A Tale of Two Missions: Memmingen, July 18, 1944 & Berlin, March 24, 1945

The B-17 could fly higher and was more survivable if hit by gunfire, and the B-24 could fly farther and faster.2 Each of the twenty -one bombardment groups had four bombardment squadrons assigned to it.3 Of the seven fighter escort groups, four flew P-51 Mustangs, the fastest and longest-range fighters in the Army Air Forces' (AAF) inventory, and the other three flew P-38 Lightnings, twin -engine fighters that were also fast and had a considerable range. Because the pilots trained at Tuskegee, Alabama, they are sometimes called the Tuskegee Airmen.