QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900
A little history: The Tuskegee airmen were named after the college/airfield they trained at during WWII in Tuskegee, Alabama. They were the first all black fighter group to come into existence.
Where 'other' FG's would break off a certain many miles from the target, the 332 FG would follow the bombers all the way in, all the way out. And where others would break and pursue targets, the Tuskegee airmen were extremely disciplined and never strayed from the bombers, some of the main reasons they never lost one to enemy AC...
They existed in part to the push of Eleanor Wilson, the wife of the US president at the time.... she was a strong advocate of rights and equality.. and played a big role during the last term of her husband in pushing these. She had a personal interest in seeing this program succeed.
The bomber pilots soon began requesting them above all other groups as they knew they would look out for them... never leave.
The Germans began to fear them as well.... "Red Tail Devils" or something like that they were called... at times some of the fighters would turn back when they saw the 332nd red tails protecting the group.
They also were one of the first groups to encounter the Me-262 and probably one of the first to shoot one down.
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some more info on the Tuskeegee Airmen:
not just the first black fighter group, but the first black folks admitted 2 the Army Air Corps period, IIRC...
they were under strict orders from their commanding officer Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. not 2 leave the bombers 2 engage in 'hot pursuit' of enemy fighters; they would have been grounded otherwise !
and even so, they still managed 2 do some damage...
the president's wife in question was Eleanor ROOSEVELT... she was apparently given a ride in a trainer by 'Chief' Anderson at Tuskeegee Field. altho' she was a strong advocate of equal rights, the fact that her husband was facing a tight election race & was courting the black vote at the time the Tuskeegee program was getting underway also was a major factor. either way, they got their wings & proved their mettle...
Col. Davis' a/c was named 'By Request', probably in reference 2 the bomber crews
knowing that the TA squadrons would get them 2 the target & back again & would ask 4 them 2 b their escorts...
bombers still fell victim 2 enemy flak on occasion, but there was nothing the fighters could do about that.
altho' the Germans did call them Red Tailed Devils or Swartzervogelmenschen
(Black Birdmen), the bomber crews called them Red Tailed Angels.
please, if u r interested in this subject, check out the Tuskeegee Airmen Group Build thread....
there is no ending date set, so join us whenever u can !
frosty
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