Theodore Vincent O'Kelly, (1924 - 2017) - ForeverMissed.com Online Memorials

Let the memory of Theodore Vincent O’Kelly be with us forever. We honor his memory. and his heroic service to America.

92 years old
Born on June 7, 1924 in Bayonne, United States
Passed away on April 17, 2017 in Bayonne, New Jersey, United States

This memorial website was created in memory of our dear friend, Theodore Vincent O'Kelly, 92 years old, born on June 7, 1924, and passed away on April 17, 2017. We will remember him forever. He was a dedicated New Jersey educator and a member of the famed Tuskeegee Airmen who fought the war in the skies. We honor his service, dedication and devotion to America and their tireless contributions to the freedoms we cherish today

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August 17, 2023

TV was my teacher for third grade in E Brunswick, NJ. This was in 1961. I turned 70 today and still remember his novel teaching methods and dignified demeanor. He was a great person.

July 17, 2021

THE MEN AND THEIR AIRPLANES (Continued)

June 25, 1944--pilots of the 302nd Fighter Squadron sink a German destroyer with machine gun fire from their P-47's.

June,1944--The 332nd is attached to the 15th Air Force. The 99th Fighter Squadron is added to the 332nd Fighter Group as its fourth squadron.

August, 1944--The 332nd participates in the invasion of southern France by escorting bombers and on ground attack missions in Rumania and Czechoslovakia.

September 10, 1944--Four pilots of the 332nd are awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

March 15, 1945--The all black 477th Bombardment Group is moved from Godman Field, Kentucky to Freeman Field, Indiana.

April 1, 1945--The men of the 477th protest the strict segregationist policies ordered by base commander Colonel Robert Selway in a document called Regulation 85-2.

April 5, 1945--The some black pilots led by 2nd Lt. Roger C. Terry and Lt. Marsden Thompson try to enter the segregated officer's club.

April 9, 1945--Base commander Colonel Robert Selway orders the black officers to sign a statement that they have read and accept Regulation 85-2. The 101 officers refuse in what was called the Freeman Field Incident. [Note: For more information, see the book "The Tuskegee Airmen Mutiny at Freeman Field" by Lt. Col. James C. Warren.]

June, 1945--Colonel Benjamin Davis, Jr. is named commander of the 477th Composite Group, which includes the 99th and 100th Fighter Squadrons. They begin training for combat in the Pacific Theater.

August 14, 1945--World War II ends with the surrender of Japan.

August 12, 1995--The Air Force clears the service records of Tuskegee Airmen involved in the so called "Freeman Field Mutiny" vindicating their stand for equality.

A Testimony

Note: Recently, an e-mail was received from a Mr. Tom Croley whose friend, Lt. Ray Stanford, a B-24 pilot in World War II, was saved by a Tuskegee Airman.

Lt. Stanford wrote this testimony in the form of an open letter to the unknown Tuskgee pilot who saved his life. This is Lt. Stanford's story:

A B-24 BOMBER PILOT

"A B-24 bomber pilot on a bombing raid at an oil refinery near Vienna, Austria was badly hit.With an engine shot out and set on fire he was sent peeling out of formation.

The pilot shut off the fuel and by side slipping he extinguished the flames, but could not get the propeller feathered.

The B-24 could hold altitude.

Now all alone as a "wounded duck" with no formation for added protection, he called for fighter support.

A single P-51 pilot at great risk to himself came and flew cover. Just one P-51 and one B-24 would be "easy pickins" for a few enemy fighters.

After they reached the Adriatic Sea, there was no further danger from enemy fighters.

The fighter pilot running low on fuel himself radioed the B-24 pilot to see if he could make it back OK.

The answer was affirmative with a request to know his name and if they could meet.

He wanted to thank him and buy him a drink.

The P-51 now came in close formation and with a change in voice said, "You wouldn't want to do that "boss." He was as black as the ace of spades. The B-24 pilot answered, "I will greet you with a bottle of the best in both hands."

The B-24 landed safely and taxied to its revetment. Later when the mechanics examined the B-24 they were amzed to discover all the fuel tanks were empty.

A true miracle of God, I know. I was the B-24 pilot.

If the pilots ever meet, the offer still stands and with a clear witness for Jesus Christ.

John3:16,

Eph.2:8-10,

and 2nd Cor.5:21."

1st Lieutenant A. Ray Stanford
15th Air Force, 48th Bomb Group, 824th Squadron

TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN IN ACTION

Faced with the realities of war, the federal government reluctantly established The 66th Air Force Flying School at the Tuskegee Institute. Blacks considered this a flawed compromise but welcomed the opportunity to prove their ability and commitment to the war efforts.

On May 31, 1943, the 99th Squadron, the first group of men trained at the Tuskegee Institute, arrived in North Africa. These combat pioneers began their journey towards redefining America's relationship with Black men in the Air Force.

In Sicily the squadron registered their first victory against an enemy aircraft and went on to more impressive strategic strikes against the German forces throughout Italy. Though often handicapped, when given a chance to fully participate, the record of the 99th in action is extremely impressive.

The Afro-American's correspondents documented the successes and frustrations of the Black military personnel. Their reports from 1941-1944 were complied by then publisher, Carl Murphy, in the book This is Our War. Their writing is treasured not only for its historical value, but also for the excellence of the writing. Along with an important historical record, these writers returned from Europe, Africa, the North and the Southwest Pacific with taut, engaging prose that still stands as a literary gem. Reports by Art Carter focused on the men of the 99th; he joined the group in Italy in December 1943, seven months after their initial arrival from Tuskegee.

However, the triumphs of the Tuskegee Airmen did not appease those who refused to accept their presence. Harsh criticisms were levied against them, adding to their frustrations. The men of the 99th had set high standards for themselves because they realized that every move was being scrutinized and that their success or failure would directly impact the future of Blacks in the military.

Their success was particularly evident when the 99th was paired with the 79th Fighter Group on October 9, 1943. The 79th was an all-White Squadron led by Col Earl Bates. For the first time they were integrated in the missions to eliminate their German opponents. They were no longer restricted to escort duties, but instead were assigned to bombing key German strongholds.

Operation Strangle, the last assignment of the team of the 79th and the 99th, marked the end of the 99th Squadron unit. On July 4, 1944, the 99th was joined into three other Squadrons: the 100th, 301st and the 302 to form the 332nd Fighter Group. All three groups were new to the combat zone, and like the 99th, had been trained at the Tuskegee institute. While their initial union was strained, the new group continued to demonstrate that they had the commitment, the drive and the technical ability to carry out successful military assignments.

Consequently, when the war ended, the War Department and the federal government were forced to reassess their segregated military policy.

After several committee reports, President Truman was forced to issue two executive orders that effectively paved the way for the integration of the Air Force.

TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN: Lonely Eagles to Red Tail Angels

The Men and Their Airplanes: The Trainers

The Tuskegee Airmen trained on four main types of aircraft, which were similar to training aircraft flown by pilot trainees at other Army Air Corps training facilities. Among the aircraft flown by the pilots were the:

*PT-17 Stearman

BT-13,

AT-6 Texan and the

The PT-17 was a bi-plane with fixed landing gear.

The BT-13 and AT-6 were monoplanes.

When the flying cadets mastered the skills learned in basic training they graduated to the P-40, a fighter that the graduates of the 99th would eventually use as their standard equipment.

Lemuel Curtis,

Charles DeBow,

Mac Ross,

George S. "Spanky" Roberts, and

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.

Other classes soon followed and the Tuskegee Airmen flew into their place in history.

July 17, 2021

THE MEN AND THEIR AIRPLANES: The Fighters

When the Tuskegee Airmen in the 99th Fighter Squadron arrived in North Africa, they flew the Curtiss P-40L War Hawk. The War Hawk was a familiar aircraft because they had flown it during their final training. The P-40 was an updated version of the fighter that the famed Flying Tigers flew in China against the Japanese prior to Pearl Harbor.

The P-40L had a top speed of 350 miles per hour and range of about 1,000 miles. It was armed with six fifty caliber Browning machine guns and could carry bombs and an external fuel tank. The P-40 was outclassed by some of the first line German fighters, notably the Me-109 and FW-190, which were faster and more manueverable. However, the P-40 was a rugged aircraft and pilots learned to utilize the strengths of their airplane.

When the men of the 332nd Fighter Group arrived in Taranto, Italy, they were initially assigned the task of coastal patrol flying an obsolete aircraft the Bell P-39 Airacobra. The Airacobra was slow compared to first line German and Italian fighters. Its main claim to fame was the 37mm cannon that fired through the propeller spinner. The P-39 was flown by other Allied pilots, especially the Russians who liked the cannon for ground attack missions.

The men of the 332nd were fighter pilots and felt betrayed and frustrated. This feeling was underscored on March 17, 1944 Lieutenant Laurance D. Wilkins and Weldon K. Groves tried to intercept a German Ju-88 reconnaisance aircraft, which escaped with damage to its wing.

In May, 1944 the 332nd Fighter Group under the command of Colonel Benjamin O. Davis were assigned to fly escort missions with the 306th Wing of the 15th Fighter Command. They were given the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, affectionately called "The Jug" because of its shape, but also because of its firepower and its ability to absorb damage which would have disabled or destroyed other fighters. P-47's were well armed and could perform well at high altitude in the escort role as well as ground attack aircraft. The pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their P-47's red, thus their nickname "Red Tails". Their reputation for protecting bombers would slowly grow and later bomber crews would affectionately call them Red-Tail Angels.

The main fighter flown by the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group from 1944 until the end of the war was the North American P-51 Mustang fighter. The P-51 was the best all around fighter produced by the United States during World War II and was flown in both the European and Pacific Theaters. It was the first Allied fighter capable of escorting bombers to and from targets deep into Germany with enough fuel to engage the enemy and attack "targets of opportunity". The British Royal Air Force (RAF) flew early models of the P-51 aircraft.

There were several modifications to the P-51 which improved its performance and effectiveness. The P-51 models "A" and "B" was initially powered by an 1,150 hp Allison engine, but its performance was significantly improved when the British designed 1,590 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was introduced in the "D" model making it one of the fastest American fighters capable of achieving the speed of 437 miles per hour. A bubble canopy, which allowed greater all around vision for the pilots, was introduced in the P-51D version. The early P-51's were armed with four fifty caliber Browning machine guns, however the P-51D and later variants were armed with six fifty caliber Browning MG53-2 machine guns. The Mustangs could be configured to carry bomb, rockets and external fuel tanks on external wing hardpoints. Range was increased from 450 miles (724 km) in the "A" model to 1,300 miles (2,092 km) in the "D" model when equipped with external fuel tanks.

The men of the 332nd Group flew the P-51 with the following color scheme on their Mustang: Every airplane had red propeller spinners and red wing bands with all-red tail surfaces. Variations for each squadron included: the 99th had white trim tabs, the 100th used back on their trim tabs, the 301st used blue and the 302nd painted their yellow. In addition, the area aft of the propeller was painted with squadron colors: the 99th used a dark blue and white checkerboard, the 100th used solid red, the 301st painted theirs red and blue, while the 302nd used alternate red and yellow horizontal stripes. Each pilot painted slogans, names, pictures, caricatures, etc. based on his own preference.

THE MEN AND THEIR AIRPLANES: The Bombers

Stanley Sandler on page 119 of his book,Segregated Skies: All-Black Combat Squadrons of WWII, "The 477th Bombardment Group was conceived solely in response to black pressure, rather than to any perception that black Americans in the Army Air Forces could make any great contribution to the war effort. And it remained a paper outfit from its activation in June 1943 until January 1944."

Note: Some sources call the 477th Bombardment Group the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) and some sources list them as the 477th Bombardment Group (Negro).

By late 1944 the 477th was able to conduct combat training missions, but winter conditions reduced flying time. When not fighting weather and equipment, the men also faced racism from white officers and men. Promotions went mainly to the white officers and enlisted staff while black promotions were limited.

In March, 1945 the 477th was moved to Freeman Field, Indiana. Tension between white and black personnel increased. Part of the problem of the 477th lay in its white base commander, Colonel Robert Selway whose strict segregationist policies hurt morale and led to the Freeman Field incident on April 5, 1944.

The 477th's contribution was not in its combat record. Ultimately the Freeman Field incident opened the door to the eventual desegregation of the USAAF. As Sandler notes on page 131, "The 477th, although lingering on as a unit until 1947, never saw combat. It scored no "kills", blasted no enemy positions, bombed no alien cities. But it had its victories."

The 477th Bombardment Group became the 477th Composite Group with B-25's and P-47's and trained for a possible role in the Pacific Theater. The war ended, however, before the 477th could be deployed overseas in a combat role.

The aircraft the 477th flew in training was the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. This workhorse was used in both the European and Pacific Theaters. Variations of it included models with up to thirteen fifty caliber machine guns or a seventy-five (75 mm) cannon for anti-ship missions in the Pacific.

THE ENEMY AND THEIR AIRCRAFT

The main German fighters faced by the Tuskegee pilots were the Messerschmidt Me-109 Models "F" and "G".

The Me-109G was powered by a 1,475 hp Daimler-Benz engine. It had a range of 435 miles (700 km) and a top speed of 400 miles per hour (640 km). It was armed with one 30mm MG FF cannon firing through the nose and two 13mm MG 131 machine guns firing through the propeller arc and two more 20mm MG151 cannons in the wings.

The Focke Wulf FW-190 was powered with a 1,700 hp BMW 801D eighteen cylinder radial engine. It was armed with two 13mm MG131 machine guns in the upper engine cowling and two 20mm MG151 cannons in the wings. It had a maximum speed of 419 miles per hour (675 km) and a range of 560 miles (900 km).

Other Luftwaffe fighters that defended German skies included:

Messerschmidt Bf110, a twin engine fighter bomber that became a deadly radar equipped night fighter. It was armed with four 20mm MG FF cannon in the nose and one 7.9mm MG 15 firing from a rear cockpit mount. It was capable of 349 miles per hour (562 km) and had a range of 680 miles (1,100 km)

Messerschmidt Me-262A, a twin jet powered fighter/fighter-bomber with a maximum speed of 540 miles per hour (870 km) and a range of 525 miles (845 km). It was armed with four 30mm MK 108 cannon in the nose.

The Me-262 appeared in late 1944. No Allied fighter had the speed to meet the Me262 head-to-head although Allied pilots did down some of these early jet fighters.

A FOCUS ON THE TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?

Tuskeegee Airmen is the term used to describe the black fighter pilots of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, later incorporated into the 332nd Fighter Group, who fought during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps that were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Tuskegee, Alabama.

A Look At The History and Accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen

Students of history interested in learning about World War II often miss an unparalleled feat of patriotism and the untold bravery usually ignored in most history textbooks.

Like the exploits of Americans of Japanese ancestry in the U.S. Army during World War II, the combat achievements of the Black pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, a.k.a. the Tuskeegee Airmen, is another shining example of men overcoming prejudice and discrimination in the 1940's to make their mark in history.

About 1,000 Americans of African ancestry completed their flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field. Despite initial obstacles, 445 went oversees as combat pilots in the European Theater of Operations, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Flying "bomber escort" and ground attack on 15,533 sorties between May, 1943 and June 9, 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen compiled an enviable Tuskegee Record None of the bombers they escorted was lost to enemy fighters, they destroyed 251 enemy aircraft and won more than 850 medals. Their record was not without losses, however, with sixty-six (66) Tuskegee Airmen killed in action.

The legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen was the eventual desegregation of the USSAF, the recognition that black pilots were equal to white pilots and the respect and admiration earned by former Tuskegee pilots like General Benjamin Davis, Jr. and General Daniel "Chappie" James.

TUSKEEGEE COMBAT RECORD

The following is a summary of the combat record of the pilots in the four squadrons which comprised the 332nd Fighter Group. The list is broken down by squadron with each pilot's name and official credit for enemy aircraft destroyed.

THE 99th FIGHTER SQUADRON

Clarence W. Allen, .50

Willie Ashley, Jr., 1.0

Charles P. Bailey, 1.0

Howard L. Baugh, 1.0

Thomas P. Braswell, 1.0

William A. Campbell, 1.0

John W. Davis, 1.0

Lemuel L. Curtis, 1.0

Robert W. Dier, 2.0

Elwood T. Driver, 1.0

Wilson V. Eagleson, 2.0

Charles B. Hall, 3.0

James L. Hall, 1.0

Leonard M. Jackson, 3.0

Clinton B. Mills, 1.0

Daniel L. Rich, 1.0

Leon C. Roberts, 1.0

Lewis C. Smith, 1.0

Edward L. Toppins, 4.0

Hugh J. White, 1.0

THE 100th FIGHTER SQUADRON

Raul W. Bell, 1.0

Charles V. Brantley, 1.0

John F. Briggs, 1.0

Roscoe C. Browne, 2.0

Richard W. Hall, 1.0

Jack D. Hosclaw, 2.0

Carl E. Johnson, 1.0

Langdon E. Johnson, 1.0

Earl R. Lane, 2.0

Clarance D. Lester, 2.0

John H. Lyle, 1.0

Walter J.A. Palmer, 1.0

George M. Rhodes, Jr., 1.0

Robert W. Williams, 2.0

Bertram W. Wilson, Jr. 1.0

THE 301st FIGHTER SQUADRON

Carl E. Corey, 2.0

John E. Edwards, 2.0

Joseph D. Elsberry, 1.0

James H. Fischer, 1.0

Frederick D. Funderburg, 2.0

Alfred M. Gorham, 2.0

Claude Govan, 1.0

Thomas W. Jefferson, 2.0

Jimmy Lanham, 2.0

Armour G. McDaniel, 1.0

Walter P. Manning, 1.0

Harold M. Morris, 1.0

William S. Price, III, 1.0

Harold E. Sawyer, 1.0

Harry T. Stewart, 2.0

Charles L. White, 2.0

THE 302nd FIGHTER SQUADRON

Lee A. Archer, 4.0

Milton P. Brooks, 1.0

Charles W. Bussey, 1.0

Edward C. Gleed, 2.0

William W. Green, Jr., 2.0

Weldon K. Groves, 1.0

William L. Hill, 1.0

Freddie F. Hutchins, 1.0

Melvin T. Jackson, 1.0

Felix J. Kirkpatrick, 1.0

Charles E. McGee, 1.0

Wendell O. Pruitt, 3.0

Roger Romaine, 3.0

Luther H. Smith, Jr., `15662.0

Robert H. Smith, 2.0

William H. Thomas, 1.0

Hugh S. Warner, 1.0

Luke J. Weather, Jr., 2.0

Laurence D. Wilkins, 1.0

TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN: Lonely Eagles to Red Tail Angels

The Men and Their Airplanes: The Trainers

The Tuskegee Airmen trained on four main types of aircraft, which were similar to training aircraft flown by pilot trainees at other Army Air Corps training facilities. Among the aircraft flown by the pilots were the:

*PT-17 Stearman,

*BT-13,

*AT-6 Texan and the

*P-40 War Hawk.

The PT-17 was a bi-plane with fixed landing gear.
The BT-13 and AT-6 were monoplanes.

When the flying cadets mastered the skills learned in basic training they graduated to the P-40, a fighter that the graduates of the 99th would eventually use as their standard equipment.

The first class graduated from Tuskegee on March 7, 1942 and earned their wings. They were:

*Lemuel Curtis,

*Charles DeBow,

*Mac Ross,

*George S. "Spanky" Roberts, and

*Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.

Other classes soon followed and the Tuskegee Airmen flew into their place in history.

Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr. of the 322nd Fighter Group leads a mission agains German trains in Austria.

For this mission Col. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

A Timeline History of the History of the Tuskegee Airmen 1941-1945

The following is a general chronology of the major events which led to the formation of the Tuskegee Airmen through their on going efforts today to teach young Americans the value of "Excellence in Education" and "Accurate Historical facts omitted from U.S. history books."

May, 1939--Two pilots of The National Airman's Association, an organization comprised of black pilots, meet with Senator Harry S. Truman from Missouri. Truman helps sponsor a bill to allow black pilots to serve in the Civilian Pilot Training Program.

December, 1940--The Army Air Corps submits a plan to the War Department for an "experiment" forming an all black fighter squadron with thirty-three pilots.

January 16, 1941--The 99th Pursuit Squadron is formed by the War Department to be trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama.

July 19, 1941 Tuskegee Army Air Field officially opens.

March 1, 1942--Captain Benjamin Davis, Jr. is promoted to Lt. Colonel.

March 7, 1942--the first class of Tuskegee pilots graduates and earn their wings.

August 24, 1942--Lt. Colonel Benjamin Davis, Jr. takes command of the 99th Fighter Squadron.

April 15, 1943--The 99th (The Lonely Eagles) heads for North Africa.

July 2, 1943--Captain Charles B. Hall is the first Tuskegee pilot to down an enemy aircraft. He shoots down a FW-190 and damges an Me-109.

1943--Lt. Colonel Benjamin Davis, Jr. leaves the 99th to return home to command the 332nd Fighter Group. The 332nd is comprised of the all black 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons.

October 7, 1943 the 99th is attached to the 79th Fighter Group of the 12th Air Force.

January, 1944--Lt. Colonel Benjamin Davis, Jr. and the 332nd arrive in Taranto, Italy and attached to the 12th Air Force.

June 29, 2017

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August 17, 2023

TV was my teacher for third grade in E Brunswick, NJ. This was in 1961. I turned 70 today and still remember his novel teaching methods and dignified demeanor. He was a great person.

July 17, 2021

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April 17, 2022

Anyone -- man or woman, military or civilian, black or white- - who served at Tuskegee Army Air Field or in any of the programs stemming from the "Tuskegee Experience" between the years 1941-1949 is considered to be a documented Original Tuskegee Airman (DOTA).

Tuskegee Airmen Facts
"Our mission of escort was really the prime mission to carry out successfully and this we did. The 332nd became known as the best escort operator in the 15th Air Force. We never lost a bomber to enemy action of airplanes." — Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Commanding Officer, 332 nd Fighter Group.

“Tuskegee Airmen” and Associated Organizations in World War II (list might not be complete)

Researcher: Daniel Haulman updated 16 Nov 2009

In combat: (pilots trained at Tuskegee, units at one time stationed at Tuskegee) 332d Fighter Group 99th Fighter Squadron 100th Fighter Squadron 301st Fighter Squadron 302d Fighter Squadron Not flying, but service in theater:

96th Service Group (later, 96th Air Service Group)366th Service Squadron (later, 366th Air Service Squadron) 367th Service Squadron (later, 367th Air Service Squadron) 43d Medical Support Platoon, Not in combat: (pilots got initial pilot training at Tuskegee, but units never stationed there)

Other: 387th Service Group (later, 387th Air Service Group) (supported the 477th Bombardment Group) 590th Materiel (later, 590th Air Materiel) Squadron, 602d Engineering (later, 602d Air Engineering) Squadron 115th Army Air Forces Base Unit;

Not in combat: (pilots trained in these units at Tuskegee) 66th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Colored) 889th Basic Flying Training Squadron, 890th Single Engine Flying Training Squadron, 1155th Single Engine Flying Training Squadron, 2164th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), 477th Bombardment (later, 477th Composite) Group 616th Bombardment Squadron, 617th Bombardment Squadron, 618th Bombardment Squadron, 619th Bombardment Squadron, (when 99th Fighter Squadron was assigned to this group in 1945, it became a composite group).

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN-ESCORTED BOMBERS LOST TO ENEMY AIRCRAFT

Dr. Daniel L. Haulman

Air Force Historical Research Agency Updated 26 Nov 2008

The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II deserve praise as the vanguard for racial equality in the armed forces of the United States. Fighting successfully for the right to fly combat missions in defense of their country, they proved that black men could succeed in a field from which they had previously been excluded. They fought successfully against two enemies at the same time: Nazi Germany, and racism among their own countrymen. The Tuskegee Airmen often paid the supreme sacrifice in order to protect the lives of the bomber crews they were escorting, destroying well over a hundred enemy aircraft, including three German jets. They laid the foundation for the integration of all the services, and, eventually, American society as a whole. By increasing opportunities for African-Americans, they earned an important and indelible place in American history.

Not all of the statements about the legendary Tuskegee Airmen can be verified historically. One such statement is that during their escort missions, they “never lost a bomber” to enemy aircraft fire. The 332d Fighter Group sometimes escorted bombers that were shot down by enemy aircraft. This paper will focus on five days when this occurred: June 9, 1944; July 12, 1944; July 18, 1944; July 20, 1944; and March 24, 1945. There might have been other days as well.

The research method I followed in researching the question was as follows. First I determined, for each of the days in question, which bombardment wing or wings the 332d Fighter Group was assigned to escort, and the time frame and area for the escort. I found this information in the daily narrative mission reports of the 332d Fighter Group, found in the monthly histories of the group, and in the operations orders found in the Fifteenth Air Force mission folders per day. Next I checked the Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for the day in question to see which bombardment groups were assigned to the wing or wings the 332d Fighter Group was escorting that day, and to see, among the bombardment group mission reports in the same folder, if any of the group’s bombers were lost to enemy aircraft fire. Finally, I checked the missing air crew reports of the bombardment groups the 332d Fighter Group was escorting that day to confirm which of the bombers was shot down by enemy aircraft, and where and when the loss occurred.

To further confirm the losses, I looked at the German fighter pilot claims, which include the bomber types shot down and when and where they were supposed to have been shot down. By looking at this combination of documents, and putting them together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, I determined if any bombers the Tuskegee Airmen were escorting were shot down by enemy aircraft that day.

Table I: Fifteenth Air Force Organization as of October 1944 Wing, 5th Bombardment (B-17s) 47th Bombardment (B-24s) 49th Bombardment (B-24s) 55th Bombardment (B-24s) 304th Bombardment (B-24s) 305th Fighter (Provisional) (P-38s)

306th Fighter (P-51s)

In the summer and fall of 1944, the Fifteenth Air Force had 7 fighter groups available to escort 21 bombardment groups. In other words, for each fighter group, there were three bombardment groups. In fact, on many of the missions in the summer and fall

Assigned Components

2d, 97th, 99th, 301st, 463d, 483d Bombardment Groups 98th, 376th, 449th, 450th Bombardment Groups

451st, 461st, 484th Bombardment Groups

460th, 464th, 465th, 485th Bombardment Groups

454th, 455th, 456th, 459th Bombardment Groups 1st, 14th, 82d Fighter Groups, 31st, 52d, 325th, 332d Fighter Groups of 1944, each fighter group was typically assigned one bombardment wing to escort on a given day, and each of those wings consisted of several bombardment groups. For example, on 12 July 1944, the 332d Fighter Group was the only group assigned to escort the 49th Bombardment Wing, which consisted of three bombardment groups. On certain days, the 332d Fighter Group was assigned to escort more than one bombardment wing. There were simply many more bombers on a day’s mission than there were fighters to escort them, and the fighters sometimes were hard pressed to cover all the bombers, especially when large numbers of enemy fighters rose to attack the bombers. It is quite understandable that sometimes a fighter group, despite its best efforts, would be unable to prevent enemy aircraft from reaching and shooting down some of the bombers.

9 June 1944

On June 9, 1944, the 301st and 302d Fighter Squadrons of the 332d Fighter Group escorted bombers of several bombardment wings of the Fifteenth Air Force, including the 304th Bombardment Wing, from Italy toward their target at Munich in Germany. The time of the escort was between 0830 and 0925 hours.2 The Fifteenth Air Force lost 17 bombers that day.3 Only two of these were shot down by enemy aircraft during the period when the 332d Fighter Group was escorting them.4 Both belonged to the 304th Bombardment Wing’s 459th Bombardment Group.5 For his heroism during the mission, Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the commander of the 332d Fighter Group, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. The Fifteenth Air Force award order noted that “Colonel Davis so skillfully disposed his squadrons that in spite of the large number of enemy fighters, the bomber formation suffered only a few losses.”6 According to Fifteenth Air Force General Order 1473 dated 30 June 1974, members of the 332d Fighter Group earned five aerial victory credits for shooting down enemy aircraft on 9 June 1944.7 They earned those victories by attacking enemy aircraft that were also attacking the bombers they were escorting. While the Tuskegee Airmen were shooting down enemy fighters, some of those fighters were shooting down two American bombers. German fighter pilots claimed several B-24s in the Munich area of southern Germany (Bavaria) that fateful morning.

Table II. Bombers lost to enemy aircraft while under 332d Fighter Group escort, 304th Bombardment Wing, 9 June 1944, Mission to Munich, Germany

459 B-24G 42-78219 0905 46 deg 40 min North 6317 12 deg 40 min East 459 B-24 H 42-52318 0907 46 deg 00 min North 6179 12 deg 40 min East

12 July 1944

On July 12, 1944, more bombers were lost to enemy aircraft fire while those bombers were under 332d Fighter Group escort. The group’s mission that day was to provide penetration, target cover, and withdrawal escort for the 49th Bombardment Wing on its mission to bomb marshalling yards at Nimes, France.9 No other fighter group was assigned to escort the 49th Bombardment Wing that day. Of the seven fighter groups in the Fifteenth Air Force’s 306th Fighter Wing, three stood down, and each of the other four was assigned a different bombardment wing to escort.10 The 332d Fighter Group rendezvoused with the 49th Bombardment Wing’s bombers at 1011 hours, staying with them until after they left mainland France and reached the island of Corsica. Seventeen of the Tuskegee Airmen were with the bombers throughout the escort mission.11 One of the 332d Fighter Group pilots, Lt. Joseph D. Elsberry, reported that 16 FW-190s attacked the bomber formation, and that he intercepted at least three of the German fighters.

The 49th Bombardment Wing that day included the 461st Bombardment Group.13 The 461st Bombardment Group lost four bombers to enemy aircraft that day, according to its own mission report and the bombardment wing’s intelligence report for that day.

The July 1944 history of the 461st Bombardment Group (GP-461-HI Apr 1944- Feb 1945) notes the following: “In the month of July the 461st Bombardment Group ran the gamut of human experiences. The most violent of the emotions created were those of grief, chagrin, surprise, frustration, and disappointment which immediately followed the losses of forty officers and men and four airplanes at Nimes, France on the 12th of July...”. It also notes, under “Mission No. 60, 12 July 1944 – Nimes M/Y, France”, “For the first time in its history the 461st Group was really hit on the bomb run by a formation-concentration of enemy fighters. Twenty-eight enemy fighters hit the last flight of six planes and knocked down four of them. Three of the planes went down over the target at Nimes, France...” “The planes lost over the target were those piloted by 1st Lt. Richard S. Fawcett, 2nd Lt. Frederick L. Dunn, and 2nd Lt. Chester A. Ray Jr.”

Missing Air Crew Reports 6894, 6895, and 7034 confirm that three of the 461st Bombardment Group B-24s lost on 12 July 1944 were lost to enemy aircraft fire. The bombers were shot down at 1050 hours, 1051 hours, and 1105 hours near the target. All three missing air crew reports also contain witness statements from the members of crews of other bombers that were in the formation. Those witness statements confirm that the bombers went down after being hit by enemy aircraft.16 German records indicate that between 1048 and 1118, as many as eight B-24s were hit by Luftwaffe fighters over southern France, including the Nimes area.

Table III. Bombers lost to enemy aircraft while under 332d Fighter Group escort, 49th Bombardment Wing, 12 July 1944, Mission to Nimes, France Missing Air Crew Report number

461

B-24H 42-52723

1050

20 miles SE of Mirabeau, France

6894

461

B-24G 42-78202

1051

10 miles E of Mirabeau, France

6895

461 B-24G 1105 43 43 N 7034 42-78291 05 23 E

18 July 1944

The 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report no. 28 dated 18 July 1944 states that the group’s mission and target was “to furnish penetration, target cover, and withdrawal for the 5th Bomb Wing to Memmingen A/D (airdrome).” It also notes that “Bomber formation was good and easy to cover. The 301st was lead Sq; the 99th was low; the 302nd middle; the 100th high,” and “36 A/C (aircraft) over target at 10:35 hours.” The same report notes that eight of the 332d Fighter Group pilots claimed that day to have shot down many enemy aircraft, including FW-190s and Me-109s.18

According to the 332d Fighter Group’s 100th Fighter Squadron report for the month of July, “Escorting a flight of bombers over Memmingen, Germany, 18 July 1944, the pilots’ fondest hopes were realized when enemy aircraft came up to attack our bomber formation.”19

The 332d Fighter Group earned aerial victory credits for shooting down twelve enemy aircraft on 18 July 1944, presumably because the enemy aircraft were attacking the escorted bomber formations.20

The Fifth Wing Operations Order number 628 dated 17 July 1944 for the 18 July 1944 mission to Memmingen airdrome notes that the Fifth Bomb Wing included six bomb groups, including the 483d and the 301st Bombardment Groups.21

The 483d Bombardment Group had gotten separated from the other groups largely as a result of bad weather.22 The group’s narrative mission report noted that the group arrived “alone” at the I.P. at 1045 and was immediately attacked from the rear by approximately 100 enemy airplanes. It noted that the fighter escort arrived 8 minutes after the initial 1045 attack. It also noted that the fighter escort was “very effective from then on, despite the fact that they were heavily outnumbered.” The enemy aircraft attack lasted 20 minutes, according to the same report. In other words, for approximately twelve minutes, enemy fighters continued to attack the 483d Bombardment Group, despite the arrival of the 332d Fighter Group escort fighters. The same special narrative mission report notes that “From the above encounters, our Group lost fifteen (15) aircraft.” In the report’s conclusion are the words, “Total losses: from fighters-15.”23

According to General Merrill McPeak, former USAF Chief of Staff, Captain Lee Rayford led some of the 332d Fighter Group escorts on 18 July 1944, but the bombers they were to accompany were late. At the risk of his own life, and those of the other P-51 pilots who flew with him, Rayford waited longer than the orders required, and when the bombers finally arrived he and his compatriots escorted them against a superior force.24

The 301st Bombardment Group Special Narrative Report for the 18 July 1944 mission to Memmingen A/D, Germany notes that enemy fighters attacked the group’s bombers “in the target area” and that “no flak was encountered at the target.” Under “Total Losses,” the report mentions “From Fighters: One (1). No. 3 engine hit by rocket.”25

The Narrative Mission Report no. 47 for the 52d Fighter Group dated 18 July 1944 notes that the 52d Fighter Group was “to provide escort on penetration and a fighter sweep over target for four groups of B-17s of the 5th Bomb Wing attacking Memmingen (Germany) airdrome at 1030 hours.” It also mentions “the bombers were left at 1030 hours...After leaving, the fighters proceeded to the target area, making ninety degree turns in front of the bombers. They then took a position east of the target.” The same report notes that enemy airplanes attacked the bombers and were themselves engaged by the “332d”. In other words, members of the 52d Fighter Group witnessed enemy fighters attack the 5th Wing bombers and also 332d Fighter Group fighters engaging the enemy fighters.26

One might conclude from these documents that on 18 July 1944, the 332d Fighter Group was escorting the Fifth Bombardment Wing, including its 483d and 301st Bombardment Groups, both to and over its target of Memmingen airdrome, Germany, and that enemy fighters attacked the bombers and shot down sixteen of them, fifteen from the 483d and one from the 301st. Missing Air Crew Reports regarding the bombers of the 483d and 301st Bombardment Groups lost to enemy aircraft fire on 18 July 1944 confirm fifteen of the sixteen losses reported in the group narrative mission reports.

The index of Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) for 18 July 1944 includes fourteen reports for B-17s lost from the 483d Bombardment Group. All the bombers were reported to have been shot down by enemy aircraft between 1045 and 1100 in the target area. An additional MACR mentions one B-17 lost from the 301st Bombardment Group at 1104 at 47 degrees 54 minutes N and 10 decrees, 40 minutes E.27

German fighter pilots claimed to have shot down or at as many as thirty-eight B- 17s southeast of Memmingen and Kempten between 1047 and 1055 on the morning of 18 July 1944.28

Table IV. Bombers lost to enemy aircraft assigned to 332d Fighter Group for escort, 5th Bombardment Wing, 18 July 1944, Mission to Memmingen, Germany.

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report number

483 B-17G 42-107179 483 B-17G 42-107008 483 B-17G 42-102862 483 B-17G 44-6174 483 B-17G 42-97671 483 B-17G 42-102382 483 B-17G 42-107170 483 B-17G 42-102923 483 B-17G 42-102927 483 B-17G 42-97584 483 B-17G 42-46267 483 B-17G 42-102422 483 B-17G 44-6177 483 B-17G 42-107172 301 B-17G 42-102943

20 July 1944

1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1045-1100 1104

Vicinity of target 6856 Vicinity of target 6953 Vicinity of target 6954 Vicinity of target 6975 Vicinity of target 6976 Vicinity of target 6977 Vicinity of target 6978 Vicinity of target 6979 Vicinity of target 6980 Vicinity of target 6981 Vicinity of target 7097 Vicinity of target 7098 Vicinity of target 7099 Vicinity of target 7153 47 54 N; 10 40 E 7310

On July 20, 1944, the 332d Fighter Group was assigned the monumental task of escorting no less than three bombardment wings, each of which was composed of several

bombardment groups, on penetration to their target at Friedrichshafen, Germany. The

332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 30 for that day noted that there were

“too many wings to cover adequately.”29 According to the 306th Fighter Wing’s

operations order 140, dated 19 July 1944, the 332d Fighter Group was to escort the

bombers after rendezvous with them at a point 45 degrees 10 minutes N latitude and 12

degrees 48 minutes E longitude at 0947 hours, and release the escort for fighter sweep

after being relieved by three other fighter groups, the 31st, 52d, and 325th, northeast of the

target. The other groups were assigned to rendezvous with the three bombardment wings

at a point 47 degrees N latitude and 11 degrees 03 minutes E longitude at times ranging

from 1035 to 1055 hours.30 In other words, between 0947 and 1035 hours, and between

45 degrees 10 minutes N latitude and 47 degrees N latitude and between 12 degrees 48

minutes E and 11 degrees 03 minutes E longitude, the only escort for the 55th, 47th, and

304th Bombardment Wings was provided by the 332d Fighter Group. According to the

Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 20 July 1944, the 485th Bombardment Group

belonged to the 55th Bombardment Wing, and so it was being escorted by the Tuskegee

Airmen that day. The 485th Bombardment Group mission report for 20 July 1944 noted

the group lost two B-24s to enemy aircraft fire around 1000 hours at 45 degrees, 38

minutes N latitude and 12 degrees 28 minutes E longitude.31 Missing Air Crew Reports

6914 and 6919 confirm these losses to enemy aircraft during the time and within the

place the 332d Fighter Group was exclusively providing escort.32 Moreover, German

documents show Luftwaffe fighter pilots claimed to have shot down two B-24s between

0955 and 0956 on the morning of 20 July 1944 over northeastern Italy.33

Table V. Bombers lost to enemy aircraft assigned to 332d Fighter Group for escort, 55th Bombardment Wing, 20 July 1944, Mission to Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report Number

485 B-24J 44-40886 1000 45 deg 38 min N 6914 12 deg 28 min E

485 B-24G 42-78361 0954 45 deg 38 min N 6919 12 deg 28 min E

24 March 1945

General McPeak noted in a speech when he was USAF Chief of Staff that on 24 March 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen took part in an escort mission to Berlin along with five other fighter groups. The mission was to escort the bombers to the edge of Berlin and then pass them off to another fighter group. At the rendezvous point, the relieving fighter group had not arrived. Despite needing to conserve fuel for the long trip back to Italy, the Tuskegee Airmen “stayed with the bombers.” As a result, they encountered a pack of Me-262 jet fighters that were launched to shoot down the bombers.34

Original documents confirm that part of General McPeak’s speech. On March 24, 1945, the 332d Fighter Group was assigned to escort the 5th Bombardment Wing to bomb the Daimler Benz tank factory in Berlin.35 The 5th Bombardment Wing included the 2d, 97th, 99th, 301st, 463d, and 483d Bombardment Groups.36 The 2nd Bombardment Group reported one bomber lost to enemy aircraft after attack by enemy ME-262s at 1215 hours.37 The 463d Bombardment Group also reported one bomber lost to fighters after attack by enemy ME-262s.38 The 483d Bombardment Group reported one bomber missing after it was attacked by two or three ME-262s at the target.39 In other words, three of the six groups in the wing being escorted to Berlin on 24 March 1945 each lost a bomber after enemy aircraft attack.

The Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945 contains a set of encounter reports from 332 Fighter Group members. Flight Officer Thurston L. Gaines, Jr. of the 99th Fighter Squadron reported: “On 24 March 1945, I was flying number four (4) position in yellow flight furnishing penetration cover for B-17s of the 5th Bomb Wing. At approximately 1210 hours, we were escorting B-17s at an altitude of 27,000 feet about thirty (30) miles southwest of the target, when three (3) ME-262s were seen diving on the bomber formation...The second jet made his attack in a glide and after firing a burst from his guns...Immediately after observing the puff of smoke from the jets, a B-17 was seen to do an abrupt high wing over to the right and started to spin in the same direction. The second ME-262 to make a pass at the bomber fired...” 1st Lt. Richard S. Harder, also of the 332d Fighter Group’s 99th Fighter Squadron, reported that four ME-262s pressed their attack upon the bombers about 1215.40

Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) for the 2d, 463d, and 483d Bombardment Groups of the 5th Bombardment Wing that lost bombers on 24 March 1945 indicate which bombers were lost to enemy aircraft fire, enemy antiaircraft fire, and a combination of the two. All of them are supported by attached witness statements. MACR 13278 notes that the 463d Bombardment Group’s B-17G serial number 44-6283 was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft at 1200, and MACR 13274 notes that the 463d Bombardment Group’s B-17G serial number 44-6761 was also shot down by enemy fighter aircraft at 1208. MACR 13375 notes that the 483d Bombardment Group’s B-17G serial number 44-8159 was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft at 1227. MACR 13374 notes that the 2d Bombardment Group’s B-17 serial number 44-6718 was shot down by a combination of enemy fighter aircraft and enemy antiaircraft artillery between 1215 and

1230. MACR 13271 notes that the 463d Bombardment Group’s B-17G serial number 44-6702 was shot down by a combination of enemy fighter aircraft and enemy antiaircraft artillery at 1150.41

Members of the 332d Fighter Group earned three aerial victory credits on 24 March 1945 by shooting down three Me-262 aircraft.42 The opportunity arose because the Me-262s emerged to attack the bomber formations the 332d Fighter Group was protecting. In other words, while the 332d Fighter Group was shooting down enemy German jet fighters, some of the German fighters were also shooting down American bombers.

Table VI. Bombers lost to enemy aircraft while under 332d Fighter Group escort, 5th Bombardment Wing, 24 March 1945, Mission to Berlin, Germany.

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report number

463 B-17G 1200 44-6283

463 B-17G 1208 44-6761

483 B-17G 1227 44-8159

52 05 N

13 10 E

51 00 N

13 10 E Berlin target area

13278

13274

13375

Table VII. Bombers lost to a combination of enemy aircraft and enemy antiaircraft artillery while under 332d Fighter Group escort, 5th Bombardment Wing, 24 March 1945, Mission to Berlin, Germany.

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report number

2 B-17G 1215-1230 44-6718

463 B-17G 1150 44-6702

Other Possible Losses to Enemy Aircraft: The Case of August 24, 1944

52 00-52 20 N 13 35 E

50 40 N

13 40 E

13374 13271

The previous sections note evidence that bombers under the escort of the 332d

Fighter Group were definitely shot down on five days, June 9, 1944; July 12, 1944; July

18, 1944; July 20, 1944, and March 24, 1945. There is less evidence, but evidence,

nevertheless, that Tuskegee Airmen-escorted bombers might have been shot down on

other days. For example, on August 24, 1944, the 332d Fighter Group provided

penetration, target cover, and withdrawal escort for B-17s bombers of the 5th

Bombardment Wing that raided Pardubice Airdrome in Czechoslovakia. One of the B-

17s, serial number 42-31645, of the wing’s 97th Bombardment Group, was hit by flak in

the target area at about 1246 hours, but the bomber formation was also attacked by enemy

fighters, one of which hit the crippled bomber. According to Missing Air Crew Report

7971, a witness named Sgt. Doyle C. Davidson noted that he was flying in another

bomber in the 97th Bombardment Group when he noticed the bomber slowing down and

dropping from the formation, although all four engines were still operating. He then saw

an enemy aircraft attack the bomber. It is likely that the bomber was crippled by flak and

then destroyed by an enemy aircraft after it dropped out of formation.43

Table IX. Bomber Lost to Enemy Aircraft Assigned to 332d Fighter Group for Escort, 24 August 1944

97 B-17G 42-31645 12:45-12:47 49 28 N – 15 25 E 7971

The Case of 30 June 1944

On June 30, 1944, the mission of the 332d Fighter Group was to provide route cover and penetration escort to all five bombardment wings of the Fifteenth Air Force, most of which were assigned to bomb the Blechhammer synthetic oil plant near Vienna

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report Number

that day. The Tuskegee Airmen met the bombers at 0905 hours that morning and escorted the bombers to the Lake Balaton area of Hungary, where all the airplanes ran into heavy clouds that obscured visibility. The bomber formations began to break up because of the weather, and when some of them emerged into a clear area, they were attacked by a host of enemy fighter airplanes, which shot down five B-24s. Among them was one belonging to the 762d Bombardment Squadron of the 460th Bombardment Group of the 55th Bombardment Wing, which was shot down by enemy airplanes at 0938 hours in the vicinity of Lake Balaton. Another lost B-24 belonging to the 781st Bombardment Squadron of the 465th Bombardment Group of the 55th Bombardment Wing, was shot down by enemy aircraft around 1000 hours in the same vicinity. Three other B-24s were shot down by enemy interceptors that day. They all belonged to the 760th Bombardment Squadron of the 460th Bombardment Group of the 55th Bombardment Wing. All went down at 10:50 in an area about 20 miles north of Lake Balaton.44

Records do not indicate conclusively when the 332d Fighter Group stopped escorting the five bombardment wings, which would have included the 55th Bombardment Wing that lost five bombers to enemy aircraft fire that day. The 332d Fighter Group report notes only that the group, having met the bombers at 0905 hours, escorted them to the Vesprem (Veszprem) area, which was north of the eastern end of Lake Balaton, and ran into heavy clouds. The bombers and fighters had been flying northeastward, but when they ran into the heavy clouds in the lake area, they began flying in different directions, and some turned back, not proceeding to the target area. The Fifteenth Air Force mission folder notes that of the seven fighter escort groups of the Fifteenth Air Force, three were sent to provide penetration escort for the bombers,

including the 332d Fighter Group, the 14th Fighter Group, and the 31st Fighter Group. One of the operations orders in the Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 30 June 1944 indicates the 332d Fighter Group was to meet the bombers at 0905, the 14th Fighter Group was to meet the bombers at 0937, and the 31st Fighter Group was to meet the bombers at 1017. The records do not indicate that the bomber escort mission of the 332d Fighter Group ended when the 14th Fighter Group showed up, or that the 14th Fighter Group showed up at its scheduled time. The order indicates, however, that “all escort will be to maximum prudent limit of endurance.” This suggests that the 332d Fighter Group was not obligated to cease escort even when the next group arrived. One might speculate that when the five bombers of the 55th Bombardment Wing were shot down that morning, the 332d Fighter Group was still escorting some of them. It is reasonable to speculate that at least the first two escorted bombers shot down that day were still technically under the escort of the 332d Fighter Group, since the group’s escort began less than an hour earlier, despite the fact that the 14th Fighter Group was supposed to be there as well.45

Table VIII: Fifteenth Air Force Bombers Shot Down by Enemy Aircraft on June 30, 1944

Group

Type and serial number

Time

Location

Missing Air Crew Report Number

460 B-24G 42-78258 465 B-24H 41-28915 460 B-24H 41-29291 460 B-24H 41-28988 460 B-24H 42-51160

The Case of July 26, 1944

09:38 47 15 N-17 45 E 6809 10:03 46 18 N-18 18 E 6335 10:50 20 miles N of Lake Balaton 6394 10:50 20 miles N of Lake Balaton 6395 10:50 20 miles N of Lake Balaton 6396

On two other days, narrative mission reports of the 332d Fighter Group note that its members saw bombers being shot down, presumably while under the group’s escort. Although missing air crew reports do not confirm that these additional bombers were lost to enemy aircraft, it is possible that the 332d Fighter Group narrative mission reports are at least as valid as the missing air crew reports.

The 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 37 dated 26 July 1944 notes that the mission was “to provide penetration, target, and withdrawal cover for 47th Bomb Wing to Markendorf A/D (airdrome) Austria,” and, under “friendly A/C (aircraft) lost or in difficulty,” “1 B-24 seen spiraling out of formation in T/A (target area) after attack by E/A (enemy aircraft) at 1100, no chutes seen to open.” The 47th Bombardment Wing consisted of B-24s. Missing Air Crew Report 7340, which covers the only 47th Bombardment Wing B-24 lost that day, notes the loss as due to enemy antiaircraft fire rather than to enemy aircraft. In other words, there is conflicting evidence in this case.46 The Case of September 12, 1944

The 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 77 dated 12 September 1944 notes the mission of the group that day was “to provide penetration, target cover and withdrawal for B-17s of the 5th Bomb Wing.” Under “enemy air-resistance and activity,” the report noted “10 ME 109s attacked rear of bomber formation from below – made 1 pass peeled to the right and dived to deck...The bombers were at 26,000 ft. 1 B- 17 was left burning. 6 chutes seen to open.” The same report noted “Bomber formation very poor. It was spread out over a large area making it very difficult to adequately cover.” Missing air crew reports for bombers lost to groups belonging to the 5th

Bombardment Wing for that day note that the losses were due not to enemy aircraft fire but rather to flak. Again, in this case, the documents conflict.47

Conclusion

The World War II documents of Fifteenth Air Force organizations, coupled by the missing air crew reports, provide overwhelming evidence that sometimes bombers under the escort of the Tuskegee Airmen (332d Fighter Group) were shot down by enemy aircraft. What is not so clear is exactly how many bombers were lost.

What is the origin of the statement that the Tuskegee Airmen’s 332d Fighter Group had “the distinction of never losing a bomber they were escorting to enemy aircraft fire”? The first mention of the 332d Fighter Group not losing bombers appears in the March 10, 1945 issue of Liberty magazine in an article by Roi Ottley called “Dark Angels of Doom” (pages 13 and 54). Ottley wrote: “Proof of their sincerity is the fact that in more than 100 combat missions on which the Red Tails have given escort cover to their “Big Friends”- the long-range heavy bombers-they haven’t lost a single ship to enemy fighters!”48 Historical researcher Bob Iversen discovered a March 24, 1945 article in the black newspaper Chicago Defender entitled “332nd Flies Its 200th Mission Without Loss.”49 The article does not mention anyone as a source, but does say “with the 15th Air Force, Italy.” A War Department press release dated 21 June 1945, which announced that Colonel Benjamin O. Davis was assuming command of the 477th Bombardment Group, repeated the Chicago Defender wording almost exactly. It noted that “On February 28, 1945, Colonel Davis’ Group had completed 200 missions with the 15th Air Force and had served as escort to heavy bombers without losing a single bomber to enemy fighters.”50 Apparently the March 24, 1945 article statement was repeated in the

official press release of June 21, despite the fact that it was historically inaccurate at the time it was issued.

The 332d Fighter Group flew its 200th mission for the Fifteenth Air Force on February 28, 1945. The dates I found bombers under 332d Fighter Group escort shot down by enemy aircraft were 9 June 1944, 12 July 1944, 18 July 1944, 20 July 1944, and 24 March 1945. In my research, I found there might have been no losses of bombers under Tuskegee Airmen escort between July 1944 and March 1945. It is possible that persons not familiar with the losses before August 1944 might have been led to believe there had been no losses when the 332d Fighter Group flew its 200th mission on 28 February 1945, since there might have been no bombers lost while under 332d Fighter Group escort for seven months in a row.

In any case, the “never lost a bomber” statement contradicts historical documents of the group itself and other groups in the Fifteenth Air Force. In fact, on 24 March 1945, the day the second article was published, more bombers under 332d Fighter Group escort were shot down. I found a version of the statement in the autobiography of Colonel and later General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the most famous commander of the Tuskegee Airmen. He noted that it originated in a letter of commendation from Brigadier General Yantis “Buck” Taylor, commander of the 306th Fighter Wing, to which the 332d Fighter Group belonged. I could not find a copy of this letter at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. I also searched the papers of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. where they are stored at the archives of the National Air and Space Museum in Suitland, Maryland, but did not find the letter. The context of the letter might explain the discrepancy between the other documents and the letter. The order that awarded the

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) to Davis for action on 9 Jun 1944, however, which noted that “in spite of the large number of enemy fighters, the bomber formation suffered only a few losses” had been signed by a Colonel R. K. Taylor, who had been Chief of Staff of the Fifteenth Air Force when the order was issued in August 1944. It is possible that Davis, when recollecting his past years after World War II, confused the “only a few losses” citation of the DFC, signed by Colonel R. K. Taylor, with a letter of commendation from General Yantis Taylor that supposedly said no bombers were lost. In fact, among the Davis papers is a copy of the DFC citation that mentioned “only a few losses”.51

In the 1990s, historian Al Gropman conducted an interview with then General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. in the 1990s. Gropman tried to get Davis to confirm that the Tuskegee Airmen never lost a bomber. Davis responded that he did not make the statement himself, or that if he did make the statement it was without much enthusiasm. He told Gropman that, just between the two of them, he questioned the statement, but that the statement had been made so often, “people were coming to believe it.”52

What About “Never Lost a Bomber in 200 Escort Missions”?

When the “never lost a bomber” statement about the Tuskegee Airmen first appeared in a newspaper article in March 1945, it noted that the 332d Fighter Group had flown 200 escort missions without having lost a bomber, but that statement was not true. Although the 332d Fighter Group completed its 200th mission at the end of February, it had already escorted bombers that were shot down by enemy aircraft, and by then only 138 of the missions had been bomber escort missions.

Some persons have suggested that although the “never lost a bomber in 200 escort missions” was not true when it appeared, it might have eventually become true, because the 332d Fighter Group flew more than 300 missions for the Fifteenth Air Force in World War II. In order to test the statement, I looked at 309 of the 311 mission reports of the 332d Fighter Group while it served the Fifteenth Air Force in World War II (two mission reports, 31 and 32, were missing, but mission report 30 notes that 31 and 32 were air-sea rescue missions). I found that of the 311 missions, only 179 (less than 200) were bomber escort missions. The other missions were fighter sweeps or strafing missions or missions in which the fighters escorted single reconnaissance or small numbers of cargo aircraft. Of the 179 bomber escort missions the 332d Fighter Group flew for the Fifteenth Air Force, 146 did not encounter any enemy aircraft. Of the 33 bomber escort missions the 332d Fighter Group flew for the Fifteenth Air Force that encountered enemy aircraft, at least five were missions in which 332d Fighter Group-escorted bombers were shot down by enemy aircraft. The 332d Fighter Group flew at least 170 bomber escort missions for the Fifteenth Air Force without losing a bomber, but 146 of these missions encountered no enemy aircraft.

By the time the 332d Fighter Group began escorting heavy bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force from Italy in June of 1944, the German Air Force was only a shadow of its former self. It concentrated its remaining energy farther north, against the U.S. and British armies advancing eastward from France and the Soviet armies advancing westward from eastern Europe. Although the Germans continued building new aircraft in great quantity, their supply of fuel and skilled pilots was running out by June 1944. That

explains why 146 of the 179 bomber escort missions the 332d Fighter Group flew for the Fifteenth Air Force encountered no enemy airplanes.

Despite their best efforts, the Tuskegee Airmen could not prevent any enemy aircraft from shooting down bombers they were protecting. Sometimes the number of bombers they had to cover and the number of enemy fighters that attacked the bombers were significantly greater than the number of escort fighters. The “never lost a bomber” statement is not accurate, but the courage and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen survives. The fact that some bombers were lost does not diminish the legendary contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen to the defeat of Nazi Germany and to the defeat of racism, both within the United States military, and in American society at large.

Dr. Daniel L. Haulman 26 November 2008

1 Fifteenth Air Force daily mission folders, summer and fall of 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332.

2 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 3 dated 9 June 1944, AFHRA call number GP-332- HI, June 1944; Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 9 June 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 9 June 1944.

3 Missing Air Crew Reports Index at AFHRA.

4 Missing Air Crew Reports numbered 6317 and 6179.

5 Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 9 June 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 9 June 1944.

6 Fifteenth Air Force general order number 2972 dated 31 August 1944, AFHRA call number 670.193.

7 Fifteenth Air Force general order number 1473 dated 30 June 1974, AFHRA call number 670.193.

8 Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (O.K.L.) Fighter Claims, Chef fur Ausz. Und Dizsiplin, Luftwaffen- Personalamt L.P. [A] V Films & Supplementary Claims from Lists, Reich, West, & Sudfront, May-July 1944, Issue no. 1, from Tony Wood’s Combat Claims and Casualty Lists: http://www.lesbutler.ip3.co.uk/tony/tonywood.htm accessed on 14 Mar 2007.

9 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 23 dated 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number GP- 332-HI, July 1944, and Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 12 July 1944.

10 306th Fighter Wing Operations Order 131, dated 11 July 1944, for 12 July 1944 mission, in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 12 July 1944.

11 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 23 dated 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number GP- 332-HI, July 1944, and Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 12 July 1944.

12 Supplement to narrative mission report number 23 dated 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number GP-332-HI, July 1944.

13 49th Bombardment Wing Intelligence Report for 12 July 1944, contained in the Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 12 July 1944.

14 461st Bombardment Group mission report for 12 July 1944 and 49th Bombardment Wing Intelligence Report for 12 July 1944, both contained in the Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 12 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 12 July 1944.

15 461st Bombardment Group history, July 1944, AFHRA call number GP-461-HI, July 1944.

16 Missing Air Crew Reports 6894, 6895, and 7034 and witness statements attached to them, on microfiche at the AFHRA.

17 O.K.L. Fighter Claims, Reich, West & Sudfront, May-July 1944, Issue no. 1

18 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report no. 28 dated 18 July 1944, contained in the 332d Fighter Group history for July 1944 (AFHRA call number GP-322-HI, July 1944), and in the Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 18 July 1944 (AFHRA call number 670.332, 18 July 1944).

19 332d Fighter Group history for July 1944, AFHRA call number GP-332-HI, July 1944.

20 Fifteenth Air Force general orders 2202, 2350, and 2484 for 1944, AFHRA call number 670.193.

21 Fifth Wing Operations Order number 628 dated 17 July 1944, for the 18 July 1944 mission, contained in the Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 18 July 1944 (AFHRA call number 670.332, 18 July 1944).

22 Kenn C. Rust, Fifteenth Air Force Story...In World War II (Temple City, CA: Historical Aviation Album, 1976), 31.

23 483d Bombardment Group Narrative Mission Report: Mission 18 July 1944, contained in Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 18 July 1944 (AFHRA call number 670.332, 18 July 1944). A copy of the same report is contained in the July 1944 history of the 483d Bombardment Group (AFHRA call number GP- 483-HI, July 1944).

24 Merrill A. McPeak, “The Tuskegee Airman Story: An Air Force Legacy,” speech by the USAF Chief of Staff, number 93-06, from the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs (168.7646-18 in the McPeak collection at the Air Force Historical Research Agency).

25 301st Bombardment Group Special Narrative Report, 18 July 1944, contained in Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 18 July 1944 (AFHRA call number 670.332, 18 July 1944).

26 52d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report no. 47 dated 18 July 1944, contained in Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 18 July 1944 (AFHRA call number 670.332, 18 July 1944), and 52d Fighter Group History, July 1944 (AFHRA call number GP-52-HI, July 1944).

27 Index to Missing Air Crew Reports and Reports numbered 6977, 7098, 6954, 6979, 6980, 6981, 6976, 7097, 6978, 7153, 6856, 6953, 6975, 7099, and 7310, on microfiche at AFHRA.

28 O.K.L. Fighter Claims, Reich, West & Sudfront, May-July 1944, Issue no. 1.

29 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 30 dated 20 July 1944, AFHRA call number GP- 332-HI, July 1945.

30 306 Fighter Wing operations order number 140 dated 19 July 1944, for mission of 20 July 1944, in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 20 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 20 July 1944.

31 Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 20 July 1944, AFHRA call number 670.332, 20 July 1944.

32 Missing Air Crew reports 6914 and 6919 on microfiche at AFHRA.

33 O.K.L. Fighter Claims, Reich, West & Sudfront, May-July 1944, Issue no. 1.

34 Merrill A. McPeak, “The Tuskegee Airman Story: An Air Force Legacy,” speech by the USAF Chief of Staff, number 93-06, from the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs (168.7646-18 in the McPeak collection at the Air Force Historical Research Agency).

35 332d Fighter Group narrative mission report number 246 dated 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number GP-332-HI, March 1945.

36 Fifth Wing A-2 Section Daily Intelligence Report, 24 March 1945, contained in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number 670.332, 24 March 1945.

37 2d Bombardment Group Mission Report for 24 March 1945, contained in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number 670.332, 24 March 1945.

38463d Bombardment Group Mission Report for 24 March 1945, contained in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number 670.332, 24 March 1945.

39 483d Bombardment Group Mission Report for 24 March 1945, contained in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number 670.332, 24 March 1945.

40 332d Fighter Group encounter reports for 24 March 1945, contained in Fifteenth Air Force mission folder for 24 March 1945, AFHRA call number 670.332, 24 March 1945.

41 Missing Air Crew Reports numbered 13278, 13274, 13375, 13374, and 13271, on microfiche at AFHRA. 42 Fifteenth Air Force general order number 2293 dated 12 April 1945, AFHRA call number 670.193).

43 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report number 61 dated 24 August 1944, contained in the August 1944 history of the 332d Fighter Group, Air Force Historical Research Agency, call number GP-332-HI, August 1944; Missing Air Crew Report Number 7971.

44 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report number 15 dated 30 June 1944; Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 30 June 1944; Missing Air Crew Reports 6809, 6335, 6394, 6395, and 6396; 762d Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944; 781st Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944; 760th Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944.

45 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report number 15 dated 30 June 1944; Fifteenth Air Force Mission Folder for 30 June 1944; Missing Air Crew Reports 6809, 6335, 6394, 6395, and 6396; 762d Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944; 781st Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944; 760th Bombardment Squadron history for June 1944.

46 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Report number 37 dated 26 July 1944, contained in the July 1944 history of the 332d Fighter Group, Air Force Historical Research Agency call number GP-332-HI, July 1944; Missing Air Crew Report number 7340.

47 332d Fighter Group Narrative Mission Reports number 77, dated 12 September 1944, contained in the September 1944 history of the 332d Fighter Group, Air Force Historical Research Agency call number GP- 332-HI, September 1944; 301st Bombardment Group narrative mission report dated 12 September 1944; Missing Air Crew Reports numbered 8623 and 8360 (although the Missing Air Crew Report index notes that both of these reports refer to B-17s lost by groups of the 5th Bombardment Wing, report 8623 actually describes a P-51 loss.

48Roi Ottley, “Dark Angels of Doom,” Liberty , (March 10, 1945), 13; J. Hanible McMillan letter to editor, America in World War II, vol. III, no. 6 (April 2008), 4.

49 “332d Flies Its 200th Mission Without Loss,” Chicago Defender, March 24, 1945, p. 2, discovered by researcher Robert Iverson.

50 War Department Press Release, 21 Jun 1945, found among papers of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. at the archives of the National Air and Space Museum at Suitland, Maryland, box 6, folder 14.

51 Distinguished Flying Cross citation awarded to Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. for action on 9 Jun 1944, found among the papers of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. in the archives of the National Air and Space Museum in Suitland, Maryland, box 119, folder 2.

52 Interview of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., by Air Force historian Al Gropman, AFHRA call number K239.0512-1922.

Happy Birthday TV into Eternity…….

June 7, 2020

On this day in 2020 and again in 2022, with today marking the fifth year of his passing, despite everything currently happening in our world, we pause to remember the contributions of African-Americans, like TV O’Kelly, and other members of the Tuskeegee Airmen, who made a way and went and flew the extra miles during their military careers to help to make the world a better place. Hopefully these important and historic contributions will never be forgotten, but forever cherished.

To TV and his fellow Tuskeegee Airmen, who made a difference,We salute you.

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