The legend that the Red-Tails never lost a bomber to enemy aircraft was born of an article in a black newspaper in Chicago (Chicago Defender, I think). It was a statement that was just made. No statistics to back it up. It's been repeated so many times it's taken as historical fact.
There was an analysis done some years ago stating that on the very day the article appeared the Red-Tails lost a bomber they were escorting. They also lost a half-dozen others, at least.
This is not taking any shots at the Tuskegee Airmen. They were magnificent fighter pilots. But if you're a bomber pilot, getting shot down by an 88-battery makes you just as dead or just as much of a POW.
So not only was it 'untrue', it was really irrelevant.
Concerning the Tuskegee Airmen
I only know the history I’ve read and that which has been glamorized. I’m not well versed in the details. A lot in WWII has been sensationalized. But there were some sensational stories to tell. The Tuskegee Airmen undoubtedly overcame some cultural hurdles and, with a chip on their shoulder no doubt, set out to prove themselves against the odds. That they did admirably prove to be at least worthy if not exceptionional is a story of American pride, not just black pride.
A WWII bombedier used to tell us war stories as a kid. He was a neighbor. He had some cool artifacts too. But I’ll never forget his heroic confession. He tried to re-assure his shipmates they were never in real danger. But because their plane exploded upon take-off on its first mission with the next crew, Bob Pedigo’s heoric act never died.
According to Bob, on their last mission, his bomb rack hung up and would not drop all the bombs. Something jambed and a bomb dangled precariously from the rack along with a few others in the rack. They had to shut the doors to keep up with the formation. Bob rigged the rack in transite and they circled over water to drop the munitions before landing. They exploded of course. Bob’s secret was that he always installed extra long fuses that ensured the bombs would never arm until they were clear of the plane. He says they were never in any real danger except for having to hang out over the open doors to kick a bomb loose.