The First Brazilian Fighter Group

[Hobilar]

The First Brazilian Fighter Group consisting of four squadrons arrived at the Italian port of Livorno on the 6th October 1944.The Brazilian pilots started taking part in war missions, flying their new P-47 Thunderbolts on the 31st October 1944, and along with the US 350th Fighter Group were part of the Tactical Air Force of the Mediterranean which supported the US Fifth and British Eighth Armies.

On the 6th November the Brazilians suffered their first loss in action when: 2nd Lieutenant Cordeiro e Silva was killed by anti-aircraft fire in the region of Bologna. Then on the 11th November, the group began operations in squadrons formed exclusively by their own pilots and picking their own targets.

A month later, on the 4th December 1944, the Brazilians, together with the 350th Fighter Group, moved to Pisa airfield, 124 miles to the North and very near the front, which allowed the group to take better advantage of the range of their aircraft.

The Brazilians operated in Italy in the role of fighter-bombers, attacking rail and road bridges, railway stations and tracks, airfields, artillery positions, barracks and troop concentrations, and ammunition and petrol depots, Occasion the Brazilian airmen had the opportunity of supporting the Brazilian Expeditionary Force directly; such as on the 20th February 1945, the day before the BEF took Monte Castelo.

On the 4th February 1945, 2Lt Danilo. were shot down in flames whilst attacking trains to the Southwest of Treviso. Baling out. Lieutenant Danilo walked for twenty-four days, across enemy territory before joining the partisans and finally getting through the front lines to rejoin his comrades.

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

The 1st Brazilian Fighter Group accomplished 445 missions, making 2,546 flights and 5,465 hours flight on active service. It destroyed 1,304 motor vehicles, 13 railway wagons, 8 armoured cars, 25 railway and highway bridges and 31 fuel and munitions depots.