Der Schvartze Adler: The Black Eagles by Stanley Weisleder

From the Publisher

A story about one man’s dream that took him from Harlem to the segregated South, to North Africa and ultimate glory over the skies of Italy and Germany. His final mission to the oil fields of Ploesti, followed by a detour through the Balkans with the Partisans, gave him a new perspective on life before he returned home to a country still not ready to recognize his achievements.

The 332nd Fighter Group, consisted of four squadrons of black fighter pilots who had to fight not only the Luftwaffe, but also the U.S. Army Air Corp before they could gain recognition.

They had to drink from water fountains that were marked “for colored only” and even after they won their wings, their own Air Corp made fun of them with disparaging remarks such as the “Spookwaffe” or the “Nigger Air Force.”

The German High Command knew better. The Luftwaffe referred to them as the “Schvartze Adler” or “Black Eagles.”

Official records show that no allied bombers were ever lost to German fighters while their escorts were from the 332nd . It didn’t take too long before the bomber pilots specifically requested that their escorts be members of the “Schvartze Adler.”

Product Details