer sessions with all the artillery and infantry commanders involved at every level of these operations, he earned the infantry's trust. And in the ''Riga'' and ''Michael'' offensives, among others, it showed.

* In the First World War, the British perfected the art of the creeping barrage, for keeping the Germans' heads down as the attack advanced. Shrapnel shells explode ''forward'', not outward, a bit like flying shotguns battering the ground in front of them; and the trick was to keep pace with the airbursts as the gunners shifted their aim, so they occurred right over your head and the ground in front of you was made unlivable. In fact, it was considered good form to hug the barrage so close that you received a few own-goals, because if you lost the barrage's protection, you would expose yourself to even more murderous losses from German machine-gun fire.

* In ''{{NCIS}}'', Gibbs had tracked down a spy within NCIS. Her operator, though, had grabbed her as a human shield. With the standard dramatic pauses, he finally shot through her and killed the bad guy, and her too.

* Happens twice in the final battle against the Guild in ''LastExile'': [[spoiler:Sophia orders the ''Sylvanas'' to shoot its way through the downed ''Urbania'' in order to not crash into it while they are charing Dalphine's warship. Moments later they shoot said warship only to learn just too late that ''Sylvanas''' captured captian, Alex, was on board.]]

* A variant appears in the ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' pilot:

* Sometimes, ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' will have [[RivalsTeamUp bitter foes teaming up]] to take down a common (and invariably much more dangerous) enemy. Then one of them will get hit by the other's friendly fire, starting up another fight between them [[IgnoredEnemy while the actual enemy stares from the background]].

* In ''GundamSeed'', Lt. Badgiruel at one point orders a missile strike while Kira is in the blast radius, the reason being that Kira was overwhelmed by his opponents and needed some assistance. She reasons that he will be fine because his mobile suit has Phase Shift armor meant to resist such attacks (but is by no means invulnerable to them). [[WorthyOpponent Andrew Waltfeld]], the enemy commander, wonders whether the Archangel doesn't care about the life of their pilot, or if they have such trust in his abilities that they know he will not be harmed by such tactics.
* ''GunslingerGirl''. Terrorist BigBad Dante tries to use Rico's handler as a HumanShield against his cyborg, who is trained to protect him at all costs. Unfortunately Jean had earlier instructed Rico to kill Dante (who had killed Jean's family years before with a car bomb) even at the cost of their own lives. Rico decides to ShootTheHostage. With an anti-tank rifle.

* In one ''ComicBook/{{X-men}}'' comic, Cameron Hodge tried to goad Cable into shooting him through Psylocke. He failed, and good that he did, since he was literally MadeOfIron and Psylocke would have been the only fatality.

* In an episode of ''{{Chuck}}'', a particularly inconvenient air strike led to a near miss OutOfTheInferno situation and a lot of StuffBlowingUp.