One wonders how often similar collisions took place over Europe during the war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uci0QkMRW5U
Video on loss rates which includes, collision, mechanical, and landing mishaps. Also losses to flak and fighters.
We lost more airmen in WWII to accidents of this nature that we did in combat. I think it is on the order of 15,000 just in CONUS non-combat dead from training. Overseas the accidents happened at a similar rate. Then factor in collisions just like this in combat.
In 1940 the accident rate was 50 per 100k flight hours.
Today in the USAF it is around 0.94.
We scarcely fathom the carnage of that war.
Here are two P-40s colliding also.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7A4MzYxUtc