Originally Posted by
dawg80
I love history and am aware of the many "revisions" that occur. Some are due to honest mistakes, and others to try to make a modern-day political point.
For instance, by the most accurate records available, somewhere around 30,000 blacks served, fought for the Confederates during the War of Northern Aggression, 1861-1865. Of course, that complicates the forced (farced) view of that conflict, so history has been altered.
It is also a myth that the 332nd Escort Group (the Tuskegee Airmen, the "Red Tails") never lost a bomber they were protecting. Air Corps records show 25 bombers lost. But, considering the Red Tails flew 212 escort missions, most with 100+ bombers each, that is a remarkable combat record.
Red Tail stats:
1,578 total missions
112 German planes shot down in air-to-air combat (another 150 enemy planes destroyed on the ground)
98 losses by the Red Tails (66 pilots KIA, 32 shot down, captured)
To be fair, the Red Tails were given a bunch of very, very tough missions. For instance, escorting a B24 bomber raid deep into German-held Poland, a very long flight, which originated in southern Italy and required the Red Tails to be in the air for more than 7 hours, fight their way in, past anti-aircraft and the best German squadrons still flying, including a tangle with the jets, the ME 262, and then had to fight their way back out. Tough to record impressive stats when you have so many tough missions. The German Luftwaffe was not exactly a bunch of rank amateurs. They had good pilots and good planes too. The ME 190 Fockewolfe was a helluva fine fighter.
Most importantly, and this is NOT in historic dispute! the Red Tails served their nation with skill, courage and valor.