The Tuskegee "Red Tails" of WW2

[Brian37]

I am sure many know here, but some may not. They were a WW2 Air Force all black fighter squadron that escorted bombers on sorties over Europe. 

Here is my question, why the fuck would one paint bright red on any part of any plane? Wouldn't that stick out like a sore thumb?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen

---

Holy shit, I am listening to this one airman's account, his plane got shot and he had to bail, parachuted out, but got stuck in a tree. Got captured by the Germans. MOTHER FUCKER that had to have been a "HOLY SHIT' for him. He was lucky, he survived as a prisoner of war, but damn.

[popeyespappy]

Perhaps sticking out like a red thumb was the intent. Helped keep the B-17 gunners from shooting at the wrong guys.

On a side note we just wrapped up an inventory of the collection at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site for the National Park Service. I'm working on getting the deliverables ready for submission this week.

[Brian37]

Perhaps sticking out like a red thumb was the intent. Helped keep the B-17 gunners from shooting at the wrong guys.

On a side note we just wrapped up an inventory of the collection at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site for the National Park Service. I'm working on getting the deliverables ready for submission this week.

Yea, ok, but did other Air divisions have those same red tails or just the black squadron? It would make sense if other bomber squads had escorts with the same color scheme but if they were the only squad with red tipped escorts it would make one question if our military was saying "blacks are more expendable than whites". That was a war prior to the end of segregation and was fought with a segregated military in any case.

[popeyespappy]

A lot of squadrons in WWII used different paint schemes.

These included yellow noses.



Checkered noses.



And yes, even some with red tails other than the Tuskegee Airmen.



For the most part the squadren itself chose the paint scheme.

[Minimalist]

If you are closing with an FW-190 at a combined speed of 600 mph I don't think you have much time to look at the color of the nose cap.  There was lots of great artwork on WWII planes.  The Flak gunners were unimpressed.

[popeyespappy]

I'm trying to dissuade Brain of the notion that the red tails of the red tails squadron was some kind of racist thing. I don't believe it was.

[Angrboda]

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The paint schemes were to allow squadrons to form up without radio chatter.

---

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

You could have used the IJN battle ensign.

[Angrboda]

The paint schemes were to allow squadrons to form up without radio chatter.

---

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

You could have used the IJN battle ensign.

I considered it, but seeing as the rising sun by itself is reflected in the markings applied to the zero, this seemed more appropriate.

[Brian37]

I'm trying to dissuade Brain of the notion that the red tails of the red tails squadron was some kind of racist thing. I don't believe it was.

Ok, but it was still a segregated military. Even in the documentary I saw, the actual members said they faced tons of skepticism that blacks could fight, and regardless it America was very racist back then.

You could argue the leadership that set that squadron up might not have cared if it were desegregated, but because of the climate of the time, just like any other section the military in general was still segregated.