America’s Black Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen

9. The 99^th Pursuit Squadron Over the Anzio Beachhead

After Operation Corkscrew, the 99^th flew in July, 1943, in support of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Once airfields were secured in Sicily, the black flyers relocated from North Africa to that island, then flew in support of the Allied invasion of Italy that September. The 99^th was next ordered to provide close air support to the US 5^th Army during some of its major operations. They included the capture of Foggia and its vital airfields, and the amphibious Anzio landings. Attached to the 79^th Fighter Group, the black flyers of the 99^th saw significant action as one of eight fighter squadrons that defended the Anzio beachhead from German aerial attacks. On January 27^th to 28^th, 1944, the eight squadrons defending Anzio collectively shot down 32 German airplanes. The 99^th claimed the highest score among them, with 13 kills.