The Story of How German Pilots Mocked the “Red Tails” — Until They Lost Over 100 Planes

The Story of How German Pilots Mocked the “Red Tails” — Until They Lost Over 100 Planes

Early Doubts in the Skies In the summer of 1943, many German pilots assumed the new group of American fliers they faced would be an easy challenge. They expected quick victories and even mocked these opponents as inferior. Yet within months, more than 100 German planes were lost to these men, later recognized as the “Red Tails.” This unit of 992 African American pilots, trained in Alabama, would go on to dismantle both enemy aircraft and racial …