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The Brazilian Navy in World War II.
Wartime Expansion.
Like most countries, Brazil was at first naturally confused by the prewar appeasement attitude of the European democracies, but intensified preparations began with the outbreak of fighting in Europe. The first step was the patrol of Brazilian coasts, and the expansion of naval technical abilities. Her fleet at that time consisted of 2 dreadnaught-type battleships (Sâo Paulo y Minas Geraes); 2 light cruisers (Bahia y Rio Grande do Sul; 10 destroyers (not all completed); 3 submarines; 12 corvettes; and 10 auxiliary, mine and river vesels. Additional craft were being completed abroad, but these were taken over by the various countries for their own use.
Brazil's merchant marine was sizable 305 vessels totaling 487,000 tons, which was increased to 652,000 tons before the end of 1941. Because many of these ships were carrying supplies destined for the democratic countries of Europe, vicious, indiscriminate Axis attacks by submarine and air began as early as March 1941.
These increased sharply, after Brazil severed Axis relations following the Pearl Harbor attack upon the United States. It was evidently realized by Germany that her sympathy with the democratic cause were but indications of her coming declaration of war, which occurred in August 1942.
Convoy and patrol tasks.
Naval priority was at first given to the rushing of more troops and supplies to the new mainland and island bases along the northeast coast that bulged out toward Africa. Before the end of the year, even United States forces were operating at, or from, many of these bases. And for the sake of combat unity, the northern force of Brazil's Navy was voluntarily merged into the Allied Fourth Fleet (*). The principal base was at Recife, but numerous other, ports helped out considerably. Brazil's southern force, although smaller, also had a tremendous convoy and patrol job. It was based at Rio de Janeiro, where United States vessels happening through that area were sometimes serviced.
Although Brazil had over 4,000 miles of her own coast line to guard, nevertheless on 18 January 1943, her war vessels extended their convoy duty another 1,500 miles northward to Trinidad, where many great convoys were made up. Most of the gasoline and oil used in the North African and Mediterranean campaigns were among the valuable cargoes escorted. Yet the raw materials coming north to the United States from the south were probably of still greater importance. Eventually, all of the South Atlantic convoy duty was turned over to the Brazilian Navy, an act which relieved still other United States and British vessels for urgently needed service elsewhere.
The Brazilian Navy, alone, and in conjunction with the United States Navy guarded 3,167 ships in 614 convoys, totaling 16,500,000 tons - and this with a loss of not one-tenth of one percent.
To further illustrate the importance of the task, here is the national distribution of the tonnage covered:
Ship Nationality - Tonnage
American - 6,884,823
Brazilian - 6,138,506
British - 1,618,299
Panamanian - 933,082
Norwegian - 301.600
Swedish - 233,008
Dutch - 140,538
Lithuanian - 77,300
Belgian - 73.976
Greek - 27,793
Yugoslavian - 16.601
Polish - 6,606
Egyptian - 8.969
Uruguayan - 8,268
Peruvian - 2,7681942.
(*) U.S. 4th Fleet was first established in in 1943 when Adm. Ernest King announced a redesignation of U.S. Naval operating forces, with even-numbered fleets specified for the Atlantic and odd-numbered fleets in the Pacific. U.S. 4th Fleet’s mission was to protect the vital allied shipping lanes in the South Atlantic that was being terrorized by German U-boats. It was also responsible to combat surface raiders and blockade runners. It was first headquartered in Brazil, who were the only South American country to actively support the Allied effort.
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Sources: Military Review. January 1951.
Cheers. Raúl M
.