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Q: What made Tuskegee Airmen different from the other pilots?
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Continue Learning about General History

What specific challenges did the Tuskegee airmen face the other air corps did not?

The Tuskegee Airmen were black pilots when America was segregated, they fought racism through the military, but many never got the chance to fly because they were held back.


When did the Tuskegee Airmen form?

Due to racial discrimination, black servicemen were not allowed to learn to fly until 1941, when a group of black college graduates were selected for what the Army called "an experiment"-- the creation of the segregated Fighter Squadron, which trained at an airfield adjacent to Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. The experiment involved training black pilots and ground support members. The squadron, quickly dubbed the Tuskegee Airmen, was activated on March 22, 1941, and redesignated as the 99th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942. Legend has it that because of their courage white bomber pilots preferred these pilots as their escort air support.


How many planes were lost by the Tuskegee airmen?

The Tuskegee airmen lost 27 bombers which was far less than any other unit.


Who were the Tuskegee Airmen and how did they help in World War 2?

The Tuskegee Airmen were an all African-American unit of the US Army Air Corps (Air Force) in World War II. They flew fighter planes that escorted the US bomber planes in raids in Europe against German and other Axis targets. They were highly effective in giving close fighter support. In fact they are the only fighter unit that is credited with never having a bomber shot down that was in their protection. Robin Roberts of the ABC's Good Morning America is the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman and featured her father on the show before he died. There were probably 2000 deaths recorded for the Tuskegee alone.


Why did the Tuskegee airman fight?

The US military has been intermittently integrated and segregated. Following the Civil War, some Army units were integrated until the time of World War One; President Woodrow Wilson did not believe that Negro Americans were capable of military service in any combat role. When World War II began, many African-Americans wanted to join the military and fight; since the Nazis hated blacks only slightly less than they hated Jews, this was a normal reaction. At the beginning of World War II, blacks were allowed only in "servant" roles; cooks and stewards. As a test, the "Tuskegee Airmen" were African-Americans trained to fly high-performance fighters. The "Tuskegee Airmen" were spectacularly successful. While it's true that black fighter pilots had a lower kill ratio against Germans than white pilots did, the difference is easily explained. The "Tuskegee Airmen" squadron was primarily assigned to the bomber escort role; in that role, their primary responsibility was to DEFEND THE BOMBERS, not to go shoot down Germans. Too many white pilots would break formation and engage the German fighters; doing so left the bomber formations vulnerable to attack by other German fighters. The black pilots were less aggressive (or perhaps, it would be better phrased as "less glory-seeking") than the average white pilot; they stayed with the bombers, engaging the Germans only long enough to chase the German fighters away. Bomber wings escorted by black pilots were less likely to suffer heavy losses from the Germans. Bomber squadrons were delighted with the escort, and came to request that the Tuskegee squadron be assigned to their formations. The end result of the "experiment" was that it demonstrated that there was no reason why African-Americans couldn't do any job that a Caucasian could do.

Related questions

What specific challenges did the Tuskegee airmen face the other air corps did not?

The Tuskegee Airmen were black pilots when America was segregated, they fought racism through the military, but many never got the chance to fly because they were held back.


What was the name of the group of African-American pilots who fought in World War II?

They were known as "the Tuskeegee Airmen" or - alternatively "Red Tails." Officially, they formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces. All black military pilots who trained in the United States trained at Moton Field, the Tuskegee Army Air Field, and were educated at Tuskegee University, located near Tuskegee, Alabama. When the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their P-47s and later, P-51s, red, the nickname "Red Tails" was coined.Of the 179 bomber escort missions the 332nd Fighter Group flew for the Fifteenth Air Force, the group encountered enemy aircraft on 35 of those missions and lost bombers to enemy aircraft on only seven, and the total number of bombers lost was 27. By comparison, the average number of bombers lost by the other P-51 fighter groups of the Fifteenth Air Force during the same period was 46.


When did the Tuskegee Airmen form?

Due to racial discrimination, black servicemen were not allowed to learn to fly until 1941, when a group of black college graduates were selected for what the Army called "an experiment"-- the creation of the segregated Fighter Squadron, which trained at an airfield adjacent to Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. The experiment involved training black pilots and ground support members. The squadron, quickly dubbed the Tuskegee Airmen, was activated on March 22, 1941, and redesignated as the 99th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942. Legend has it that because of their courage white bomber pilots preferred these pilots as their escort air support.


How many planes were lost by the Tuskegee airmen?

The Tuskegee airmen lost 27 bombers which was far less than any other unit.


How did the Tuskegee airman affect the outcome of world war ii?

Little effect on total war effort although they performed outstandingly. It had an impact on race because before the black airmen the armed forces deemed blacks not fit for combat and considered them to dumb for anything other than support troops. The Tuskegee guys proved that idea flawed as they performed their duties as pilots just as good as the white pilots and in many instances better.


Tuskegee Airman?

Unit of African American pilots that fought in World War II; got more awards then any other unit.


Who were the Tuskegee Airmen and how did they help in World War 2?

The Tuskegee Airmen were an all African-American unit of the US Army Air Corps (Air Force) in World War II. They flew fighter planes that escorted the US bomber planes in raids in Europe against German and other Axis targets. They were highly effective in giving close fighter support. In fact they are the only fighter unit that is credited with never having a bomber shot down that was in their protection. Robin Roberts of the ABC's Good Morning America is the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman and featured her father on the show before he died. There were probably 2000 deaths recorded for the Tuskegee alone.


Where did the Negro soldiers have to serve in?

The Black people served in the supply forces, as cooks, as general workers and to serve back in the US. Eleanor Roosevelt felt for the plight of the black service people and finally got the congress to allow the Blacks to serve in combat. They became gunners on the ships, pilots (Tuskegee Airmen) and tank warriors and put into other infantry positions. They turned out to be America's best pilots and tank regiments. They were also the most highly decorated pilots of the war. The ones who could not read however did not get to excel.


Why were the Tuskegee airmen needed?

They were needed because they needed thousands of airmen. They were exceptional fighters too. They did not lose any of their airplanes and won more medals than any other air fighter group in World War 2. The black tank regimen was exceptional too. So were other forces.


What gun do you carry in the airforce?

Security Police (Combat Police) and pilots in a war zone carry guns. Most other airmen do not unless they are in a war zone.


Why did the Tuskegee airman fight?

The US military has been intermittently integrated and segregated. Following the Civil War, some Army units were integrated until the time of World War One; President Woodrow Wilson did not believe that Negro Americans were capable of military service in any combat role. When World War II began, many African-Americans wanted to join the military and fight; since the Nazis hated blacks only slightly less than they hated Jews, this was a normal reaction. At the beginning of World War II, blacks were allowed only in "servant" roles; cooks and stewards. As a test, the "Tuskegee Airmen" were African-Americans trained to fly high-performance fighters. The "Tuskegee Airmen" were spectacularly successful. While it's true that black fighter pilots had a lower kill ratio against Germans than white pilots did, the difference is easily explained. The "Tuskegee Airmen" squadron was primarily assigned to the bomber escort role; in that role, their primary responsibility was to DEFEND THE BOMBERS, not to go shoot down Germans. Too many white pilots would break formation and engage the German fighters; doing so left the bomber formations vulnerable to attack by other German fighters. The black pilots were less aggressive (or perhaps, it would be better phrased as "less glory-seeking") than the average white pilot; they stayed with the bombers, engaging the Germans only long enough to chase the German fighters away. Bomber wings escorted by black pilots were less likely to suffer heavy losses from the Germans. Bomber squadrons were delighted with the escort, and came to request that the Tuskegee squadron be assigned to their formations. The end result of the "experiment" was that it demonstrated that there was no reason why African-Americans couldn't do any job that a Caucasian could do.


Where were the Tuskegee Airmen found?

On March 19, 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron ("pursuit" being the pre-World War II term for "fighter") was activated at Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois. Over 250 enlisted men were trained at Chanute in aircraft ground support trades. This small number of enlisted men became the core of other black squadrons forming at Tuskegee and Maxwell Fields in Alabama. In June 1941, the Tuskegee program began officially with the formation of the 99th Fighter Squadron at the Tuskegee Institute. The unit consisted of an entire service arm, including ground crew. After basic training at Moton Field, they were moved to the nearby Tuskegee Army Air Field about 16 km (10 mi) to the west for conversion training onto operational types. The airmen were placed under the command of Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., then one of the few black graduates of West Point. Source: Wikipedia