447th bomb group
The first African-American fighter pilots for the United States were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 447th Bombardment Group in the USAAF in WWII. The 332nd was an amalgamation of the 99th, 100th, 301st, and 302nd Pursuit Squadrons. They were active between 1940 and 1946. Nicknames included Red Tails, Red-Tail Angels, and Tuskegee Airmen. The name "Red Tails" comes from their signature of painting the tails of their fighters red. They began with Curtis P-40 Warhawks, then temporarily switched to Bell P-39 Airacobras in March 1944. From June to July of 1944, they flew Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and afterward transitioned to North American P-51 Mustangs, for which they are most famous.