USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -As escorts, flying P-47s and later P-51s, they were responsible for protecting larger bombers from German fighter planes. The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15, 000 sorties between May 1943 and June 1945.

Detailed explanation-2: -(6) The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American soldiers to successfully complete their training and enter the Army Air Corps . Almost 1000 aviators were produced as America’s first African American military pilots.

Detailed explanation-3: -The 332nd Fighter group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its’ longest bomber escort mission to Berlin, Germany on March 24, 1945. During this mission, the Tuskegee Airmen (then known as the ‘Red Tails’) destroyed three German ME-262 jet fighters and damaged five additional jet fighters.

Detailed explanation-4: -Their missions took them over Italy and enemy-occupied parts of central and southern Europe. Their operational aircraft were, in succession: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft.

Detailed explanation-5: -This building, still standing today, is the original operations center of the 332nd Fighter Group when the Tuskegee Airmen were stationed at Ramitelli Air Field on the Adriatic coast of Italy. The Tuskegee Airmen were moved to this location in May of 1944 to join the 15th Air Force.