Page 410 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

376 LlllZ PAULO MACEOO CA'RVALHO
Soon che submarine artacks bega n on ro the Bra2ilian cargo ships along rhe Uniced
States and Caribean coascs.
O o Juoe l5'h, 1942, Hider, rogerhec with Admical Raeder, decided t0 lauoch
a submarioe artack against the maritime navigacion along the Brazilian coast and
ro desttoy Brazil's mai n harbors of Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Salvador and Sanms.
This task was given ro a submarine florilla chat was based in occupied Fra.oce and
was formed by eight 500 con and rwo 700 con "U-Boacs", char were refueled by
the U-604 tank submarine. This fleer was lacer joined by Italian submarines. lo
rwo days, five Brazilian cargo ships were sunk a few miJes from our shore, and
caused che loss of more thao five hundred lives an d a crack Artillery Banalion thar
was being rransporred co defend che Norrheasr.
le was an undeclared.war, and answering che legai diplomacic arurude ofbrea-
king reladons wirh rhe "Axis". Brazilian public opinioo demanded and gor, the
Brazilian Governmenr to acknowledge the siruacion ofbelligerence with Germany,
Italy and Japan, oo Augusr. 22"d. 1942.

Brazilian mllitary pa.rrecipacion
Afrer a Bilatera! Agreemenr berween Brazil and che United Smres, ir was ini·
tially senJed that the Brazilian parciciparion in che conflicr would be as follows:
Navy - coast pacrolling escon of mari cime convoys and cession of bases ro
the American naval forces and airplanes;
Army - organizacion of one army corps, wirh th.ree infanrry divisions aod
one armored division for employmem in the Norrh of Africa and in Europe, in
order ro liberare Allied rroops foc the invasion of France, and as well defend the
cemaining Brazilian Northeasr in view of che chrear represemed by the evenrual
presence ofGermans in che French colonies on rhe Aclantic coasr of Mrica (Dakar,
Se negai);
Air F~Wce - organizarion and disparèhing ro the Medirerranean Thearec of
Operarions, one Fighrer Group, one Liaisoo and Obsecvation Squadcon and larer
one Group of Medium Bombers.

Th.e Braz:ilian _Expeditionary Force
The delay in che shipping of the necessary milirary equipmeot, as a resulr of
the prepacacions for Europe invasion by che Allies, limired che conttibution of a
greater Army numerica! strengrh co conrinue the war in the Medice.rranean Thea-
ter. So, we were restricced only ro che shipping of o ne Brazilian Expeditionary For-
ce, formed by one infanrry division, people from che Milirary Jusr:ice, che "Banco
do Brazil", the Postal Service and Special Dury, che Medicai Corps, rhe Nurse Corps
aod liaison reams, reinforced by a Replacemenr Depor. The combac rroops were
formed by infanrry, mechanized Clivalry. artillery, enginee.r, Haison and aie obser-
vation, adminisrracive and combar supporr units.