Replies

Not diminishing your dad's opinion...but that kind of thing was not unique to the Tuskegee folks. My grandfather's unit once got hit by both airforces....on March 3rd, 1945...his birthday no less. He was Divisional Cav, so his unit was often forward of the front line trace, so all kinds of things like that happened. But, back to to the Tuskegee, fact is, I never believed they were some "wonder outfit". Two sad facts. One, the best German units faced 8th AF along the Channel and Northern France, once D-Day occurred, the quality of the German AF fell off significantly, because their fighter pilots flew till they died, they didn't rotate their pilots at all. This had obvious effects.

Those facing the 15th in Italy rarely had the newest and best equipment, or were minor axis airforces (Like Romania or Croatia, for example.)These air forces, while rather enthusiastic in fighting the Red Army, saw the western allies differently, and it was rather daunting for even the Luftwaffe to approach the "combat boxes" of the B-17s/24s from the 12 O'Clock high position (head on, in a slight dive, so as to shoot up the cockpit and nose). Closing speeds were well, high, and it took nerves of steel to attempt this, and the other German allied AFs did simply didn't have the equipment or training to attempt this.

Also, everything that I have read about to the Tuskegee says they had no respect for the Germans and their allies. But, I think if they had faced the likes of JG 26 or 54, they might have had a rude shock. Just ask guys from 4th or 56th Fighter Group. They lost bombers..but they gave better than they got. I think if the Tuskegee had been on the Channel front, they would have had to learn fast, or die.