On Jul. 19, 1941, the AAF began a program in Alabama to train black Americans as military pilots. Primary flight training was conducted by the Division of Aeronautics of Tuskegee Institute, the famed school of learning founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881. Once a cadet completed primary training at Tuskegee's Moton Field, he was sent to nearby Tuskegee Army Air Field for completion of flight training and for transition to combat type aircraft. The first classes of Tuskegee airmen were trained to be fighter pilots for the famous 99th Fighter Squadron, slated for combat duty in North Africa. Additional pilots were assigned to the 332d Fighter Group which flew combat along with the 99th Squadron from bases in Italy.

In Sep. 1943, a twin-engine training program was begun at Tuskegee to provide bomber pilots. However, World War II ended before these men were able to get into combat.

By the end of the war, 992 men had graduated from pilot training at Tuskegee, 450 of whom were sent overseas for combat assignment. During the same period, approximately 150 lost their lives while in training or on combat flights.

Additional men were trained at Tuskegee for aircrew and ground crew duties--flight engineers, gunners, mechanics, armorers, etc. Others were sent to South Carolina, Texas and New Mexico for training as navigators and bombardiers.

History of the 332 Fighter Group

Under the command of Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. the 332nd fighter group--comprised of the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd fighter squadrons--flew successful missions over Sicily, the Mediterranean and North Africa. The fight group was known to bomber crews as the "Red-Tail Angels" after the markings on their aircraft, or the "Black" or "Lonely Eagles," as well as the "Black Bird Men" by the German air force.

The Tuskegee Airmen completed 15,500 missions, destroyed more than 260 enemy aircraft, sank one enemy destroyer and demolished numerous enemy installations. Although several aviators died in combat, they never lost a bomber to enemy pilots.

The Tuskegee Airmen were awarded many high honors, including Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit, Silver Stars, Purple Hearts, the Croix de Guerre and the Red Star of Yugoslavia. In 1945, the 332nd Fighter Group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for "outstanding performance and extraordinary heroism."

The Mustang pilot spotted the string of Bf-109's heading toward the crippled B-24. The pilot, a Lt. Weathers, dropped his wing tanks, and turned into the German formation. He gave the leader a burst with his .50 calibers and it nosed up, smoking, and soon went hurtling down to the ground. The pilot radioed the others in his flight and heard "I'm right behind you." But when Weathers looked back for himself, all he could see was the nose cannon of another Bf-109, pointing right at him. He dropped flaps and chopped throttle, instantly slowing his Mustang, and the Bf-109 overran him. A few bursts, and Lt. Weathers had his second kill of the day. Two more e/a were still in view and seemed like easy pickings, but the voice of the Group CO echoed in the pilot's mind, "Your job is to protect the bombers and not chase enemy aircraft for personal glory." Weathers returned to the bomber.

Two things were unusual about this American fighter pilot. First, he had foregone a sure kill. Second, he was Black. He flew with the only U.S. Fighter Group in World War Two that could claim to have never lost a bomber in their care. That Group was the 332nd Fighter Group, "The Redtails," the famous all-Black outfit that fought both American prejudice and Nazi militarism. Under the leadership and iron discipline of Col. Benjamin O. Davis, the Redtails had learned that their mission in life was to protect the bombers.

Prior to World War Two, the U.S. Army Air Corps did not employ Negroes (the respectful term in that era) in any role, a policy which found its justification in a racist and inaccurate report written in the 1920's. However in 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Air Corps to build an all-Negro flying unit. The presidential order caused the Army to create the 99th Pursuit Squadron. To develop the Negro pilots needed for the new squadron, the Air Corps opened a new training base in central Alabama, at the Tuskegee Institute.

Mrs. Roosevelt Goes for a Ride

April 19, 1941 - Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt visited Tuskegee and met Charles "Chief" Anderson, the head of the program, Mrs. Roosevelt asked, "Can Negroes really fly airplanes?" He replied: "Certainly we can; as a matter of fact, would you like to take an airplane ride?" Over the objections of her Secret Service agents, Mrs. Roosevelt accepted. The agent called President Roosevelt, who replied, "Well, if she wants to do it, there's nothing we can do to stop her."

With Mrs. Roosevelt in the back seat of his Piper J-3 Cub, Chief Anderson took off and flew her around for half an hour. Upon landing, Mrs. Roosevelt turned to the Chief and said, "I guess Negroes can fly," and they posed together for an historic photo. Not long after Mrs. Roosevelt's return to Washington, it was announced that the first Negro Air Corps pilots would be trained at Tuskegee Institute.

In the spring of 1941, the first African-American enlisted men began training to become maintainers and the first thirteen pilot candidates entered training. Progress was slow; it was not until September 2, that Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., became the first Negro to solo an aircraft as a U.S. Army Air Corps officer. On March 7, 1942, young black pilots stood at attention on Tuskegee's airstrip, for induction into the U.S. Army Air Corps. Eight days later the 100th Fighter Squadron was established as a part of the 332nd Fighter Group.

The 99th Gets Started

May 31, 1943: the 99th Fighter Squadron arrived at Farjouna in Tunisia, attached to the 33rd Fighter Group, flying P-40s. Three days later, Lt. William A. Campbell, Charles B. Hall, Clarence C. Jamison and James R. Wiley, flew the squadron's first mission, a 'milk run' over Pantelleria. On June 9, six pilots of the 99th FS became the first U.S. Negro pilots to engage in aerial combat. Led by Lt. Charles Dryden, Lt. Willie Ashley, Sidney P. Brooks, Lee Rayford, Leon Roberts and Spann Watson, exchanged fire with German fighter planes, with no losses to either side. The Italian garrison on Pantelleria surrendered on June 11, 1943, in large part due to the powerful air attacks it had been subjected to. The 99th was a key part of the air assault.

Sicily

The 99th joined the 324th Fighter Group in El Haouria on June 29, 1943. At first they flew escort missions over the Sicilian coast. Within a few days, Lt Charles B. Hall got the 99th on the scoreboard when he downed an Fw-190. Sadly, this triumphant occasion was marred by the death of Lieutenants White and McCullin, victims of an operational accident. Escort missions over Sicily continued through the summer of 1943. One Tuskegee Airman, Lt. Richard Bolling, was forced to bail out and floated in the Mediterranean for a full day before he was recovered. On July 19, the 99th moved over to Licata, on the coast.

The Critic

Despite their achievements and accomplishments, the 99th found continued resistance and prejudice here in the Mediterranean. The CO of the 33rd Fighter Group, Col. William Momyer, complained about the performance of the 99th FS, compared their combat record to White squadrons, alluded to lack of air discipline, and hinted at a lack of aggressiveness. His comparisons overlooked the fact that the 99th did not operate at the front, but was stationed hundreds of miles to the rear. Nor did he mention his exclusion of 99th FS pilots from briefing sessions. But in those days, Blacks were easy targets, and in September of 1943, TIME magazine ran an article that repeated Momyer's accusations. About all the pilots could do was perform their jobs perfectly, and answer their critics with deeds, not words.

Italy

The 99th was scheduled to provide air support for the September 9 invasion of Salerno on the Italian peninsula. After the German counter-attack forced an Allied retreat, members of the 99th flew into Paestum, an airfield near Salerno, to provide air cover for the beachhead. In early October, the 99th started flying with the 79th Fighter Group based at Foggia, commanded by Col. Earl Bates, who fully involved the men of the 99th in combat missions. As the Germans retreated northward, the fliers of the 79th and 99th flew fighter-bomber missions on railroad, bridges, and communication centers to hamper their mobility. These were grinding, demanding missions; pilots often flew more than 5 sorties a day. This activity continued through January, 1944, culminating in a large multi-Group strike on Naples' apodichino Airdrome. But so far, the 99th only had the one aerial victory to their credit, while the 79th has destroyed or damaged almost 20 German aircraft.

But on January 24, 1944, the Negro pilots broke out in a big way, downing five German planes in a morning mission led by Capt. Clarence Jamison, and three more that afternoon when Lt. Wiley's flight mixed it up with the enemy. And the next day, the 99th continued its combat success, claiming four e/a destroyed. On February 5, Lt. Driver got another. On the 7th, they got three more; they also received an official commendation from General Hap Arnold at this time.

In April, the 99th was transferred from its partnership with the 79th FG to work with the 324th FG. As part of this Group, they participated in Operation Strangle, the aerial campaign in May, 1944 to isolate the German garrison at Monte Cassino. Operation Strangle marked the end of the 99th Fighter Squadron's independent existence.

The 332nd

On July 4, 1944, the 99th was joined with three other Squadrons: the 100th, 301st and the 302nd to form the 332nd Fighter Group. These were all-Negro squadrons, all trained at Tuskegee. The veterans of the 99th resented the newcomers somewhat, but those issues soon worked themselves out. The Group transitioned to Mustangs at this time, decorating them with bright red spinners and tails, thus earning their nickname, 'Redtails'.

A week later the 332nd escorted bombers on a mission against rail yards, and Capt. Joseph Elsberry shot down three Fw-190s, the first black pilot to achieve this feat. The next day, July 13, the Group flew its first mission to Ploesti. On the 16th, they met some Italian Macchis (from Mussolini's short-lived, rump state in the North, the Italian Social Republic), and downed two of them. Two days later, July 18, Lt. Clarence 'Lucky' Lester destroyed three German airplanes, and earned a DFC for himself in recognition. This was a big day for the Group, as they claimed 11 e/a destroyed. Lee Archer scored his first that day; a credit which would later be officially changed to a shared kill. (Thus Archer left combat with an official 4.5 kills. It has been speculated that the AAF brass didn't want a Negro ace and the attendant publicity.)

Throughout July, and through October of 1944, the Redtails flew countless missions, usually bomber escorts. Sometimes they shot down German aircraft, and began to build a respectable Group tally. Less often, they lost one of their own; but they never lost a bomber. Lee Archer scored his second in late July and three on October 12; then the first kill was retroactively changed. October was a rough month for the 332nd, losing 15 pilots.

The bomber pilots began to appreciate the Redtails. In Mustang Aces of the 9th and 15th Air Forces, one B-24 pilot recalled, "The P-38s always stayed too far out. Some of the Mustang group stayed in too close. Other groups, we got the feeling that they just wanted to go and shoot down 109s ... The Red Tails were always out there where we wanted them to be ... We had no idea they were Black; it was the Army's best kept secret."

Luke Weathers' escort mission described above provided the group's only aerial victories for the month of November. They flew 22 missions in December, running the group tally to 62 confirmed air-to-air victories by year's end. Bad weather in January limited them to 11 missions, picking up to 39 in February, but without many aerial victories. On March 24, 1945, Col. Davis led the Group on the longest escort mission ever flown by the Fifteenth Air Force, a 1600-mile round trip to the Daimler-Benz tank works in Berlin. On this mission, Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., Charles Brantly and Earl Lane, each shot down a German Me-262 jet fighter aircraft. The Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their achievements this day.

The Tuskegee Airmen continued flying and fighting, killing and dying, until the end of the war in Europe in May, 1945. The combat record of the Tuskegee Airmen speaks for itself:

• over 15,000 combat sorties (including 6000+ for the 99th prior to July '44)
• 111 German airplanes destroyed in the air, another 150 on the ground
• 950 railcars, trucks, and other motor vehicles destroyed
• 1 destroyer sunk by P-47 machine gun fire (Lt. Pierson's flight)
• sixty-six pilots killed in action or accidents
• thirty-two pilots downed and captured, POWs
• NO bombers lost while being escorted by the 332nd, a unique achievement
• 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses earned
• 744 Air Medals
• 8 Purple Hearts
• 14 Bronze Stars

History of the 99th Fighter Squadron

In another, now fading era, men took to the skies over Europe to fight for and protect the freedoms that they themselves were denied and in the process became a legend and an inspiration to later generations. Ironically the men fighting a monstrous regime based upon racial superiority also had to battle racism back home and in the armed forces in which they served. The battles they fought across the seas would be one of the steps in proving to their fellow citizens that they deserved equal treatment back home. History recalls them as the Tuskegee Airmen.

To understand the battles they fought and the victories they won, not only against the enemy, but within the nation they served it helps to remember America as it was, a great nation fighting for freedom but still denying equality to some of its citizens. The Tuskegee Airmen would be part of what was called the "Tuskegee experiment." An experiment to prove that people of all colors and backgrounds could fight under the same flag for the same goals and emerge victorious in the end.

As the United States prepared for war, segregation was the rule in the military and there were no Negroes (that was the term in those days) in the Army Air Crops. In 1940, however, through the efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt the Air Corps was directed to form a fighter unit comprised of black pilots. As a result of FDR's order the 99th Pursuit Squadron was formed and a training program started at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The cadets trained at what was called Tuskegee Army Air Field.

As part of the run-up toward American involvement in the Second World War the Army Air Corps made arrangements whereby civilian flying schools would provide primary flight training to supply the huge number of pilots who would needed. At that time the flight training program at Tuskegee was the only such program for aspiring black pilots.

Tuskegee Institute was chosen for a number of reasons including its historical association with the education of African-Americans. It was also decided to locate the training program for black pilots in the south for the same reason that most training programs were being located in the south and the west- good year-round weather for flying.

Training started in spring of 1941 with thirteen pilot candidates as well as enlisted men who would serve as ground crew. September 2, 1941 would go down in the books as a red-letter day when Captain Benjamin O. Davis, a West Point graduate, became the first African-American to solo as an Army Air Corps pilot. v

The first five men to have the silver wings of the Army Air Force pinned on their chests were Benjamin O. Davis, George Roberts, Charles BeBow, Jr., Mac Ross and Lemuel Custis. In March of 1942 the black pilots were inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in ceremonies on the airstrip at Tuskegee and later that month the 100th Fighter Squadron was formed as part of the 332nd Fighter Group.

After many months of waiting while higher ups in the Air Corps tried to decide how to use their newly minted black pilots, orders came through and on April 1, 1943 the men of the 99th Fighter Squadron prepared to leave for North Africa. At the end of May, 1943 the men of the 99th found themselves in Farjouna, Tunisia as part of the 33rd Fighter Group. A few days later men of the 99th flew their first mission. Flying Curtis P-40's were Lieutenants William Campbell, Charles Hall, Clarence Jamison and James Wiley and in June, six of the 99th's pilots became the first black airmen in the Army Air Corps to take part in aerial combat when they traded shots with German fighter planes.

Though their first aerial combat was inconclusive with neither side suffering any losses the lieutenants: Charles Dryden, Willie Ashley, Sidney Brooks, Lee Rayford, Leon Roberts and Spann Watson had earned a place in the history books.

As the course of the war moved from North Africa across the Mediterranean and onto the continent of Europe the Tuskegee Airmen followed providing air cover and support for the Allied landings at Salerno. During this period the black flyers saw plenty of action in the ground attack role flying as many as five sorties a day on some occasions. The idea was to strike at the German's communications and logistics network and deprive the enemy of needed supplies with which to wage war. Targets included roads, bridges, rail yards and railroads as well as airfields.

Thus far the African-American flyers of the 99th had only one kill to their credit but in late January of 1944 they started to light up the skies over Italy with eight kills in a single day. On January 24th a morning patrol resulted in five German aircraft shot down and that afternoon three more aircraft of the Luftwaffe were knocked out of the sky. The men of the 99th served notice they were on a roll when the next day they claimed four more kills.

During this time the 99th had been serving with the 79th Fighter Group but in April it was partnered with the 324th Fighter Group and took part in the effort to cut off the German garrison at Monte Cassino. In July, four black squadrons: the 99th, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd were formed into the 332nd Fighter Group. At the same time the squadrons of the 332nd started to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang, the plane many, to this day, consider the ultimate example of the propeller driven fighter plane.

Later in July of 1944 the 332nd would serve as escorts to the heavy bombers of the Army Air Corps and on July 12th Captain Joseph Elsberry would bag three Focke-Wulf FW-190's, the capable German fighter that had already earned the respect of allied airmen.

On the 13th fighters of the 332nd would escort bombers on the mission to destroy the Ploesti oilfields in Romania.

More and more the pilots known as the 'Red Tails,' because of the bright red paint emblazoned on the spinners and tails of their planes were becoming a legend among the hard-pressed weary bomber crews because when the Red Tails were the escort the men in the bomber knew their chances of coming home alive were greatly increased. Soon the bomber crews took to calling the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group the 'Red Tail Angels,' a mark of true respect for men whom of the bomber crews did not realize were black. The Germans also had a name for them- Schwartze Vogelemenshen or Black Birdmen. And, for those who did, it made little difference because as members of the fraternity of the air they knew and respected others who shared the same risk and had proven themselves to be outstanding pilots.

What made the men of the 332nd stand out, in the opinion of the bomber crewmen, was that the Red Tails would stick with the bombers through thick and thin. Other fighter groups used different tactics flying further out from the bombers in search of enemy fighters and often 'free-lancing' in an effort to increase the number of kills. While that resulted in a greater number of kills it also meant that any German fighters that did manage to get in close to the bombers had a better chance of knocking one of them down. There was a reason the men of the 332nd stuck so tenaciously with their charges. The 332nd's commanding officer Colonel Benjamin O. Davis saw the role of escorting the bombers to the target and back again as an elite mission; one that could go a long way in proving that men of color could fight alongside their comrades and fight just as well as anyone else. The pilots were told by Davis that the bombers were their first responsibility and that anyone caught leaving a bomber to chase after an enemy fighter would not only be grounded but would also be brought up for court-martial.

What resulted was an enviable accomplishment that no other fighter group in the United States Army Air Force would match. The Tuskegee Airmen would not lose one single bomber they escorted to enemy fighters.

March 24th, 1945 was the day that the men of the 332nd would set another record escorting bombers on the longest mission flown by the 15th Air Force when the Daimler-Benz works in Berlin was the target. In addition the mission to Berlin would also go down in the books as notable because that day the Red Tails tangled with the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighters that Germans were counting on to turn the tide in the air over the fatherland and when it was over the 332nd had claimed three of the revolutionary new planes. For its performance that day the 332nd Fighter Group would receive a Distinguished Unit Citation.

By the end of the Second World War just under a thousand men had graduated from the pilot training program by the division of Aeronautics of Tuskegee Institute and 450 of them had seen combat overseas. Around 150 would die either in training accidents or in combat.

War's end would find that the Tuskegee Airmen had flown over 15,000 missions and in the process destroyed a 111 German aircraft in aerial combat while destroying another 150 on the ground.

One problem in documenting the history of the Tuskegee Airmen is that military records from various sources give differing figures on the exact number of Tuskegee Airmen.

One thing can be agree upon, however, and that was that when the fighting had ended and the guns fallen silent the Tuskegee Airmen had done their part in helping secure victory. The numbers tell the story. By the end of World War II they had flown over 15,000 combat sorties and in the process destroyed over 260 German aircraft in the air and on the ground. In addition they destroyed some 950 railcars, trucks and other pieces of rolling stock. One of the Tuskegee Airmen could even lay claim to sinking a destroyer during one mission.

America's black pilots would earn 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, 8 Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars, in the process 66 pilots gave their lives while another 32 would become prisoners of war.

They would leave their legacy in the skies of Europe while flying a number of different types of aircraft including the P-40 Tomahawk as well as the P-39 Airacobra, the P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang which Benjamin Davis would later call the "superior fighter" produced by the United States during World War II.

But the Tuskegee Airmen would accomplish more, so much more than just the destruction of the enemy's airplanes and protecting the bombers that were taking the war to the enemy's homeland. Their steps toward equality were just the first on the longer road toward acceptance and equality for an entire group of people who were also Americans.

On July 26th, 1948 President Harry Truman would sign Executive Order #9981 desegregating the American armed forces. In 1954, on October 27 Col. Benjamin O. Davis was promoted to Brigadier General, the first African-American to reach flag rank in the United States Air Force. In September of 1975 Daniel "Chappie" James would be promoted to General, the first black American to reach four star rank. Another Tuskegee Airman would also reach flag rank; Major General Lucius Thueus.

While many of the Tuskegee Airman would return to civilian life after the end of the war others would choose to stay in the military and would fly in defense of freedom in the conflicts that followed. Colonels Charles Cooper; Hannibal Cox and Charles McGee would fight in the Korean War as well as in Viet-Nam and Lieutenant Colonels John "Mr. Death" Whitehead; Bill Holloman and George Hardy would fly and fight in the skies over Viet-Nam.

Their ranks are growing thin as time claims the final victory but the veterans of the "Tuskegee Experiment" long after the last man to wear the title Tuskegee Airman has answered the final roll call the memory of a small band of brave pilots who fought battles both at home and in foreign lands will be an inspiration to future generations of Americans learning of the price of freedom.

History of the 100th Fighter Squadron

Lineage: Constituted 100th Pursuit Squadron 27 December 1941. Activated on 19 February 1942. Redesignated 100th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942. Inactivated on 19 October 1945. Activated on 1 July 1947. Inactivated on 1 July 1949. Aircraft: P-39, P-40, P-47,P-51

Operations: Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations and European Theater of Operations, 19 February 1944 - 26 April 1945.

Campaigns: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 24 March 1945.

History of the 301st Fighter Squadron

Lineage: Constituted 301st Fighter Squadron 4 July 1942. Activated on 13 October 1942. Inactivated on 19 October 1945. Activated on 1 July 1947. Inactivated on 1 July 1949. Aircraft: P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51

Operations: Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations and European Theater of Operations, 15 February - 26 April 1945.

Campaigns: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 24 March 1945.

History of the 302 Fighter Squadron

Lineage: Constituted 302nd Fighter Squadron 4 July 1942. Activated on 13 October 1942. Inactivated on 6 March 1945. Activated 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1987.

Aircraft: P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51

Operations: Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations and European Theater of Operations, 17 February 1944 - 20 February 1945.

Campaigns: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations: None

Tuskegee Airmen facts:

Tuskegee Army Air Field, located at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, was the training center for all black fighter pilots during World War II.

There were 996 original Airmen. These included pilots, bombardiers, and navigators.

More than 10,000 black men and women served as their vital support personnel.

450 pilots served in combat overseas in the European Theater of Operations, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.

66 of the Tuskegee aviators died in combat.

33 Tuskegee Airmen became prisoners of war.

They flew over 700 bomber escort missions and ended the war as the only fighter group to never lose an escorted bomber to enemy fighters.

They flew 15,533 sorties between May, 1943 and June 9, 1945.

They destroyed 251 enemy aircraft: 111 were downed in aerial combat including 3 of the 8 German ME-262 jets shot down by allies during the war.

They sank a German destroyer using only their machine guns.

They disabled more than 600 box cars, locomotives and rolling stock.

They won more than 850 medals, including 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Eight Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals and clusters, and three distinguished unit citations.

For every pilot, there were at least 10 black men and women on the ground in support roles including mechanics, medical technicians, administrative support and cooks. They were trained at Chanute Field, Illinois.

White American pilots were not allowed to fly more than 52 missions, but black American pilots often flew up to 100 missions due to lack of replacements.

The all-black 477th bomber group was activated and scheduled to fight in the Pacific, but the war ended before their deployment.

Planes flown by black aviators in WWII: the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-39, and the PT-13D Trainer.

The following is a summary of the combat record for the four squadrons of the 332nd Fighter Group. The list includes each pilot's name and official credit for enemy aircraft destroyed.