|
by:GregT
The pilots of the 99th Fighter Squadron, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen, saw their very first combat mission in the lead-up to Operation Husky. Beginning in June, they participated in the successful operations against Axis-occupied Pantelleria, a strategic island located between Tunisia and Sicily. Thereafter, the Squadron received the Distinguished Unit Citation in recognition of their accomplishments.
Relentless bombing of Sicilian airfields made it difficult for the Luftwaffe (which moved its bombers to mainland Italy to avoid destruction) and the Regia Aueronautica to mount effective opposition to the invasion. As a result, the much anticipated Axis air response to the Allied fleet was less than expected.
|
|