.
Black navigators, bombardiers and bomber gunnery crews were trained at selected military bases elsewhere in the United States. Black Americans began training as aircraft and engine mechanics at Chanute Air Base in Rantoul, Illinois in 1941 before being assigned to Tuskegee in 1942, where subsequent mechanics were trained after facilities were in place. .
.
Four hundred and fifty of the pilots were trained at Tuskegee served overseas in either the 99th Pursuit Squadron (later the 99th Fighter Squadron) or the 332nd Fighter Group. The 99th Fighter Squadron trained in and flew P-40 Warhawks in combat in North Africa, Sicily and Italy from April 1943 until July 1944 when they were transferred to the 332nd Fighter Group in the 15th Air Force. .
The all-black, 332nd Fighter Group consisted originally of three fighter squadrons, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd, and prepared for combat at Selfridge Air Base, Michigan from March 1943 until December 1943. Training was conducted in P-40 Warhawks and P-39 Airocobras. The Group began overseas combat operations at Capodichino Air Base, Naples, Italy in February 1944 flying P-39 Airocobras. Their mission was Naples Harbor and Mediterranean Sea air patrol in the 12th Air Force in May 1944. .
In June 1944, the 332nd Fighter Group transferred to the 15th Strategic Air Force on the Adriatic Sea side of Italy and was stationed at Ramitelli Air Base, Italy. The Group became a long range heavy bomber escort unit. One month later, July 1944, the 99th Fighter Squadron was transferred to the 332nd Fighter Group, and the Group became the only four-squadron fighter group performing bomber escort missions in the 15th Air Force. This was a significant factor in the effectiveness and success of the Group as it established the incredible and unprecedented record of flying all of its bomber escort missions (200 over most of central and southern Europe), from June 1944 until April 1945, without the loss of a single bomber to enemy aircraft.
