Existing comment:
Building the Legend:
The actions of the 99th FS over the Anzio Beachhead in January 1944 more than proved that the black aviators could be as effective as any other squadron. In this action, the 99th FS destroyed twelve enemy aircraft in two days, more than any Allied squadron engaged in the action. Time Magazine in an article the previous September all but called the "Tuskegee Experiment" a failure. The magazine was now trumpeting their success. Though they would continue to have detractors, they had disproven the main argument of those who would have denied them equal opportunities. They had passed the "Test" and would build a legend.
Their new strategic mission made them a part of the Allied effort to destroy the war-making capabilities of Germany. This new mission would have the 332nd FG protecting bombers sent to destroy industrial and transportation sites deep inside of enemy territory. Protecting bombers from the Luftwaffe, the German airforce, was not an easy task. During the course of the war the tenacious air defenses of the Reich had exacted a heavy toll. It was not unusual for the Americans to lose scores of heavy bombers and hundreds of airmen in a single raid. Many German aces or "experten" had perfected head-on attack. Defending the bombers against German fighters would be an almost sacred mission to the Redtails. Understanding the cost of failing in this or any mission cause [sic] the 332nd FG to protect their charges as never before. It was a relatively rare event for the 332nd FG to lose a bomber to enemy aircraft. |