Roscoe Brown received pilot training and his wings at the Tuskegee Army Air Base. He then received his combat and advanced training at Selfridge Field in Michigan and at Walterboro Air Base, South Carolina . He finished his training and graduated in March 1944. He was to be sent to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operation to join the other units of Tuskegee Airmen who were already in combat.

Lt. Brown arrived in Italy in July assigned to the 100^th Fighter Squadron of the 332^nd Fighter Group. His Squadron was flying the P-51 Mustang painted with the distinctive red tails that were becoming legionary with the bomber groups they escorted into battle. His first mission was to escort bombers to the heavily defended Ploesti oil fields in Roumania in August.

The leader of the Tuskegee Airmen, Col. Benjamin Davis was strict with his fighter pilots. Their mission was to protect the bombers. They were to stay close and guard them from the attacking Germans aircraft. These tactics paid off with their accomplishments being recognized by their superiors and the President. The Tuskegee Airmen lost only a few bombers in the air during combat missions.

Reports at first showed that no bombers were lost due to Luftwaffe fighters when the group was escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen. However further research of all the bomber groups in the Theatre of Operation in Italy did lose a few bombers that were escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen, but the Tuskegee pilots never recalled seeing one of their bombers going down. Theory is that the bombers were lost over the target due to flak when the P-51 Mustangs were waiting for the bombers to emerge form the flak protected area.

On March 24^th, 1945 Lt. Brown had been in Italy eight months and had flown 60 missions. His group was sent on a mission that day escorting B-17’s that were to bomb Berlin . Their squadron was to fly north and turn the bombers over to another Fighter Group who were to finish escorting the B-17’s onto their target. This flight was so long that it would require two different escort fighter groups to fly cover. This type of coverage was done only on a few missions. As the Allies advanced up the Italian peninsula so did the Allied airbases making such long flights shorter.

The flight was long and uneventful. All pilots had leaned out their fuel for the best gas mileage possible. The P-51D model of the Mustang was perfectly engineered and with perfectly designed tear-drop gas tanks the fighter rode high and proud in flight. As the group neared the rendezvous area they scanned the sky looking for their relief.

The relief escort fighters did not show up. They knew that they could not send the bombers to their target without fighter protection. This was an incredible moment filled with tension and a decision was forced on the fighter group. They decided to continue the escort of the bombers despite concern of their fuel supply. This was to be the longest escort mission of any 15^th Air Force squadron. The Tuskegee Airmen flew sixteen hundred miles round trip.

Brown was the Squadron Commander on this mission, but was flying “tail end Charlie” so they could break in a new flight leader. As they came closer to the German capital, Brown scanned the skies looking for incoming enemy aircraft. Our Bombers had been experiencing attacks by the new Messerschmitt Me 262 jets over Berlin . They were expecting another encounter that day from the Luftwaffe.

Brown spotted an incoming flight of the German jets. He called out “Bogies 9 o’clock” to alert the rest of the group. Brown winged over and down to the left bringing him level with the bombers. He then pulled back to the right to come in behind the jets which were quickly slipping in between the fighters and the bombers. Brown then noticed a lone jet pulling up off to his side. Even thought the Jet was some distance away, Brown nosed up and over on the Jet and fired two long burst from 2000 feet away. The Jet caught one of the two volleys’ of fifty-caliber bullets. This jet was alone and the hits were Brown’s. And as we all know, a bullet in the right place can really screw things up.

One of the German’s jet engines caught on fire which enveloped the wing completely. The German pilot was unaware that he was being targeted. A direct hit had raked the German aircraft rocking it with an explosion. The German pilot ejected as his aircraft blossomed into flame. Roscoe Brown became one of the first 15^th Army Air Force pilots to down one of the German jets. The Red Tailed Mustangs of the 332^nd would claim a total of three of the jets during this escort mission earning them the Presidential Unit Citation.

On March 31^st, during a sweep of the Munich area the Red Tails mission was to attack the German railways and other targets of opportunity. Lt. Brown and his group destroyed seven locomotives and sixteen enemy fighters. Lt. Brown received credit for downing one Bf-109, and the destruction of one of the locomotives.

Roscoe Brown was promoted to Captain in April 1945 and Commander of the 100^th Fighter Squadron. He finished the war flying 68 combat missions with two aerial victories, three enemy aircraft on the ground and 13 plus locomotives to his credit. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Eight Oak Leaf Clusters and the Presidential unit Citation.

All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.

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Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

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