Page 412 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

378 ~UIZ PAIJLO MACBDO CARV/Il.H()
"These names wiU be inscribed, for surc, among rhosc chat receive rhe cuir
of our compatrioric generadons, because in lraly, as in che Sourh America n baule
fields, rh e Brnilian Army pcoved co be worrhy of ics pasL .. ".
lo the hiSl campaign days, during che attack, rhe Brazilian Expeditionary Por·
ce pushed on rhe reverse way taken by Napoleoo frorn Lodi, through Alessandria,
to Torino, ro our the reueac of a German division thar cried to escape by france.
The Brnilians liberated Lodi, escablished the HQ in Alessandria, occupied
Torino and joined rhe French in Susa.

Tbe Brazilian Aie force
The Brnilian Air force, creaced inJaouary, 2Q•b, 1941, by amalgamarion of
formcr Army Air Corps with Naval Aviarion, was also prcsenr in che ltalian skies
during World War Il, rcpcesenced by che l" Fighcer Group - che "Senta a Pua"
- and rhe l" Liaison and Observation Squadron - the "Olho Nele".
The l" Pighrer Group, equipped with P-47 airplanes - "T hunderbolc",
fought as pare of che 350•h Fighccr Group; che l" Liaison o.nd Observation Squa·
dron, wit.h L4-H nirplanes - " Pipcr Cub", was acrached co che Brazilian Division
Anillery.
11
The 1 f ighccr Group enrered loro acrion in rhe Medìrerranenn Thearer of
the operations flying over lralian and Gcrman rcrrirories. During the first months
o( che barde, che Brazilian figbrers made 1728 soni es and were h i t by che cnemy's
anti-aircrarr fire 103 times, what represenu, on che average, onc fìghcer hir ror eve-
ry 17 air raids. In aiJ missions che Brazilian fìghcers faced enemy fìghters and hard
anti-aircrafc 20 and 40 mm gun fire, due co cheir medium and low level flyìng.
Among che 48 pilors of the l" Fighrer Group, rhac went inro acrion, 22 ca-
sualries were cegistered, fìve died, shot down by the anci-aircraft-artillcry; eighr jumpcd
in parachuces on the enemy's terrirory, because rheir aircrafc had been hic; chrec
died in air accidenrs and six were cold by che physicians nor co fly.
The performance of che Bruilion fìghcers, during che last monch of war, ca n
be better analysed reading this part or che official report writtcn by rhe 350"' Fighcer
Group:
" During che pcriod from April6"'co 29m, 1945, rhe Brazilian Fighcer Group
Oew 5% of the sorries execured by rhe XXU Air Tactical Command and, therefore,
among che resulrs achieved by rhis Command, ic was formally imputcd co rhe Bra-
zilians l~% of rh e demoyed vehicles, 28% of che dcscroyed bridges, 36% o[ rh e
darnage co che fuel dcpocs nn d 8'% of che; nmmunition depots })ir",
The 1" Liaison and Obsecvarion Squadron flew 1.282 hours ovcr the encmy
lincs, accomplishing obscrvnrion missions in suppon of the Bra7.ilian nrrillery.
The contribution or che Brazilian Air Force during World War Il must not
be appraised for che small numerica! screngh chat was in lcaly, bue for its perfor-
mance, when compareJ with che performance of similar unirs from diffcrcnc nations
thar formed rhc AJJied aie power used in the Meditcrrancan Theacer ofOpecation.