1St BRAZILIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON

[[Gavca]CrossBones]

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Pictures of a 1St BRAZILIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON.

These images depict the first Brazilian fighter squadron, which fought admirably in Italy alongside U.S. units (350th Fighter Group) during World War II.

Squadron Insignia - 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron
Senta a Pua!! - Hit Then Hard!!

 

[Gnomey]

Nice pics Crossbones.

 

[syscom3]

Did the Brazilian Thunderbolts ever get into any air-to-air fights?

 

[[Gavca]CrossBones]

Not... when the Brazil entered in the war, the allies already dominated skies of the Italy. Being thus, they had been used in ground attacks

Among the 48 pilots of the Brazilian Unit who carried out war missions, there was a total of 22 losses; five of the pilots were killed by anti-aircraft fire, eight had their planes shot down and baled out over enemy territory, six had to give up flying operations on medical orders, after suffering nervous breakdowns, and three died in flying accidents.

The remains of the brave Brazilian airmen who lost their lives in Italy were buried in the Brazilian Cemetery at Pistoia. Subsequently they were taken to Brazil and they are now in the crypt of the Monument of Dead of the Second World War, in Avenida Beira Mar, in Rio de Janeiro.

That is the story of the Brazilian Air Force activity in the Italian Campaign. The 1st Brazilian Fighter Group accomplished 445 missions, with a total of 2,546 flights and 5,465 hours of flight on active service. It destroyed 1,304 motor-vehicles, 13 railway waggons, 8 armoured cars, 25 railway and highway bridges and 31fuel tanks and munition depots.

The Brazilian Air Force, in its first experience of war outside Brazilian territory, sent to Italy an air unit, the 1st Brazilian Fighter Group, who staff came up to the highest expectations with respect to courage, sense of duty, spirit of sacrifice and professional skill.

Total of the operations of the First Brazilian Fighter Group in the Italy Campaign:

Missions accomplished.................................................. 445

Offensive missions...................................................... 2,546

Defensive missions............................................................. 4

Hours of flight in war operations.................................. 5,465

Total hours of flight accomplished................................ 6,144

Total Bombs dropped................................................. 4,442

Incendiary Bombs (F.T.I)............................................... 166

Fragmentation Bombs (260 lbs)........................................ 16

Fragmentation Bombs (90 lbs).......................................... 72

Demolition Bombs (1.000 lbs)............................................ 8

Demolition Bombs (500 lbs)........................................ 4,180

Approximate total tonnage of bombs............................ 1,010

Rounds of .50 calibre ammunition fired.................. 1,180,200

Total rockets fired........................................................... 850

Liters of petrol consumed....................................... 4,058,651

Targets destroyed:

Targets/Objetives --------- ----- Destroyed ----------- Damaged


Railway engines ------------------------ 1 ---------------- - 13

Motorized transport --------- --------- 470 -------------- 303

Railway and tanks cars ----------------- 63 --------------- 163

Armoured cars ---------------------------- 7 ----------------- 11

Animal drawn vehicles------------------- 79------------------ 19

Railway and highway bridges------------- 4 ----------------- 14

Railway and highway cuttings ----------- 55 ------------------0

Buildings occupied by the enemy ---------129-------------- 92

Camps occupied by the enemy------------- 18 ------------ 14

Command posts ----------------------02---------------------- 02

Artillery positions ---------------------- 43 ----------------------7

Factories --------------------------------4 ---------------------- 3

Miscellaneous buildings-------------- 39 --------------------- 4

Fuel depots ----------------------------- 6 ----------------------2

Refineries ----------------------------------01 ------------------ 01

Radar stations----------------------------0 ---------------------2

 

[syscom3]

Thanks for the info. This is one of the under reported and covered aspect of the allied air war.

 

[Gnomey]

Thanks for the info. This is one of the under reported and covered aspect of the allied air war.

That it is. Thanks for that info Crossbones.

 

[Dogwalker]

Nice pics and good infos, thanks!

DogW

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Very cool info, very detailed!!! I love the "Animal drawn vehicles." I wonder if they kept records on the confirmed animal kills!

 

[2 Puff Pete]

Crossbones, just had to register to say thank you to you for the info and to salute all those brave men who fought. Until this afternoon I had no idea that Brazil had contributed to the Allied cause during WWII and I have been a WWII history fanatic for nearly all of my 70 years.

Don't you just love the web.

The wicki page on the BEF/FEB makes fascinating reading.

Pete

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Crossbones, just had to register to say thank you to you for the info and to salute all those brave men who fought. Until this afternoon I had no idea that Brazil had contributed to the Allied cause during WWII and I have been a WWII history fanatic for nearly all of my 70 years.

Don't you just love the web.

The wicki page on the BEF/FEB makes fascinating reading.

Pete

So you registered just to say that? I agree that it is some great information, but if you stuck around you might learn some more things and teach others some new things as well.

 

[Micdrow]

Nice job on the info there crossbones. many thanks

 

[Heinz]

Great info thankyou!

 

[rochie]

i never knew brazilian pilots flew under there own flag in WWII thanks for sharing CrossBones

 

[ArmouredSprue]

Besides the fighter squadron, Brazil also had a reconnaissance squadron flying Cub-4 to help the artillery division. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB in Portuguese) fought along with American 5th Army (Gen Mark Clark) in Italy.

At the time in Brazil they had a joke that would be easier to teach a snake how to smoke than Brazil to send troops overseas. Well the emblem of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force is a smoking snake:

The emblem for the Brazilian Fighter squadron is an ostrich, the story goes that during the training in Panama Canal before going to Italy the pilots were very sick eating the American rations, but they survived! The joke was, if you can eat anything (like an ostrich) you can also fight! The motto was "Senta a Púa" wich translate to something like "Hit them hard"

 

[ArmouredSprue]

Here is a model I've done a few years go;
P47D Brazilian 1st Squadron Italy 1944 (Academy 1/72)