Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Brasilianisches Expeditionskorps in Europa

2007-06-27T00:36:40Z

201.51.250.178: /* The Nickname */

[[Image:FEB.png|thumb|right|150px|The "Smoking Snake", symbol of the FEB]]
The '''Brazilian Expeditionary Force''' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: '''Força Expedicionária Brasileira''', or '''FEB''') was the 25,300-man force formed by the [[Brazil]]ian [[Brazilian Navy|Navy]], [[Brazilian Army|Army]] and [[Brazilian Air Force|Air Force]] that fought alongside the [[Allied]] forces in the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] of [[World War II]].

== Overview ==
[[Image:FEB_01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|FEB Troops parade through [[Rio de Janeiro]] in [[1944]]]]
It was not at all obvious that Brazil would join the Allied powers in World War II. Initially Brazil maintained [[Neutral country|neutrality]], [[Trade|trading]] with both the Allies and the [[Axis Powers|Axis]], while [[President of Brazil|Brazilian president]] [[Getúlio Vargas]]'s quasi-[[Fascist]] policies indicated a leaning toward the Axis powers. However, with the increasing trade with and [[diplomacy|diplomatic efforts]] by the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]], in [[1941]] Brazil permitted the US to set up air bases in the states of [[Bahia]], [[Pernambuco]] and [[Rio Grande do Norte]], where the city of [[Natal%2C_Rio_Grande_do_Norte|Natal]] received part of the U.S. Navy's [[VP-52]] patrol squadron. Also, the U.S. Task Force 3 established itself in Brazil, including a squad equipped to attack submarines and merchant vessels which tried to exchange goods with [[Japan]].

Besides being technically neutral, the increasing cooperation with the Allies led the Brazilian government to announce, on [[28 January]] [[1942]] the decision to sever diplomatic relations with [[Germany]], [[Japan]] and Italy.

In July [[1942]], around thirteen Brazilian merchant vessels were sunk by German [[U-Boat]]s. About one hundred people died as a result of these attacks, most being crew members. At the time, Vargas decided not to take further measures against the Axis in an attempt to avoid an escalation of the conflict involving Brazil.

However, in August [[1942]], one single German submarine, the [[U-507]], sank five Brazilian vessels in two days, causing more than six hundred deaths:

:*On [[August 15]], the ''Baependy,'' travelling from [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] to [[Recife]] was [[torpedo]]ed at 19:12. Its 215 passengers and 55 crew members were lost.
:*At 21:03, the U-507 torpedoed the ''Araraquara,'' also going from Salvador towards the north of the country. Of the 142 people on board, 131 died.
:*Seven hours after the second attack, the U-507 attacked the ''Aníbal Benévolo.'' All 83 passengers died; of a crew of 71, only four survived.
:*On [[August 17]], close to the city of [[Vitória]], the ''Itagiba'' was hit at 10:45, and had a death toll of 36.
:*Another Brazilian ship, the ''Arará '', travelling from [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] to [[Santos (São Paulo)|Santos]], stopped to help the crippled ''Itagiba'', but end up being the fifth Brazilian victim of the German ship, with a death toll of 20.

The Brazilian population was restless. In the capital [[Rio de Janeiro]], the people started to retaliate against German businesses, such as restaurants. The passive position of the [[Getúlio Vargas]] government was not enough to calm [[public opinion]]. Ultimately, the government found itself with no other choice but to [[declare war]] on the Axis on [[August 22]], [[1942]].

== Command ==
The Brazilian 1st Division of the FEB was under the command of [[15th Army Group]] of Field Marshal [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Harold Alexander]] (later succeeded by General [[Mark Wayne Clark|Mark Clark]]), via the [[U.S. Fifth Army]] of Lieutenant General Mark Clark (later succeeded by Lieutenant General [[Lucian Truscott]]) and the [[U.S. IV Corps]] of Major General [[Willis D. Crittenberger]]. The overall organisation of the Allied and German arnies in Italy at the time can be found on the [[Gothic Line order of battle]] entry.

The Brazilian Air Force component was under the command of XXII Tactical Air Command, which was itself under the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force.

The FEB headquarters functioned as an administrative headquarters and link to the Brazilian [[high command]] and War Minister General [[Eurico Gaspar Dutra]] in Rio de Janeiro.

General [[Mascarenhas de Moraes]] (later Marshal) was the commander of the FEB with General Zenóbio da Costa as commander of the division's three infantry regiments and General Cordeiro de Farias as commander of the divisional artillery.

The FEB was organized as a standard American [[infantry]] [[division (military)|division]], complete in all aspects, down to its [[Logistics|logistical]] tail, including [[mail|postal]] and [[bank]]ing services. It comprised the 1st, 6th and 11th Infantry [[Regiment]]s of the Brazilian Army. Each regiment had three [[battalion]]s, each composed of four [[Company (military unit)|companies]].

== The Campaign ==
Soon after Brazil declared war, it began the [[mobilization]] to create an expeditionary force to fight in [[Europe]]. This was a giant US-sponsored effort to convert an obsolete [[army]] into a modern fighting force. It took two years to properly [[Training|train]] the 25,300 troops to join the Allied war effort.

In early July [[1944]], the first five thousand FEB soldiers left Brazil to Europe aboard the USNS ''General Mann'', and disembarked in [[Naples]], where they waited for the US Task Force 45, which they later joined. On late July, two more [[transport]]s with Brazilian troops reached Italy, with two more following in November and February [[1945]].

The first weeks of the Brazilians in Italy were dedicated to acquiring and training with the new American [[uniform]]s, since the Brazilian ones would not suit the Italian [[climate]]. The troops moved to [[Tarquinia]], 350 km north of [[Naples]], where Clark's army was based. The FEB was in November 1944 integrated into General Crittenberger's U.S. IV Corps. The first missions of the Brazilians involved [[reconnaissance]] operations.

The Brazilian troops helped to fill the gap left by several divisions of the Fifth Army and [[French Expeditionary Corps (Italy)|French Expeditionary Corps]] that left Italy for [[Operation Dragoon]], the invasion of southern [[France]]. On [[November 16]], the FEB [[Military occupation|occupied]] [[Massarosa]]. Two days later it also occupied [[Camaiore]] and other small towns on the way north.

By then the FEB had already conquered Monte Prano, controlled the [[Serchio]] valley and the region of [[Castelnuovo]], without any major casualties. The Brazilian soldiers, after that, were directed to the base of the [[Apennines]], where they would spend the next months, facing the harsh winter and the resistance of the [[Gothic Line]].

It was in that region that the Brazilian soldiers, together with men of many other [[nationality|nationalities]], made one of their main contributions to the war: the [[Battle of Monte Castello]]. The combined forces of the FEB and the American [[10th Mountain Division (United States)|10th Mountain Division]] were assigned the task of clearing Monte Belvedere of Germans and [[land mine|minefields]]. The Brazilians suffered from [[ambush]]es, [[machine gun]] nests, and heavy barrages of [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] fire.

On late February, while the battle for Monte Castello was still taking place, elements of the FEB conquered the city of [[Castelnuovo Rangone]] and, on [[March 5]], [[Montese]]. The German mass [[withdrawal (military)|retreat]] had started. In just a few days, [[Parma]] and [[Bologna]] were taken. After that, the main concern of the Allied forces in Italy was pursuing the enemy. After capturing a large number of Germans on [[Collecchio]], the Brazilian forces were preparing to face fierce resistance at the [[Taro river|Taro]] region from what was left of the retreating German army. The German troops were surrounded near Fornovo and forced to [[Surrender (military)|surrender]]. More than sixteen thousand men, including the entire [[148th Infantry Division (Germany)|148th Infantry Division]], elements of the [[80th Panzer Division (Germany)|80th Panzer Division]], several Italian units and more than a thousand vehicles, surrendered to the Brazilian Forces on [[April 28]].

On [[May 2]], the Brazilians reached [[Turin]] and met [[France|French]] troops at the [[border]]. Meanwhile, on the [[Alps]], the FEB was on the heels of German forces still on the run. On that very day, the astounding news that [[Hitler]] was dead put an end to the fighting in Italy. All German troops finally surrendered to the Allies in the following hours.

== The Air Force ==
{{Cleanup|date=December 2005}}

Formed on [[18 December]] [[1943]], the 1ºGAVCA (1st Fighter Group) was composed of volunteer Brazilian Air Force (Portuguese: Força Aérea Brasileira, or FAB) pilots. Its Commanding Officer was Ten.-Cel.-Av. (Lt. Col. Pilot) Nero Moura. The Group had 350 men, including 43 pilots, and was sent to Panama for combat training, since the pilots already had flying experience — one of its pilots, 2º Ten.-Av. (2nd Lt.) Alberto M. Torres, was the pilot of the [[PBY Catalina|PBY-5A Catalina]] that had sunk [[Unterseeboot 199|U-199]], a German U-Boat operating off the coast of Brazil.

The 1ºGAVCA, with a strength of 350 (43 pilots), was sent to Panama for combat training and equipped with the [[Curtiss P-40]]. There 2º Ten.-Av. Dante Isidoro Gastaldoni was killed in a training accident. On [[May 11]], 1944, the Group was declared operational and became active in the air defense of the Panama Canal Zone. The Group was then sent to the U.S. on [[June 22]] to convert to the [[P-47 Thunderbolt|Republic P-47D Thunderbolt]].

The Group departed to Italy on [[19 September]] [[1944]], arriving at Livorno on 6 October. There it became part of the 350th Fighter Group [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]], an unit which had been formed on [[1 October]] [[1942]] in Britain. Several of its first pilots had served previously with the [[Royal Air Force]] or the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]. After the Allied landings in Northern Africa ([[Operation Torch]]), the 350th FG was transferred to that region and followed the Allied invasion of Italy. Until the arrival of the 1ºGAVCA, the 350th FG was made up of three squadrons: 345th Fighter Squadron ("Devil Hawk Squadron"), 346th FS ("Checker Board Squadron") and 347th FS ("Screaming Red Ass Squadron"). When the 1ºGAVCA — or, rather, the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, 1st BFS — was incorporated to the 350th FG, that unit was subordinated to the 62nd Fighter Wing, XXII Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force USAAF. The call-signs for each of the Groups component squadrons were: 345th FS, "Lifetime"; 346th FS, "Minefield"; 347th FS, "Midwood"; and 1st BFS, "Jambock"

[[Image:Sentapua2.gif|thumb|right|World War II 1st group symbol]]
The badge of 1ºGAVCA was designed while the Squadron was travelling to Italy aboard the transport ship UST Colombie by a group of its pilots, Ten.-Av. Rui Moreira Lima, Ten.-Av. José Rebelo Meira de Vasconcelos, Ten.-Av. Lima Mendes and Cap.-Av. Fortunato C. de Oliveira. Drawn by the latter, it can be described as follows, according to its author:

: The green-yellow surrounding represents Brazil;
: The red field behind the fighting [[ostrich]] represents the war skies;
: The bottom field — white clouds — represents the ground to a pilot;
: The blue shield charged with the Southern Cross is the common symbol for the Brazilian Armed Forces;
: The ostrich represents the Brazilian fighter pilot, whose face is inspired by that of Ten.-Av. Lima Mendes; 
: The white cap was part of the FAB uniform at the time and distinguished the Brazilian pilots from the other Allied pilots;
: The gun being held by the ostrich represents the firepower of the P-47, with its eight .50in machine-guns;
: The motto "Senta a Pua!" is the war cry of 1ºGAVCA;
: The white streak, at the right, ending on a [[anti-aircraft warfare|flak]] burst, was added later, and represents the danger brought by the German anti-aircraft artillery to the pilots (this device appeared only on replacement aircraft).

The use of an ostrich to represent the Brazilian fighter pilots comes from the fact that, during the early Forties, several Brazilian aircrews went to the USA to fly back to Brazil the aircraft then being bought in large numbers by the Brazilian authorities, not only training but also combat aircraft. During their stay in that country, they got acquainted to American food: [[baked beans]], [[powdered eggs]] and [[powdered milk]], among other items. The then Cel.-Av. Geraldo Guia de Aquino dubbed the pilots "Ostriches" and the nickname caught.

The war cry "Senta a Pua!" was a suggestion from Ten.-Av. Rui who had heard it several times from Cap.-Av. Firmino Alves de Araujo while serving at Salvador Air Base; it was used by the latter on his subordinates, inviting them to do their tasks at once and quickly. It became the Brazilian equivalent of the British "Tally-Ho" and the French "À la Chasse!". It roughly translates to something like "Drill it Deep".

The Brazilian pilots initially flew from [[31 October]] [[1944]] as individual elements of flights of the 350th FG US squadrons, at first in affiliation flights and progressively taking part in more dangerous missions. Less than two weeks later, on [[11 November]], the Group started its own operations, flying from its base at Tarquinia, using its call-sign Jambock.

The Group was divided into four flights, Vermelha (Red), Amarela (Yellow), Azul (Blue) and Verde (Green). Each flight had a complement of roughly 12 pilots, these having been flying together since their training spell in Panama. A pilot customarily wore an echarpe in the colours of his flight. The CO of the Group and some officers were not attached to any specific flight.

Initially the P-47s were finished in standard US fighter colours, olive-drab (top surfaces) and neutral grey (undersurfaces), except the aircraft of the commanding officer, which was finished in natural metal and olive-drab anti-glare panels. Contrary to common belief, the first aircraft flown by the group's operations officer (coded "2") was also painted in the OD/NG color-scheme, being lost in action when Lt. Danilo Moura was shot down, being replaced by an overall natural metal finish (NMF) aircraft, which was later also shot down when flown by Lt. Luis Lopes Dornelles and replaced by a third NMF machine. The badge of the Group was painted just after the engine cowling, and the aircraft code (flight letter-aircraft number) was in white letters over the cowling. National insignia was in four positions, this being the US star-and-bar, with the white star replaced by the Brazilian star. Later, replacement aircraft were in natural metal, with olive-drab anti-glare panels, the codes being in black.

The Brazilian pilots had been trained in the US for fighter operations — but the Luftwaffe had by then nearly no airplanes in Italy. Thus the 1ºGAVCA started its fighting career as a fighter-bomber unit, its missions being armed [[reconnaissance]] and [[air interdiction|interdiction]], in support of the US 5th Army, to which the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was attached.

On [[16 April]] [[1945]], the [[U.S. Fifth Army]] started its offensive along the [[Po River|Po Valley]]. On this date, the Group was reduced to 25 pilots, some having been killed and others, having been shot down, becoming POWs. Also, some had been relieved from operations on medical grounds due to [[combat stress reaction|combat fatigue]]. The Yellow flight was thus disbanded, its remaining pilots being distributed among the other flights. Each pilot flew on average two missions a day.

On 19 April, the German frontline was broken, this having been first signalled to Command HQ by the Group. The Allied forces had to set up [[bridgehead]] across the River Pó, before the German forces crossed it. This was to be done on the 23 April, after a softening up of the German defences by the Air Force on the previous day.

On 22 April, 1945, the day dawned cold, overcast and foggy. The three flights took off at five minute intervals starting at 8:30 AM, to attack targets in the San Benedetto region, destroying bridges, barges and motorized vehicles. At 10:00 AM, a flight took off for an armed reconnaissance mission south of [[Mantua]] — more than 80 trucks and vehicles were destroyed. Other aircraft attacked fortified German positions, tanks and barges. By the end of the day, the Group had flown 44 individual missions, having destroyed more than a hundred vehicles as well as barges, etc. Two P-47s were damaged and a third was shot down, its pilot, 2º Ten.-Av. Armando de S. Coelho, being taken prisoner. This was the day when more sorties than ever were made by the Group, and is commemorated each year as the Brazilian Fighter Arm Day.

The 1ºGAVCA flew a total of 445 missions, 2,550 individual sorties and 5,465 combat flight hours, from [[11 November]] [[1944]] to [[4 May]] [[1945]]. The XXII Tactical Air Command acknowledged the efficiency of the Group by noting that, between 6 to 29 April 1945, it flew only 5% of the total of missions carried out by all squadrons under its control, but destroyed:

* 85% of the ammunition depots,
* 36% of the fuel depots,
* 28% of the bridges (19% damaged),
* 15% of motor vehicles (13% damaged) and
* 10% of horse-drawn vehicles (10% damaged).

The actions of the 1ºGAVCA during the Italian Campaign were even more exalted on [[22 April]] [[1986]]. On that day the Group received, from the Ambassador of the USA to Brazil, together with the Secretary for the USAF, the [[Presidential Unit Citation (US)|Presidential Unit Citation]] (Air Force), given by the US Government. The Brazilian Air Force is proud of the fact that, apart other few USAF units, only the 1ºGAVCA and two Royal Australian Air Force units — Nos. 2 and 13 Squadrons — have received this citation.

{{quote|Their deeds will remain alive while men fly. Their victories in the battlefields will be in our hearts while courage and heroism are treasured by men. | E. Aldridge Jr., Secretary for the USAF, at the bestowing ceremony of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 1ºGAVCA}}

== The Outcome ==
During eight months of the [[military campaign|campaign]], the Brazilian Expeditionary Force managed to take 20,573 Axis [[Prisoner of war|prisoners]] (two generals, 892 officers and 19,679 other ranks) and had 443 of its men [[killed in action]].

The soldiers buried in the FEB [[cemetery]] in [[Pistoia]] were later removed to a [[mausoleum]] built in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. The [[mausoleum]] was idealised by [[Mascarenhas de Moraes]] (then a Marshal). It was inaugurated on [[July 24]], [[1960]] and covers an area of 6,850 square meters.

== The Nickname ==
It is often said that, being questioned about the possibilities of a Brazilian Expeditionary Force entering the war against the Axis, Hitler was reported to have said that "snakes will start smoking [[smoking pipe|pipe]]s before Brazil joins the Allies". {{fact}} As a result of this tale, the Brazilian Expeditionaries called themselves ''Cobras Fumantes'' (literally, ''Smoking Snakes'') and wore a divisional shoulder patch which showed a snake smoking a pipe.

Up to this day, the expression "a cobra vai fumar" (Portuguese for "the snake is going to smoke") is often used in Brazil in a context similar to "something wicked this way comes".

== Photo Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:FEB_Desembarque.jpg|FEB Soldiers arriving in [[Italy]] in [[1944]].
Image:FEB_Blindado_Montese.jpg|Infantry with an [[M10 Wolverine|M-10]] tank destroyer resting on the region of [[Montese]] in [[1945]].
Image:FEB_Engenharia.jpg|[[Military engineer|Engineering]] battalion build a [[bridge]] in the north of [[Italy]] in [[1945]].
Image:FEB_Artilharia_MonteCastelo.jpg|[[Artillery]] position near Monte Castelo in [[1945]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Brazil at War]] American Propaganda film about Brazilian contribution
* [[Max Wolff]] Brazilian sergeant, an iconic figure of Brazilian army in WWII
* [[Gothic Line]]
* [[Gothic Line order of battle]]

==References==
*http://cliente.enersulnet.com.br/victorbarone/br/htm/feb.htm
*http://www.battlefront.co.nz/Article.asp?ArticleID=251
*http://www.worldwariihistory.info/in/Brazil.html
*http://www.sentandoapua.com.br

==External links==
*An article about the formation and the contribution of the FEB by [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/VI_2/mccann.htm A Frank D. MacCann, "Brazil and World War II: The Forgotten Ally: What did you do in the war, Zé Carioca?"], [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/ 'Estudios Interdisciplinarios de America Latina y el Caribe'], [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/VI_2/ vol. 6, No. 2, 1995] {{En icon}}
* [http://members.home.nl/ww2propaganda/italy/italych07.htm WW2 propaganda leaflets]: A website about airdropped, shelled or rocket fired propaganda leaflets. BEF propaganda in Italy / Po Valley.
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/VO/168/feb.htm Pictures of the German unconditional surrender to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/03Brafor/feb/museu.htm Pictures of the Brazilian Monuments and Memorials in Italy] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/03Brafor/feb/montese.htm The Conquer of Montese] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.militar.com.br/feb/monumentomortos2guerra.htm Picyotures of the mausoleum in Rio de Janeiro]
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/05Notici/VO/157/feb157.htm More pictures and information about the mausoleum in Rio de Janeiro] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.sentandoapua.com.br History of the Brazilian Air Force in World War II] {{Pt icon}}

[[Category:1940s]]
[[Category:Expeditionary units and formations]]
[[Category:History of Brazil]]
[[Category:Wars involving Brazil]]
[[Category:Military of Brazil]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of World War II]]
[[Category:World War II national military histories]]

[[es:Fuerza expedicionaria brasileña]]
[[he:כוח המשלוח הברזילאי]]
[[pl:Brazylijski Korpus Ekspedycyjny]]
[[pt:Força Expedicionária Brasileira]]

Brasilianisches Expeditionskorps in Europa

2007-06-27T00:30:51Z

201.51.250.178: /* Overview */ Made links + Slightly better grammar.

[[Image:FEB.png|thumb|right|150px|The "Smoking Snake", symbol of the FEB]]
The '''Brazilian Expeditionary Force''' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: '''Força Expedicionária Brasileira''', or '''FEB''') was the 25,300-man force formed by the [[Brazil]]ian [[Brazilian Navy|Navy]], [[Brazilian Army|Army]] and [[Brazilian Air Force|Air Force]] that fought alongside the [[Allied]] forces in the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] of [[World War II]].

== Overview ==
[[Image:FEB_01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|FEB Troops parade through [[Rio de Janeiro]] in [[1944]]]]
It was not at all obvious that Brazil would join the Allied powers in World War II. Initially Brazil maintained [[Neutral country|neutrality]], [[Trade|trading]] with both the Allies and the [[Axis Powers|Axis]], while [[President of Brazil|Brazilian president]] [[Getúlio Vargas]]'s quasi-[[Fascist]] policies indicated a leaning toward the Axis powers. However, with the increasing trade with and [[diplomacy|diplomatic efforts]] by the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]], in [[1941]] Brazil permitted the US to set up air bases in the states of [[Bahia]], [[Pernambuco]] and [[Rio Grande do Norte]], where the city of [[Natal%2C_Rio_Grande_do_Norte|Natal]] received part of the U.S. Navy's [[VP-52]] patrol squadron. Also, the U.S. Task Force 3 established itself in Brazil, including a squad equipped to attack submarines and merchant vessels which tried to exchange goods with [[Japan]].

Besides being technically neutral, the increasing cooperation with the Allies led the Brazilian government to announce, on [[28 January]] [[1942]] the decision to sever diplomatic relations with [[Germany]], [[Japan]] and Italy.

In July [[1942]], around thirteen Brazilian merchant vessels were sunk by German [[U-Boat]]s. About one hundred people died as a result of these attacks, most being crew members. At the time, Vargas decided not to take further measures against the Axis in an attempt to avoid an escalation of the conflict involving Brazil.

However, in August [[1942]], one single German submarine, the [[U-507]], sank five Brazilian vessels in two days, causing more than six hundred deaths:

:*On [[August 15]], the ''Baependy,'' travelling from [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] to [[Recife]] was [[torpedo]]ed at 19:12. Its 215 passengers and 55 crew members were lost.
:*At 21:03, the U-507 torpedoed the ''Araraquara,'' also going from Salvador towards the north of the country. Of the 142 people on board, 131 died.
:*Seven hours after the second attack, the U-507 attacked the ''Aníbal Benévolo.'' All 83 passengers died; of a crew of 71, only four survived.
:*On [[August 17]], close to the city of [[Vitória]], the ''Itagiba'' was hit at 10:45, and had a death toll of 36.
:*Another Brazilian ship, the ''Arará '', travelling from [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] to [[Santos (São Paulo)|Santos]], stopped to help the crippled ''Itagiba'', but end up being the fifth Brazilian victim of the German ship, with a death toll of 20.

The Brazilian population was restless. In the capital [[Rio de Janeiro]], the people started to retaliate against German businesses, such as restaurants. The passive position of the [[Getúlio Vargas]] government was not enough to calm [[public opinion]]. Ultimately, the government found itself with no other choice but to [[declare war]] on the Axis on [[August 22]], [[1942]].

== Command ==
The Brazilian 1st Division of the FEB was under the command of [[15th Army Group]] of Field Marshal [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Harold Alexander]] (later succeeded by General [[Mark Wayne Clark|Mark Clark]]), via the [[U.S. Fifth Army]] of Lieutenant General Mark Clark (later succeeded by Lieutenant General [[Lucian Truscott]]) and the [[U.S. IV Corps]] of Major General [[Willis D. Crittenberger]]. The overall organisation of the Allied and German arnies in Italy at the time can be found on the [[Gothic Line order of battle]] entry.

The Brazilian Air Force component was under the command of XXII Tactical Air Command, which was itself under the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force.

The FEB headquarters functioned as an administrative headquarters and link to the Brazilian [[high command]] and War Minister General [[Eurico Gaspar Dutra]] in Rio de Janeiro.

General [[Mascarenhas de Moraes]] (later Marshal) was the commander of the FEB with General Zenóbio da Costa as commander of the division's three infantry regiments and General Cordeiro de Farias as commander of the divisional artillery.

The FEB was organized as a standard American [[infantry]] [[division (military)|division]], complete in all aspects, down to its [[Logistics|logistical]] tail, including [[mail|postal]] and [[bank]]ing services. It comprised the 1st, 6th and 11th Infantry [[Regiment]]s of the Brazilian Army. Each regiment had three [[battalion]]s, each composed of four [[Company (military unit)|companies]].

== The Campaign ==
Soon after Brazil declared war, it began the [[mobilization]] to create an expeditionary force to fight in [[Europe]]. This was a giant US-sponsored effort to convert an obsolete [[army]] into a modern fighting force. It took two years to properly [[Training|train]] the 25,300 troops to join the Allied war effort.

In early July [[1944]], the first five thousand FEB soldiers left Brazil to Europe aboard the USNS ''General Mann'', and disembarked in [[Naples]], where they waited for the US Task Force 45, which they later joined. On late July, two more [[transport]]s with Brazilian troops reached Italy, with two more following in November and February [[1945]].

The first weeks of the Brazilians in Italy were dedicated to acquiring and training with the new American [[uniform]]s, since the Brazilian ones would not suit the Italian [[climate]]. The troops moved to [[Tarquinia]], 350 km north of [[Naples]], where Clark's army was based. The FEB was in November 1944 integrated into General Crittenberger's U.S. IV Corps. The first missions of the Brazilians involved [[reconnaissance]] operations.

The Brazilian troops helped to fill the gap left by several divisions of the Fifth Army and [[French Expeditionary Corps (Italy)|French Expeditionary Corps]] that left Italy for [[Operation Dragoon]], the invasion of southern [[France]]. On [[November 16]], the FEB [[Military occupation|occupied]] [[Massarosa]]. Two days later it also occupied [[Camaiore]] and other small towns on the way north.

By then the FEB had already conquered Monte Prano, controlled the [[Serchio]] valley and the region of [[Castelnuovo]], without any major casualties. The Brazilian soldiers, after that, were directed to the base of the [[Apennines]], where they would spend the next months, facing the harsh winter and the resistance of the [[Gothic Line]].

It was in that region that the Brazilian soldiers, together with men of many other [[nationality|nationalities]], made one of their main contributions to the war: the [[Battle of Monte Castello]]. The combined forces of the FEB and the American [[10th Mountain Division (United States)|10th Mountain Division]] were assigned the task of clearing Monte Belvedere of Germans and [[land mine|minefields]]. The Brazilians suffered from [[ambush]]es, [[machine gun]] nests, and heavy barrages of [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] fire.

On late February, while the battle for Monte Castello was still taking place, elements of the FEB conquered the city of [[Castelnuovo Rangone]] and, on [[March 5]], [[Montese]]. The German mass [[withdrawal (military)|retreat]] had started. In just a few days, [[Parma]] and [[Bologna]] were taken. After that, the main concern of the Allied forces in Italy was pursuing the enemy. After capturing a large number of Germans on [[Collecchio]], the Brazilian forces were preparing to face fierce resistance at the [[Taro river|Taro]] region from what was left of the retreating German army. The German troops were surrounded near Fornovo and forced to [[Surrender (military)|surrender]]. More than sixteen thousand men, including the entire [[148th Infantry Division (Germany)|148th Infantry Division]], elements of the [[80th Panzer Division (Germany)|80th Panzer Division]], several Italian units and more than a thousand vehicles, surrendered to the Brazilian Forces on [[April 28]].

On [[May 2]], the Brazilians reached [[Turin]] and met [[France|French]] troops at the [[border]]. Meanwhile, on the [[Alps]], the FEB was on the heels of German forces still on the run. On that very day, the astounding news that [[Hitler]] was dead put an end to the fighting in Italy. All German troops finally surrendered to the Allies in the following hours.

== The Air Force ==
{{Cleanup|date=December 2005}}

Formed on [[18 December]] [[1943]], the 1ºGAVCA (1st Fighter Group) was composed of volunteer Brazilian Air Force (Portuguese: Força Aérea Brasileira, or FAB) pilots. Its Commanding Officer was Ten.-Cel.-Av. (Lt. Col. Pilot) Nero Moura. The Group had 350 men, including 43 pilots, and was sent to Panama for combat training, since the pilots already had flying experience — one of its pilots, 2º Ten.-Av. (2nd Lt.) Alberto M. Torres, was the pilot of the [[PBY Catalina|PBY-5A Catalina]] that had sunk [[Unterseeboot 199|U-199]], a German U-Boat operating off the coast of Brazil.

The 1ºGAVCA, with a strength of 350 (43 pilots), was sent to Panama for combat training and equipped with the [[Curtiss P-40]]. There 2º Ten.-Av. Dante Isidoro Gastaldoni was killed in a training accident. On [[May 11]], 1944, the Group was declared operational and became active in the air defense of the Panama Canal Zone. The Group was then sent to the U.S. on [[June 22]] to convert to the [[P-47 Thunderbolt|Republic P-47D Thunderbolt]].

The Group departed to Italy on [[19 September]] [[1944]], arriving at Livorno on 6 October. There it became part of the 350th Fighter Group [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]], an unit which had been formed on [[1 October]] [[1942]] in Britain. Several of its first pilots had served previously with the [[Royal Air Force]] or the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]. After the Allied landings in Northern Africa ([[Operation Torch]]), the 350th FG was transferred to that region and followed the Allied invasion of Italy. Until the arrival of the 1ºGAVCA, the 350th FG was made up of three squadrons: 345th Fighter Squadron ("Devil Hawk Squadron"), 346th FS ("Checker Board Squadron") and 347th FS ("Screaming Red Ass Squadron"). When the 1ºGAVCA — or, rather, the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, 1st BFS — was incorporated to the 350th FG, that unit was subordinated to the 62nd Fighter Wing, XXII Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force USAAF. The call-signs for each of the Groups component squadrons were: 345th FS, "Lifetime"; 346th FS, "Minefield"; 347th FS, "Midwood"; and 1st BFS, "Jambock"

[[Image:Sentapua2.gif|thumb|right|World War II 1st group symbol]]
The badge of 1ºGAVCA was designed while the Squadron was travelling to Italy aboard the transport ship UST Colombie by a group of its pilots, Ten.-Av. Rui Moreira Lima, Ten.-Av. José Rebelo Meira de Vasconcelos, Ten.-Av. Lima Mendes and Cap.-Av. Fortunato C. de Oliveira. Drawn by the latter, it can be described as follows, according to its author:

: The green-yellow surrounding represents Brazil;
: The red field behind the fighting [[ostrich]] represents the war skies;
: The bottom field — white clouds — represents the ground to a pilot;
: The blue shield charged with the Southern Cross is the common symbol for the Brazilian Armed Forces;
: The ostrich represents the Brazilian fighter pilot, whose face is inspired by that of Ten.-Av. Lima Mendes; 
: The white cap was part of the FAB uniform at the time and distinguished the Brazilian pilots from the other Allied pilots;
: The gun being held by the ostrich represents the firepower of the P-47, with its eight .50in machine-guns;
: The motto "Senta a Pua!" is the war cry of 1ºGAVCA;
: The white streak, at the right, ending on a [[anti-aircraft warfare|flak]] burst, was added later, and represents the danger brought by the German anti-aircraft artillery to the pilots (this device appeared only on replacement aircraft).

The use of an ostrich to represent the Brazilian fighter pilots comes from the fact that, during the early Forties, several Brazilian aircrews went to the USA to fly back to Brazil the aircraft then being bought in large numbers by the Brazilian authorities, not only training but also combat aircraft. During their stay in that country, they got acquainted to American food: [[baked beans]], [[powdered eggs]] and [[powdered milk]], among other items. The then Cel.-Av. Geraldo Guia de Aquino dubbed the pilots "Ostriches" and the nickname caught.

The war cry "Senta a Pua!" was a suggestion from Ten.-Av. Rui who had heard it several times from Cap.-Av. Firmino Alves de Araujo while serving at Salvador Air Base; it was used by the latter on his subordinates, inviting them to do their tasks at once and quickly. It became the Brazilian equivalent of the British "Tally-Ho" and the French "À la Chasse!". It roughly translates to something like "Drill it Deep".

The Brazilian pilots initially flew from [[31 October]] [[1944]] as individual elements of flights of the 350th FG US squadrons, at first in affiliation flights and progressively taking part in more dangerous missions. Less than two weeks later, on [[11 November]], the Group started its own operations, flying from its base at Tarquinia, using its call-sign Jambock.

The Group was divided into four flights, Vermelha (Red), Amarela (Yellow), Azul (Blue) and Verde (Green). Each flight had a complement of roughly 12 pilots, these having been flying together since their training spell in Panama. A pilot customarily wore an echarpe in the colours of his flight. The CO of the Group and some officers were not attached to any specific flight.

Initially the P-47s were finished in standard US fighter colours, olive-drab (top surfaces) and neutral grey (undersurfaces), except the aircraft of the commanding officer, which was finished in natural metal and olive-drab anti-glare panels. Contrary to common belief, the first aircraft flown by the group's operations officer (coded "2") was also painted in the OD/NG color-scheme, being lost in action when Lt. Danilo Moura was shot down, being replaced by an overall natural metal finish (NMF) aircraft, which was later also shot down when flown by Lt. Luis Lopes Dornelles and replaced by a third NMF machine. The badge of the Group was painted just after the engine cowling, and the aircraft code (flight letter-aircraft number) was in white letters over the cowling. National insignia was in four positions, this being the US star-and-bar, with the white star replaced by the Brazilian star. Later, replacement aircraft were in natural metal, with olive-drab anti-glare panels, the codes being in black.

The Brazilian pilots had been trained in the US for fighter operations — but the Luftwaffe had by then nearly no airplanes in Italy. Thus the 1ºGAVCA started its fighting career as a fighter-bomber unit, its missions being armed [[reconnaissance]] and [[air interdiction|interdiction]], in support of the US 5th Army, to which the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was attached.

On [[16 April]] [[1945]], the [[U.S. Fifth Army]] started its offensive along the [[Po River|Po Valley]]. On this date, the Group was reduced to 25 pilots, some having been killed and others, having been shot down, becoming POWs. Also, some had been relieved from operations on medical grounds due to [[combat stress reaction|combat fatigue]]. The Yellow flight was thus disbanded, its remaining pilots being distributed among the other flights. Each pilot flew on average two missions a day.

On 19 April, the German frontline was broken, this having been first signalled to Command HQ by the Group. The Allied forces had to set up [[bridgehead]] across the River Pó, before the German forces crossed it. This was to be done on the 23 April, after a softening up of the German defences by the Air Force on the previous day.

On 22 April, 1945, the day dawned cold, overcast and foggy. The three flights took off at five minute intervals starting at 8:30 AM, to attack targets in the San Benedetto region, destroying bridges, barges and motorized vehicles. At 10:00 AM, a flight took off for an armed reconnaissance mission south of [[Mantua]] — more than 80 trucks and vehicles were destroyed. Other aircraft attacked fortified German positions, tanks and barges. By the end of the day, the Group had flown 44 individual missions, having destroyed more than a hundred vehicles as well as barges, etc. Two P-47s were damaged and a third was shot down, its pilot, 2º Ten.-Av. Armando de S. Coelho, being taken prisoner. This was the day when more sorties than ever were made by the Group, and is commemorated each year as the Brazilian Fighter Arm Day.

The 1ºGAVCA flew a total of 445 missions, 2,550 individual sorties and 5,465 combat flight hours, from [[11 November]] [[1944]] to [[4 May]] [[1945]]. The XXII Tactical Air Command acknowledged the efficiency of the Group by noting that, between 6 to 29 April 1945, it flew only 5% of the total of missions carried out by all squadrons under its control, but destroyed:

* 85% of the ammunition depots,
* 36% of the fuel depots,
* 28% of the bridges (19% damaged),
* 15% of motor vehicles (13% damaged) and
* 10% of horse-drawn vehicles (10% damaged).

The actions of the 1ºGAVCA during the Italian Campaign were even more exalted on [[22 April]] [[1986]]. On that day the Group received, from the Ambassador of the USA to Brazil, together with the Secretary for the USAF, the [[Presidential Unit Citation (US)|Presidential Unit Citation]] (Air Force), given by the US Government. The Brazilian Air Force is proud of the fact that, apart other few USAF units, only the 1ºGAVCA and two Royal Australian Air Force units — Nos. 2 and 13 Squadrons — have received this citation.

{{quote|Their deeds will remain alive while men fly. Their victories in the battlefields will be in our hearts while courage and heroism are treasured by men. | E. Aldridge Jr., Secretary for the USAF, at the bestowing ceremony of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 1ºGAVCA}}

== The Outcome ==
During eight months of the [[military campaign|campaign]], the Brazilian Expeditionary Force managed to take 20,573 Axis [[Prisoner of war|prisoners]] (two generals, 892 officers and 19,679 other ranks) and had 443 of its men [[killed in action]].

The soldiers buried in the FEB [[cemetery]] in [[Pistoia]] were later removed to a [[mausoleum]] built in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. The [[mausoleum]] was idealised by [[Mascarenhas de Moraes]] (then a Marshal). It was inaugurated on [[July 24]], [[1960]] and covers an area of 6,850 square meters.

== The Nickname ==
It is often said that, being questioned about the possibilities of a Brazilian Expeditionary Force entering the war against the Axis, Hitler was reported to have said that "snakes will start smoking [[smoking pipe|pipe]]s before Brazil joins the Allies". As a result of this tale, the Brazilian Expeditionaries called themselves ''Cobras Fumantes'' (literally, ''Smoking Snakes'') and wore a divisional shoulder patch which showed a snake smoking a pipe.

Up to this day, the expression "a cobra vai fumar" (Portuguese for "the snake is going to smoke") is often used in Brazil in a context similar to "something wicked this way comes".

== Photo Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:FEB_Desembarque.jpg|FEB Soldiers arriving in [[Italy]] in [[1944]].
Image:FEB_Blindado_Montese.jpg|Infantry with an [[M10 Wolverine|M-10]] tank destroyer resting on the region of [[Montese]] in [[1945]].
Image:FEB_Engenharia.jpg|[[Military engineer|Engineering]] battalion build a [[bridge]] in the north of [[Italy]] in [[1945]].
Image:FEB_Artilharia_MonteCastelo.jpg|[[Artillery]] position near Monte Castelo in [[1945]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Brazil at War]] American Propaganda film about Brazilian contribution
* [[Max Wolff]] Brazilian sergeant, an iconic figure of Brazilian army in WWII
* [[Gothic Line]]
* [[Gothic Line order of battle]]

==References==
*http://cliente.enersulnet.com.br/victorbarone/br/htm/feb.htm
*http://www.battlefront.co.nz/Article.asp?ArticleID=251
*http://www.worldwariihistory.info/in/Brazil.html
*http://www.sentandoapua.com.br

==External links==
*An article about the formation and the contribution of the FEB by [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/VI_2/mccann.htm A Frank D. MacCann, "Brazil and World War II: The Forgotten Ally: What did you do in the war, Zé Carioca?"], [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/ 'Estudios Interdisciplinarios de America Latina y el Caribe'], [http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/VI_2/ vol. 6, No. 2, 1995] {{En icon}}
* [http://members.home.nl/ww2propaganda/italy/italych07.htm WW2 propaganda leaflets]: A website about airdropped, shelled or rocket fired propaganda leaflets. BEF propaganda in Italy / Po Valley.
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/VO/168/feb.htm Pictures of the German unconditional surrender to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/03Brafor/feb/museu.htm Pictures of the Brazilian Monuments and Memorials in Italy] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/03Brafor/feb/montese.htm The Conquer of Montese] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.militar.com.br/feb/monumentomortos2guerra.htm Picyotures of the mausoleum in Rio de Janeiro]
*[http://www.exercito.gov.br/05Notici/VO/157/feb157.htm More pictures and information about the mausoleum in Rio de Janeiro] {{Pt icon}}
*[http://www.sentandoapua.com.br History of the Brazilian Air Force in World War II] {{Pt icon}}

[[Category:1940s]]
[[Category:Expeditionary units and formations]]
[[Category:History of Brazil]]
[[Category:Wars involving Brazil]]
[[Category:Military of Brazil]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of World War II]]
[[Category:World War II national military histories]]

[[es:Fuerza expedicionaria brasileña]]
[[he:כוח המשלוח הברזילאי]]
[[pl:Brazylijski Korpus Ekspedycyjny]]
[[pt:Força Expedicionária Brasileira]]