brazilian armor

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Lupo Solitario
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brazilian armor

#1

Post by Lupo Solitario » 14 Nov 2015, 20:23

I wonder if the Brazilian Expedionary Force in Italy in 1944-45 included any tank unit

Any info?

Thanks

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Kingfish
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Re: brazilian armor

#2

Post by Kingfish » 15 Nov 2015, 03:08

The division was organized as a standard US infantry division, so it had no organic armor apart from its cavalry recon squadron.

However, it may have had independent tank and TD units attached.
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Sid Guttridge
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Re: brazilian armor

#3

Post by Sid Guttridge » 15 Nov 2015, 15:56

Hi Guys,

The only armour were Greyhound armoured cars in the already mentioned recce unit.

Before the Torch landings in north Africa, Brazil looked under possible threat, so from 1942 it was promised several battalions-worth of Lee/Grants and Stuarts by the USA. They were obsolescent and were kept at home over 1943-45 largely as a deterrent to still neutral Argentina. Shermans arrived later. Chile also got Stuarts in early 1944 to help deter the Argentines. The Argentines responded with a small number of Nahuel Sherman-look-alike tanks of their own, which were largely a bluff.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Ironmachine
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Re: brazilian armor

#4

Post by Ironmachine » 15 Nov 2015, 17:34

Sid Guttridge wrote:Before the Torch landings in north Africa, Brazil looked under possible threat, so from 1942 it was promised several battalions-worth of Lee/Grants and Stuarts by the USA. They were obsolescent and were kept at home over 1943-45 largely as a deterrent to still neutral Argentina.
During the war, Brazil also received Sherman tanks (they were also kept at home).

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Lupo Solitario
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Re: brazilian armor

#5

Post by Lupo Solitario » 19 Nov 2015, 18:40

ok I found some pic with shermans and it was told they were brazilian in Italy.... I took it as wrong

BTW interesting the Argentina topic. Could Argentina really join the axis side?

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Oasis
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Re: brazilian armor

#6

Post by Oasis » 21 Nov 2015, 17:35

it results to me only the Esquadrao de Reconhocimento Mecanizado (cap. Plinio Pitaluga).
But on 21st april '45 the attack to Il Monte and Torre, passed Montetortore, was supported by a co. of US tanks.
Toni

Sid Guttridge
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Re: brazilian armor

#7

Post by Sid Guttridge » 23 Nov 2015, 14:50

Hi Lupo Solitario,

I think it unlikely that Argentina would have joined the Axis unless the UK were defeated.

In practice Argentina made a fortune selling beef and leather to the British during the war. Furthermore, it allowed the British to keep most of the money due in London until after the war, which meant that Argentina was effectively subsidizing the British war effort.

However, the Argentines still had their resurrected claim to the Falkland Islands, which they had extended to South Georgia and the other Falklands dependencies in 1938, and in mid 1942 undertook some naval planning towards seizing them. However, the war then turned decisively in Allied favour, rendering such an activity impracticable well before Peron came to prominence in mid 1943. Peron himself, although a political admirer of Mussolini and a military admirer of the German armed forces, never displayed any active interest in joining the Axis, though he was in favour of retaining diplomatic relations.

Nevertheless, the USA was furious that Argentina did not joining the Allies like other Latin American countries (until 1945) and therefore bolstered the Brazilian and Chilean militaries in 1942-44 as a lever over Buenos Aires. The USA also mounted a propaganda campaign against Peron to the effect that he was an Axis stooge, which, whatever his personal inclinations may have been, was never true because he only came to prominence after the Axis was doomed. In practice, Peron preferred to ally with the UK against the USA and this led to some friction between London, to which Argentine trade and money was important, and the USA, to which Argentina was a hemispheric rival for the adherence of other Latin American countries.

Cheers,

Sid.

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